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diff --git a/43898-8.txt b/43898-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 9623213..0000000 --- a/43898-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,4079 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Florence Nightingale the Angel of the Crimea, by -Laura E. Richards - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: Florence Nightingale the Angel of the Crimea - A Story for Young People - -Author: Laura E. Richards - -Release Date: October 5, 2013 [EBook #43898] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE *** - - - - -Produced by Katherine Ward, Anna Granta and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - - - - - - - - - FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE - - THE ANGEL OF THE CRIMEA - - [Illustration: FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE.] - - - - - FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE - THE ANGEL OF THE CRIMEA - - _A STORY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE_ - - BY - - LAURA E. RICHARDS - - AUTHOR OF "CAPTAIN JANUARY," - "THE GOLDEN WINDOWS," ETC. - - [Illustration] - - ILLUSTRATED - - D. APPLETON AND COMPANY - NEW YORK AND LONDON - - 1911 - - - Copyright, 1909, by - D. APPLETON AND COMPANY - - _Published September, 1909_ - - Printed in the United States of America - - - - - TO - THE SISTER ELEANOR - - OF THE SISTERHOOD OF SAINT MARY - - HERSELF THROUGH MANY LONG YEARS A DEVOTED - WORKER FOR THE POOR, THE SICK, AND THE - SORROWFUL, THIS BRIEF RECORD OF AN - HEROIC LIFE IS AFFECTIONATELY - DEDICATED - - - For the material used in this little book I am chiefly indebted to - Sarah A. Tooley's "Life of Florence Nightingale," and to Kinglake's - "Invasion of the Crimea." - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER PAGE - - I. HOW FLORENCE GOT HER NAME--HER THREE - HOMES 1 - - II. LITTLE FLORENCE 9 - - III. THE SQUIRE'S DAUGHTER 19 - - IV. LOOKING OUT 32 - - V. WAITING FOR THE CALL 40 - - VI. THE TRUMPET CALL 45 - - VII. THE RESPONSE 58 - - VIII. SCUTARI 68 - - IX. THE BARRACK HOSPITAL 75 - - X. THE LADY-IN-CHIEF 85 - - XI. THE LADY WITH THE LAMP 98 - - XII. WINTER 114 - - XIII. MISS NIGHTINGALE UNDER FIRE 129 - - XIV. THE CLOSE OF THE WAR 143 - - XV. THE TASKS OF PEACE 159 - - - - - -FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -HOW FLORENCE GOT HER NAME--HER THREE HOMES. - - -One evening, some time after the great Crimean War of 1854-55, a company -of military and naval officers met at dinner in London. They were -talking over the war, as soldiers and sailors love to do, and somebody -said: "Who, of all the workers in the Crimea, will be longest -remembered?" - -Each guest was asked to give his opinion on this point, and each one -wrote a name on a slip of paper. There were many slips, but when they -came to be examined there was only one name, for every single man had -written "Florence Nightingale." - -Every English boy and girl knows the beautiful story of Miss -Nightingale's life. Indeed, hers is perhaps the best-loved name in -England since good Queen Victoria died. It will be a great pleasure to -me to tell this story to our own boys and girls in this country; and it -shall begin, as all proper stories do, at the beginning. - -Her father was named William Nightingale. He was an English gentleman, -and in the year 1820 was living in Italy with his wife. Their first -child was born in Naples, and they named her Parthenope, that being the -ancient name of Naples; two years later, when they were living in -Florence, another little girl came to them, and they decided to name her -also after the city of her birth. - -When Florence was still a very little child her parents came back to -England to live, bringing the two children with them. First they went to -a house called Lea Hall, in Derbyshire. It was an old, old house of gray -stone, standing on a hill, in meadows full of buttercups and clover. All -about were blossoming hedgerows full of wild roses, and great -elder-bushes heavy with white blossoms; and on the hillside below it -lies the quaint old village of Lea with its curious little stone houses. - -Lea Hall is a farmhouse now, but it still has its old flag-paved hall -and its noble staircase of oak with twisted balustrade, and broad solid -steps where little Florence and her sister "Parthe" used to play and -creep and tumble. There was another place near by where they loved even -better to play; that was the ancient house of Dethick. I ought rather to -say the ancient kitchen, for little else remained of the once stately -mansion. The rest of the house was comparatively new, but the great -kitchen was (and no doubt is) much as it was in the days of Queen -Elizabeth. - -Imagine a great room with heavy timbered roof, ponderous oaken doors, -and huge open fireplace over which hung the ancient roasting jack. In -the ceiling was a little trap-door, which looked as if it might open on -the roof; but in truth it was the entrance to a chamber hidden away -under the roof, a good-sized room, big enough for several persons to -hide in. - -Florence and her sister loved to imagine the scenes that had taken place -in that old kitchen; strange and thrilling, perhaps terrible scenes; -they knew the story of Dethick, and now you shall hear it too. - -In that old time which Tennyson calls "the spacious days of great -Elizabeth," Dethick belonged to a noble family named Babington. It was a -fine house then. The oaken door of the old kitchen opened on long -corridors and passages, which in turn led to stately halls and noble -galleries. There were turrets and balconies overlooking beautiful -gardens; and on the stone terraces gay lords and ladies used to walk and -laugh and make merry, and little children run and play and dance, and -life go on very much as it does now, with work and play, love and -laughter and tears. - -One of the gay people who used to walk there was Anthony Babington. He -was a gallant young gentleman, an ardent Catholic, and devoted to the -cause of the beautiful and unfortunate Mary Queen of Scots. - -Though ardent and devoted, Babington was a weak and foolish young man. -He fell under the influence of a certain Ballard, an artful and -designing person who had resolved to bring about the death of the great -English Queen, and was induced by him to form the plot which is known in -history as Babington's Conspiracy; so he was brought to ruin and death. - -In the year 1586 Queen Mary was imprisoned at Wingfield Manor, a country -house only a few miles distant from Dethick. The conspirators gathered -other Catholic noblemen about them, and planned to release Queen Mary -and set her once more on the throne. - -They used to meet at Dethick where, it is said, there is a secret -passage underground leading to Wingfield Manor. Perhaps--who -knows?