eleven o'clock
At her desk at headquarters Nora found a memorandum of four letters to be written , -- three to men in the prison at Sing-Sing . These she despatched speedily , with the aid of a typewriter ; but the fourth she wrote with her own hand , for it was in answer to one from an orphan girl who was coming to New York in search of work , and who desired to be put in the way of finding a safe boarding-place . Nora 's heart was touched by a peculiar sympathy at the thought of the girl 's loneliness , so closely allied to her own , and she wanted her to feel that it was a friend , and not merely an officer of the Army , who responded to her appeal , and held out the right hand of fellowship . It was eleven o'clock when the letters were written , and Nora ran downstairs to vary her industry by cutting out baby-clothes in the workroom . Just as she was taking the shears in hand , however , news was brought in of an accident to a factory-girl who had crushed her foot in the machinery , and had been brought home to her lodgings in the house on the next corner . To this house Nora went , and found the girl alone , and weeping more from loneliness than suffering . The doctor had left , promising to come again , and to send an ambulance later in the day , to take the sufferer to the hospital .