--they may have sat in the kitchen, gathering about the great -fireplace for warmth; the lights out, for fear of spies, only the -firelight gleaming here and there, lighting up the dark corners and the -eager, intent faces. And when the plot was discovered, and Queen -Elizabeth's soldiers were searching the country round for the young -conspirators, riding hither and thither along the pleasant country lanes -and thrusting their sabres in among the blossoming hedgerows, it was -here at Dethick that they sought for Anthony Babington. They did not -find him, for he was in hiding elsewhere, but one of his companions was -actually discovered and arrested there. - -Perhaps--again, who knows?--this man may have been hiding in the secret -chamber above the trap-door. One can fancy the pursuers rushing in, -flinging open cupboards and presses, in search for their prey; and -finding no one, gathering baffled around the fireplace. Then one, -chancing to glance up, catches sight of the trap-door in the ceiling. -"Ha! lads, look up! the rascal may be hiding yonder! Up with you, you -tall fellow!" Then a piling up of benches, one man mounting on another's -shoulders--the door forced open, the young nobleman seized and -overpowered, and brought down to be carried off to London for trial. - -Anthony Babington and his companions were executed for high treason, and -Queen Mary, who was convicted of approving the plot, was put to death -soon after. - -All this Florence Nightingale and her sister knew, and they never tired -of "playing suppose" in old Dethick kitchen, and living over again in -fancy the romantic time long past. And on Sundays the two children went -with their parents to old Dethick church, and sat where Anthony -Babington used to sit, for in his days it was the private chapel of -Dethick. It is a tiny church; fifty people would fill it to -overflowing, but Florence and her sister might easily feel that the four -bare walls held all the wild history of Elizabeth's reign. - -Anthony Babington in doublet and hose, with velvet mantle, feathered -cap, and sword by his side; little Florence Nightingale in round Leghorn -hat and short petticoats. It is a long step between these two, yet they -are the two most famous people who ever said their prayers in old -Dethick church. The lad's brief and tragic story contrasts strangely -with the long and beautiful story of Florence Nightingale, a story that -has no end. - -When Florence was between five and six years old, she left Lea Hall for -a new home, Lea Hurst, about a mile distant. Here her father had built a -beautiful house in the Elizabethan style, of stone, with pointed gables, -mullioned windows and latticed panes. There was a tiny chapel on the -site he chose, hundreds of years old, and this he built into the house, -so that Lea Hurst, as well as Lea Hall and Dethick, joined hands with -the old historic times. In this little chapel, by and by, we shall see -Florence holding her Bible class. But I like still to think of her as a -little rosy girl, running about the beautiful gardens of Lea Hurst, or -playing house in the quaint old summerhouse with its pointed roof of -thatch. Perhaps she brought her dolls here; but the dolls must wait for -another chapter. - -Soon after moving to Lea Hurst, the Nightingales bought still another -country seat, Embley Park, in Hampshire, a fine old mansion built in -Queen Elizabeth's time, and at some distance from Lea Hurst. - -After this the family used to spend the summer at Lea Hurst, and the -winter at Embley. There were no railroads then in that neighborhood; the -journey was sometimes made by stagecoach, sometimes in the Nightingales' -own carriage. - -Embley Park is one of the stately homes of England, with its lofty -gables, terraces and shadowing trees; and all around it are sunny lawns, -and gardens filled with every sweet and lovely flower. - -Now you know a little of the three homes of Florence Nightingale, Lea -Hall, Lea Hurst, and Embley Park; next you shall hear what kind of child -she herself was. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -LITTLE FLORENCE. - - -All the boys, and very likely some of the girls, who have got as far as -this second chapter, will glance down the page, and exclaim: "_Dolls!_" -Then they will add whatever is their favorite expression of scorn, and -perhaps make a motion to lay the book down. - -Wait a moment, girls, and boys too! I advise you to read on, and see -what came in this case of playing with dolls. - -There were a good many thousands of boys in England at that time, in the -Twenties and Thirties, who might have been badly off when the terrible -Fifties came, if Florence Nightingale had not played with her dolls. -Read on, and see for yourselves! - -Florence Nightingale loved her dolls dearly, and took the greatest -possible care of them; and yet they were always delicate and given to -sudden and alarming illnesses. A doll never knew when she might be told -that she was very ill, and undressed and put to bed, though she might -but just have got on her new frock. Then Mamma Florence would wait upon -her tenderly, smoothing her pillow, bathing her forehead or rubbing her -poor back, and bringing her all kinds of good things in the doll-house -dishes. The doll might feel very much better the next day, and think it -was time to get up and put on the new frock again; but she was very apt -to have a relapse and go back to bed and gruel again, once at least, -before she was allowed to recover entirely. - -The truth is, Florence was born to be a nurse, and a sick doll was -dearer to her than a strong and healthy one. So I fear her dolls would -have been invalids most of the time if it had not been for Parthenope's -little family, who often required their Aunt Florence's care. These -dolls were very unlucky, or else their mamma was very careless; you can -call it whichever you like. They were always tumbling down and breaking -their heads, or losing arms and legs, or burning themselves at the -nursery fire, or suffering from doll's consumption, that dreadful -complaint otherwise known as loss of sawdust. When these things -happened, Aunt Florence was called in as a matter of course; and she set -the fractures, and salved the burns, and stopped the flow of sawdust, -and proved herself in every way a most skillful nursery surgeon and -physician. - -So it was that unconsciously, and in play, Florence began her training -for her life work. She was having lessons, of course; arithmetic, and -all the other proper things. She and Parthe had a governess, and studied -regularly, and had music and drawing lessons besides; and her father -taught her to love English literature, and later opened to her the great -doors marked _Latin_ and _Greek_. Her mother, meantime, taught her all -kinds of handiwork, and before she was twelve years old she could -hemstitch, and seam and embroider. These things were all good, and very -good; without them she could not have accomplished all she did; but in -the years that were to come all the other learning was going to help -that wonderful learning that began with nursing the sick dolls. - -Soon she was to take another step in her profession. The little fingers -grown so skillful by bandaging waxen and china arms and legs, were now -to save a living, loving creature from death. - -To every English child this story is a nursery tale. No doubt it is to -many American children also, yet it is one that no one can ever tire of -hearing, so I shall tell it again. - -Much as Florence loved dolls, she loved animals better, and in her -country homes she was surrounded by them. There was her dog, who hardly -left her side when she was out of doors; there was her own pony on which -she rode every day over dale and down; her sister's pony, too, and old -Peggy, who was too old to work, and lived in a pleasant green paddock -with nothing to do but amuse herself and crop grass all day long. -Perhaps Peggy found this tiresome, for whenever she saw Florence at the -gate she would toss her head and whinny and come trotting up to the -gate. "Good morning, Peggy!" Florence would say. "Would you like an -apple?" - -"Hooonh!" Peggy would say. (Horses have no spelling books, and there is -no exact rule as to how a whinny should be spelled. You may try any -other way that looks to you more natural.) - -"Then look for it!" Florence would reply. At this Peggy would sniff and -snuff, and hunt round with her soft velvety nose till she found -Florence's pocket, then delicately take out the apple and crunch it up, -and whinny again, the second whinny meaning at once "Thank you!" and -"More, please!" Horse language is a simple one compared to English, and -has no grammar. - -Well, one day Florence was riding her pony in company with her friend -the vicar. This good man loved all living creatures, but there were few -dearer to him than Florence Nightingale. They had the same tastes and -feelings. Both loved to help and comfort all who were "in trouble, -sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity." He had studied medicine -before he became a clergyman, and so was able to tell her many things -about the care of the sick and injured. Here was another teacher. I -suppose everyone we know could teach us something good, if we were ready -to learn. - -As I said, Florence and the vicar were riding along on the green downs; -and here I must stop again a moment to tell you what the downs are, for -when I was a child I used to wonder. They are great rounded hills, -covered with close, thick turf, like a velvet carpet. They spread in -long smooth green billows, miles and miles of them, the slopes so gentle -that it is delightful to drive or ride on them; only you must be careful -not to go near the edge, where the green breaks off suddenly, and a -white chalk cliff goes down, down, hundreds of feet, to the blue sea -tossing and tumbling below. These are the white cliffs of England that -you have so often read about. - -Am I never going on with the story? Yes; have patience! there is plenty -of time. - -There were many sheep on the downs, and there was one special flock that -Florence knew very well. It belonged to old Roger, a shepherd, who had -often worked for her father. Roger and his good dog Cap were both -friends of Florence's, and she was used to seeing them on the downs, the -sheep in a more or less orderly compact flock, Cap guarding them and -driving back any stragglers who went nibbling off toward the cliff edge. - -But to-day there seemed no order anywhere. The sheep were scattered in -twos and threes, straying hither and thither; and old Roger alone was -trying to collect them, and apparently having a hard time of it. - -The vicar saw his trouble, and rode up to him. "What is the matter, -Roger?" he asked kindly. "Where is your dog?" - -"The boys have been throwing stones at him, sir," replied the old man. -"They have broken his leg, poor beast, and he will never be good for -anything again. I shall have to take a bit of cord and put an end to his -misery." - -"Oh!" cried Florence, who had ridden up with the vicar. "Poor Cap! Are -you sure his leg is broken, Roger?" - -"Yes, Miss, it's broke sure enough. He hasn't set foot to the ground -since, and no one can't go anigh him but me. Best put him out of his -pain, I says." - -"No! no!" cried Florence. "Not till we have tried to help him. Where is -he?" - -"He's in the cottage, Missy, but you can do nothing for him, you'll -find. Poor Cap's days is over. Ah; he were a good dog. Do everything but -speak, he could, and went as near to that as a dumb beast could. I'll -never get another like him." - -While the old man lamented, Florence was looking eagerly in the face of -the clergyman. He met her look with a smile and nod. - -"We will go and see!" he said; and off they rode, leaving Roger shaking -his head and calling to the sheep. - -They soon reached the cottage. The door was fastened, and when they -tried to open it a furious barking was heard within. A little boy came -from the next cottage, bringing the key, which Roger had left there. -They entered, and there lay Cap on the brick floor, helpless and weak, -but still barking as hard as he could at what he supposed to be -intruders. When he saw Florence and the little boy he stopped barking, -and wagged his tail feebly; then he crawled from under the table where -he lay, dragged himself to Florence's feet and looked up pitifully in -her face. She knelt down by him, and soothed and petted and talked to -him, while the good clergyman examined the injured leg. It was -dreadfully swollen, and every touch was painful; but Cap knew well -enough that the hands that hurt were trying to help him, and though he -moaned and winced, he licked the hands and made no effort to draw the -leg away. - -"Is it broken?" asked Florence anxiously. "No," said the vicar. "No -bones are broken. There's no reason why Cap should not recover; all he -needs is care and nursing." - -Florence quietly laid down her riding whip and tucked up her sleeves. -"What shall I do first?" she said. - -"Well," said the vicar, "I think a hot compress is the thing." Florence -looked puzzled; the dolls had never had hot compresses. "What is it?" -she asked. - -"Just a cloth wrung out in boiling water and laid on, changing it as it -cools. Very simple, you see, Nurse Florence! The first thing is to light -the fire." - -That was soon done, with the aid of the boy, who hovered about, -interested, but ignorant of surgery. On went the kettle, and soon it was -boiling merrily; but where were the cloths for the compresses? Florence -looked all about the room, but could see nothing save Roger's clean -smock frock which hung against the door. - -"This will do!" she cried. "Mamma will give him another." - -The vicar nodded approval. Quickly she tore the frock into strips of -suitable width and length; bade the boy fill a basin from the kettle, -and then kneeling down beside the wounded dog, Florence Nightingale for -the first time gave "first aid to the wounded." - -As the heat drew out the inflammation and pain, Cap looked up at the -little helper, all his simple dog heart shining in his eyes; the look -sank into the child's heart and deepened the tenderness already there. -Another step, and a great one, was taken on the blessed road she was to -travel. - -Florence came again the next day to bandage the leg; Cap got entirely -well, and tended sheep for many a year after that; and old Roger was -very grateful, and Mrs. Nightingale gave him a new smock frock, and -everyone was happy; and that is the end of the story. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -THE SQUIRE'S DAUGHTER. - - -It soon became a recognized thing in Florence's own home and in all the -neighborhood, that she was one of the Sisters of Mercy. Nothing was too -small, no creature too humble to awaken her sympathy and tenderness. -When the stable cat had kittens, Florence was the first to visit them, -to fondle the tiny creatures and soothe their mother's angry fear. When -she walked along the pleasant wood roads of Lea Hurst, the squirrels -expected nuts as a matter of course, and could hardly wait for her to -give them. When anyone in the village or farm fell ill, it was Florence -who was looked for to cheer and comfort. Mrs. Nightingale was a most -kind and charitable lady, and delighted in sending delicacies to the -sick. It was Florence's happy privilege to carry them, and whether she -walked or rode there was apt to be a basket on her arm or fastened to -her saddlebow. - -If you think hard, you can see--at least I can--just how it would be. -Old Goody Brown's rheumatism, let us say, was very bad one morning. You -children who read this know little about rheumatism. Very likely you -think it rather a funny word, and that it is just a thing that old -people have, and that they make a good deal of fuss about. If it were a -toothache, now, you say, or colic--but the truth is, no pain is in any -way pleasant. If a red-hot sword were run into your back you would not -like it? Well, sometimes rheumatism is like that. - -So old Goody Brown was suffering, and very cross, just as we might be; -and nothing suited her, poor old soul; her tea was too hot, and her -porridge too cold, and her pillow set askew, and--dear! dear! dear! she -wished she was dead, so she did. Martha, her good patient daughter, was -at her wits' ends. - -"Send to the 'All'!" said poor old Goody. "Send for Miss Florence! -She'll do something for me, I know." - -So a barefoot boy would trudge up to the great house, and very soon a -light, slight figure would come quickly along the village street and -enter the cottage. A slender girl, quietly dressed, with perfect -neatness and taste; brown hair smoothly parted, shining like satin; -gray-blue eyes full of light and thoughtfulness; regular features, an -oval face, cheeks faintly tinted with rose--this was Florence -Nightingale. - -I cannot tell you just what she had in the little basket on her arm, -whether jelly or broth or chicken or oranges; there was sure to be -something good beside the liniment and medicines to help the aching back -and limbs. But the basket held the least of what she brought. At the -very sound of her voice the fretful lines melted away from the poor old -face. I cannot tell you--I wish I could--the words she said, this little -Sister of Mercy, yet I can almost hear her speak, in that sweet, cordial -voice whose range held no harsh note; can see her setting the pillow -straight and smooth, making the little tray dainty and pretty with the -posy she had brought, coaxing the old woman to eat, making her laugh -over some story of her pets and their droll ways. Perhaps before leaving -she would open the worn Bible or prayer book, and read a psalm; can you -not see her sitting by the bedside, her pretty head bent over the book, -her face full of tenderness and reverence? I am sure that when she went -away there was peace and comfort in that cottage room, and that -heartfelt blessings followed the "Angel Child" as she went on her -homeward way. "She had a way with her," they said; and that meant more -than volumes of praise. - -The flowers that Florence used to carry were from her own garden, I like -to think. Both at Lea Hurst and Embley, she and her sister had each her -own little garden and gardening tools. Florence was a good gardener; -indeed, I think she was a good everything that she tried to be, just -because she tried. She dug, and sowed, and watered, pruned and tied up -and did all the things a garden needs; and so her garden was full of -flowers all summer long, giving delight to her and to every sick or -lonely or sorrowful person for miles around. - -As Florence and her sister grew older they became more and more helpful -to their parents in the good works that they both loved to carry on. I -have read a delightful account of the "feast day" of the village -school-children, as it used to be given at Lea Hurst when Florence was a -girl. - -The children gathered together at the school-house, all in their best -frocks and pinafores, and walked in procession up the street and through -the fields to Lea Hurst. Each child carried a posy and a stick wreathed -with flowers, and at the head of the procession marched a band of music, -provided by the good squire. In the field below the garden tables were -set, and here Mrs. Nightingale and her daughters, aided by the servants, -served tea and buns and cakes, waiting on their little guests, and -seeing that every child got all he wanted--or at least all that was good -for him. Then when all had eaten and drunk their fill, the band struck -up, and the boys and girls danced on the green to their hearts' content. - -What did they dance? Polkas, perhaps, and the redowa, a pretty round -dance with a good deal of stamping in it; and of course Sir Roger de -Coverley, which is very like our Virginia Reel. (If you do not know -about Sir Roger de Coverley himself, ask papa to tell you or read you -about him, for he is one of the pleasantest persons you will ever -know.) - -Perhaps they sang, too; perhaps they sang the pretty old Maypole Song. -Do you know it? - - Come lasses and lads, get leave of your dads, - And away to the Maypole hie, - For ev'ry fair has a sweetheart there, - And the fiddler's standing by. - For Willy shall dance with Jane, - And Johnny has got his Joan, - To trip it, trip it, trip it, trip it, - Trip it up and down. - - "You're out!" says Dick, "not I," says Nick, - "'Twas the fiddler play'd it wrong." - "'Tis true," says Hugh, and so says Sue, - And so says ev'ry one; - The fiddler then began - To play the tune again, - And ev'ry girl did trip it, trip it, - Trip it to the men. - -Then when feast and dance and song were all over, it was time to reform -the procession and take up the homeward march. The two sisters, Florence -and Parthe, had disappeared during the dancing; but now, as the -procession passed along the terrace, there they were, standing behind a -long table; a table at sight of which the children's eyes grew round and -bright, for it was covered from end to end with presents. Such -delightful presents! Books, and pretty boxes and baskets, thimble-cases -and needle-books and pin-cushions; dolls, too, I am sure, for the little -ones, and scrap-books, and--but you can fill up the list for yourself -with everything you like best in the way of pretty, simple, useful -gifts. I am quite sure that Florence would not have wished to give the -children foolish or elaborate gimcracks, and that Mr. Nightingale would -never have allowed it if she had; and I think it probable that many of -the gifts were made by the two sisters and their kind and clever mother. - -All about Lea Hurst, in many and many a pleasant cottage home, those -little gifts are treasured to-day like the relics of some blessed saint; -which indeed is just what they are. The saint is still living, and some -of the children of the school feasts are living, too, and now in their -age will show with pride and joy the gifts they received long ago from -the hands of the beloved Miss Florence. - -As Florence grew up to womanhood she found more and more work to do. -There were mills and factories in the neighborhood of Lea Hurst; and in -the hosiery mills, especially, hundreds of women and girls were -employed, many of whom lived on the Nightingale estate. - -She may have been seventeen or eighteen when she started her Bible class -for the young women of the district, holding it in the tiny ancient -chapel at Lea Hurst which I described in the first chapter. Gathering -the girls around her, she would read a chapter from the Bible, and then -give them her thoughts about it, and explain the difficult passages; -then they would all sing together, her sweet, clear voice leading the -hymns. Here is another memory very precious to the old women who were -once those happy girls. They love to tell "how beautifully Miss Florence -used to talk." - -Long years after, when Miss Nightingale, spent with her noble labors, -would come to Lea Hurst for a time of rest and refreshment, the -daughters of these girls counted it a high privilege to gather on the -lawn under her window and sing to her as she sat in the room above; and -would go home proud and happy as queens if they had seen the saintly -face smiling from the window. - -Shall I try to show you Florence Nightingale at seventeen? Her face was -little changed from that of the girl we saw in the cottage, cheering old -Goody Brown. She still wore her hair brushed smoothly "Madonna-wise" on -either side her face; often, now, she wore a rose at the side, tucked in -among the shining braids or coils. You would think her frocks very queer -if you saw them to-day, but then they were extremely pretty; full skirts -(no crinoline! that was to come later) and full sleeves, with broad flat -collar of lace or embroidery. When she went to church or to make visits -she wore a spencer, a kind of full plaited jacket with a belt, something -like a Norfolk jacket--only different! and a Leghorn bonnet. You have -seen pictures of the Leghorn bonnets of the Thirties and Forties; -"coal-scuttles," some people called them, and they were something the -shape of a scuttle. Some of them were enormous in size, and they look -queer enough now in the pictures, or--if your grandmamma had a way of -keeping things--in the "dress-up" trunk or cupboard in the attic. But -people who were young in those days tell me that they were extremely -becoming, and that a pretty face never looked prettier that when it -peeped out from the depths of a huge straw "coal-scuttle." - -When Florence rode on horseback, her habit was so long that it nearly -touched the ground (that is, if she followed the fashion of the day, but -I should not wonder a bit if she and her mother were too sensible!) and -she wore a round, broad-brimmed hat with long ostrich plumes. I remember -a picture of the Princess Royal (afterwards Empress Frederick of -Germany), in a costume like this, which I thought one of the most -beautiful things I ever saw, so I shall imagine Florence, on an -afternoon ride with the squire, let us say, dressed in this way; but -when scampering about on her pony, I trust, she wore a less cumbrous -costume. - -You will remember that the Nightingales spent the winter at Embley Park, -in Hampshire. Here, too, Florence was busy in good and helpful work. At -Christmas time she found her best pleasure in giving presents to young -and old among the poor people about her, in getting up entertainments -for the children, training them to sing, arranging treats for the old -people in the poorhouse. On Christmas Eve the village carol singers -would come and sing on the lawn; old English carols, that had been sung -by generation after generation. Poor Anthony Babington over at Lea Hall -may have listened on Christmas Eve to the same sweet old songs. - - As Joseph was a-walking, - He heard an angel sing, - "This night shall be the birthnight - Of Christ our heavenly King. - - "His birth-bed shall be neither - In housen nor in hall, - Nor in the place of paradise, - But in the oxen's stall. - - "He neither shall be rockèd - In silver nor in gold, - But in the wooden manger - That lieth in the mold. - - "He neither shall be washen - With white wine nor with red, - But with the fair spring water - That on you shall be shed. - - "He neither shall be clothèd - In purple nor in pall, - But in the fair white linen - That usen babies all." - - As Joseph was a-walking, - Thus did the angel sing, - And Mary's son at midnight - Was born to be our King. - - Then be you glad, good people, - At this time of the year; - And light you up your candles, - For His star it shineth clear. - -Then who so glad as Florence to call the singers in and bid them welcome -and "Merry Christmas!" and aid in distributing the mince pies and silver -coins which were always their due. - -When Florence was fairly "grown up," other things came into her life, -the gay and merry things that come to so many girls. Mr. Nightingale was -a man of wealth and position, and liked his wife and daughters to have -their share in the gayeties of the county. So there were many parties, -at Embley and elsewhere, and Florence danced as gayly, I doubt not, as -the other girls. She went to London, too, and she and her sister were -presented to Queen Victoria, and had their share of the brilliant -society of the time. - -But much as she may have enjoyed all this for a time, still her heart -was not in it, and she soon tired, I fancy, of dancing and dressing and -visiting. Already her mind was turning to other things, already her -clear eyes were looking forward to other ways of life, other methods of -work. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -LOOKING OUT. - - -Step by step, and all unconsciously, Florence Nightingale had been -training her hand and eye to follow the dictates of her keen mind and -loving heart. Now, grown a young woman, she began to think seriously how -she should apply this training. What should she do with her life? Should -she go on like her friends, in the quiet pleasant ways of country life? -The squire's daughter was busy enough, surely. Every hour of the day was -full of useful, kindly work, of happy, healthy play; should she be -content with this? Her heart told her that she was not content. In her -friendly visiting among the sick poor she had seen much misery and -suffering, far more than she and all the other kindly ladies could -attempt to relieve. She felt that something more was needed; she began -to look around to see what was being done in the larger world. - -It was about this time that she met Elizabeth Fry, the noble and -beautiful friend of the prisoner. Mrs. Fry was then an elderly woman, -with all the glory of her saintly life shining about her; Florence -Nightingale an earnest and thoughtful girl of perhaps eighteen or -twenty. It is pleasant to think of that meeting. I do not know what -words passed between them, but I can almost see them together, the -beautiful stately woman in her Quaker dress, the slender girl with her -quiet face and earnest eyes; can almost hear the young voice, -questioning, eager and ardent; the elder answering, grave and sedate, -words full of weight and wisdom, of sweetness and tenderness. This -interview was one of the great moments of Florence Nightingale's early -life. - -A little later than this, in 1843, she met another person whose words -and counsel impressed her deeply; and of this meeting I can give you a -clearer account, for that person was my own dear father, Dr. Samuel G. -Howe. Some ten years before this my father had decided to devote his -life to helping people who needed help. He had established a school for -the blind in Boston; he had brought Laura Bridgman, the blind, deaf -mute, out of her loneliness and taught her to read, write, and talk -with her fingers; the first time this had ever been done with a person -so afflicted. He had labored to help the prisoners and captives in the -North, and the slaves in the South; in short he was what is called a -_philanthropist_, that is, one who loves his fellow-men and tries to -help them. - -My father and mother were traveling in England soon after their -marriage, and were invited by Mr. and Mrs. Nightingale to spend a few -days at Embley Park. One morning Miss Nightingale (for so I must call -her now that she is a woman) met my father in the garden and said to -him: - -"Dr. Howe, you have had much experience in the world of philanthropy; -you are a medical man and a gentleman; now may I ask you to tell me, -upon your word, whether it would be anything unsuitable or unbecoming to -a young Englishwoman, if she should devote herself to works of charity, -in hospitals and elsewhere, as the Catholic Sisters do?" - -My father replied: "My dear Miss Florence, it would be unusual, and in -England whatever is unusual is apt to be thought unsuitable; but I say -to you, go forward, if you have a vocation for that way of life; act up -to your aspiration, and you will find that there is never anything -unbecoming or unladylike in doing your duty for the good of others. -Choose your path, go on with it, wherever it may lead you, and God be -with you!" - -It was in this spirit that Miss Nightingale now began to train herself -for her life work. - -It is hard for you children of to-day to imagine what nursing was in the -early part of the nineteenth century. To you a nurse means a trim, -alert, cheerful person in spotless raiment, who knows just what to do -when you are ill, and does it in the pleasantest possible manner; you -are glad when she comes into the room, sorry when she leaves. But this -pleasant person did not exist in those days, except in the guise of a -Catholic Sister of Charity. The other nurses were for the most part -coarse and ignorant women, often cruel, often intemperate. When you read -"Martin Chuzzlewit" you will find out more about them than I can tell -you. But "Martin Chuzzlewit" was not written when Miss Nightingale -determined to find out the condition of nursing in England and on the -Continent. She first spent some months in the London hospitals, and -then visited those in Scotland and Ireland. She was horrified at what -she found there; dirt and misery and needless suffering among the -patients, drunkenness and ignorance and brutality among the nurses. Then -she turned to the Continent and found a very different state of things. -The hospitals were clean and cheerful, and the Sisters of Mercy in their -white caps and aprons were as good and kind and capable as our trained -nurses to-day. - -Up to this time these good sisters had been the only trained nurses in -Europe; but in Germany Miss Nightingale found a Protestant sisterhood -which was working along the same lines, and in a more enlightened and -modern way; these were the Deaconesses of Kaiserswerth, the pupils of -Pastor Fliedner. - -This good man--one of the best men, surely, that ever lived--was the son -of a Lutheran minister. His father was poor, and Theodore had to work -his way through college, but this he did cheerfully, for he loved work. -He studied very hard and also gave lessons, sawed wood, blacked boots, -and did other odd jobs. When his clothes began to wear out he sewed up -the holes with white thread, all he had, and then inked it over. He -loved children, and on the long tramps he used to take in vacation time -he was always collecting songs and games, and teaching them to the -children. - -When he was twenty-two years old Theodore Fliedner became pastor of a -small Protestant parish at Kaiserswerth on the Rhine. The people were so -poor that they could do little either for their church or themselves, so -the young pastor set out on foot to seek aid from other Christian -people. He traveled in Germany, Holland and England, and everywhere -people felt his goodness and gave him help. In London he met Elizabeth -Fry, and the noble work she was doing among the prisoners at Newgate -made a deep impression on him. He determined to do something to help the -prisoners in Germany, especially the poor women, who, after being -imprisoned for a certain time, were cast upon the world with no -possession save an ill name. - -In his little garden stood an old summerhouse, partly ruinous, but with -strong walls. With his own hands the good pastor mended the roof and -made the place clean and habitable. He put in a bed, a table and a -chair, and then prayed that God would send to this shelter some poor -soul who needed it. - -One night a homeless outcast woman came to the door, and the pastor and -his wife bade her welcome, and took her to the clean pleasant room that -was all ready. - -In this humble way opened the now famous institution of Kaiserswerth. -Other poor women soon found out the friendly shelter; in a short time a -new and larger building was needed, and more helping hands beside those -of the good pastor and his devoted wife. The good work grew and grew; -some of the poor women had children, and so a school was started; the -school must have good teachers, and so a training school for teachers -was opened. - -But most of all Pastor Fliedner wished to help the condition of the sick -poor; three years after the first opening of the summerhouse shelter in -the garden he founded the Deaconess Hospital. We are told that it was -opened "practically without patients and without deaconesses." He -obtained the use of part of a deserted factory, and begged from his -neighbors old furniture and broken crockery, which he mended carefully, -and put in the big empty rooms. He had only six sheets, but there was -plenty of water to wash them, and when the first patient, a poor -suffering servant maid, came to the door, she was made comfortable in a -spotless bed, in a clean though bare room. - -I wish I could tell you the whole beautiful story, but it would take too -long. By the end of the year there were sixty patients in the hospital, -and seven deaconess nurses to care for them. To-day there is a deaconess -hospital or home in almost every town in Germany, and thousands upon -thousands of sick and poor people bless the deaconesses, though they may -never have heard the name of Pastor Fliedner. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -WAITING FOR THE CALL. - - -Miss Nightingale spent two periods of training at Kaiserswerth. When she -left it finally, good Pastor Fliedner laid his hands on her head and -gave her his blessing in simple and earnest words; and she carried with -her the love and good wishes of all the pious and benevolent community. - -I wish we had a picture of her in her deaconess costume. The blue cotton -gown, white apron and wide collar, and white muslin cap tied under the -chin with a large bow, must have set off her pensive beauty very -sweetly. She always kept a tender recollection of Kaiserswerth, and says -in a letter: "Never have I met with a higher love and a purer devotion -than there." - -On her way home, Miss Nightingale spent some time with the Sisters of -St. Vincent de Paul in Paris. Here she saw what was probably the best -nursing in the world at that time; and she studied the methods in her -usual careful way, not only in the hospitals, but in the homes of the -poor and suffering, where the good sisters came and went like -ministering angels. She had still another opportunity, and this an -unsought one, of learning what they had to teach, for she fell ill -herself, and was tenderly cared for and restored to health by these -skillful and devoted women. - -Returning to England, she spent some time in the quiet of home, and as -her strength returned, took up her old work of visiting among the sick -and poor of the neighborhood. But this could not keep her long. It was -not that she did not love it, and did not love her home dearly, but -there were other benevolent ladies who could do this work. She realized -this, and realized too, though perhaps unconsciously, that she could do -harder work than this, and that there was plenty of hard work waiting to -be done. She soon found it. A call came asking her to be superintendent -of a Home for Sick Governesses in London, and she accepted it at once. - -Did you ever think how hard governesses have to work? Did you ever think -how tired they must often be, and how their heads must ache--and -perhaps their hearts, too--when they are trying to teach you the lessons -that you--perhaps again--are not always willing to learn? Well, try to -remember, those of you who have your lessons in this way! Remember that -you can make the teaching a pain or a pleasure, just as you choose; and -that, after all, the teacher is trying to help you, and to give you -knowledge that some day you would be very sorry not to have. - -In the days of which we are speaking, governesses had a much harder time -than nowadays, I think. For one thing, there were not so many different -ways in which women could earn their bread. When a girl had to make her -own living she went out as a governess almost as a matter of course, -whether she had any love for teaching or not, simply because there was -nothing else to do. So the teaching was often mere drudgery, and often, -too, was not well done; and that meant discontent and unhappiness, and -very likely broken health to follow. - -The Harley Street Home, as it was then called, was founded to help poor -gentlewomen who had lost their health in this kind of life. When Miss -Nightingale came to it, things were in a bad condition, owing to lack -of means and good management. The friends of the institution were -discouraged; but discouragement, was a word not to be found in Miss -Nightingale's dictionary. There was no money? Well, there must _be_ -money! She went quietly to work, interested her own friends to -subscribe, then talked with the discouraged people, restoring their -confidence and inducing them to renew their subscriptions; and soon, -with no fuss or flourish of trumpets, the money was in hand. - -Then she proceeded, just as quietly, to reorganize the whole -institution; engaged competent nurses, arranged the daily life of the -inmates, planned and wrote and worked, every day and all day, till she -had brought order out of chaos, and made the home, instead of a place of -disorder and discontent, one of comfort, peace, and cheerfulness. - -You must not think that this was light or pleasant work. Sick and -nervous and broken-down women are not easy to deal with; a hospital (for -this is what the home really was) is not an easy thing to organize and -superintend. It meant, as I have said, hard and vexatious work every day -and all day; and I dare say that often and often, when night came, -Florence Nightingale lay down to rest more weary than any of her -patients. - -At length her health gave way under the strain; she broke down, and was -forced to give up the work and go home to Embley for a long rest. - -It was here, in her own home, amid her own beautiful fields and gardens, -that the call came which summoned her to the great work of her life. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -THE TRUMPET CALL. - - Willie, fold your little hands;[1] - Let it drop--that "soldier" toy; - Look where father's picture stands-- - Father, that here kissed his boy - Not a month since--father kind, - Who this night may--(never mind - Mother's sob, my Willie dear) - Cry out loud that He may hear - Who is God of battles--cry, - "God keep father safe this day - By the Alma River!" - - Ask no more, child. Never heed - Either Russ, or Frank, or Turk; - Right of nations, trampled creed, - Chance-poised victory's bloody work; - Any flag i' the wind may roll - On thy heights, Sevastopol! - Willie, all to you and me - Is that spot, whate'er it be, - Where he stands--no other word-- - _Stands_--God sure the child's prayers heard-- - Near the Alma River. - - Willie, listen to the bells - Ringing in the town to-day; - That's for victory. No knell swells - For the many swept away-- - Hundreds, thousands. Let us weep, - We, who need not--just to keep - Reason clear in thought and brain - Till the morning comes again; - Till the third dread morning tell - Who they were that fought and--_fell_ - By the Alma River. - - Come, we'll lay us down, my child; - Poor the bed is--poor and hard; - But thy father, far exiled, - Sleeps upon the open sward, - Dreaming of us two at home; - Or, beneath the starry dome, - Digs out trenches in the dark, - Where he buries--Willie, mark! - Where _he buries_ those who died - Fighting--fighting at his side-- - By the Alma River. - - Willie, Willie, go to sleep; - God will help us, O my boy! - He will make the dull hours creep - Faster, and send news of joy; - When I need not shrink to meet - Those great placards in the street, - That for weeks will ghastly stare - In some eyes--child, say that prayer - Once again--a different one-- - Say "O God! Thy will be done, - By the Alma River." - - -Open your atlas at the map of Russia. Look down toward the bottom, at -that part of the great empire which borders on the Euxine or Black Sea; -there you will find a small peninsula--it is really almost an island, -being surrounded on three sides by water--labeled "_Crimea_." It is only -a part of one of the smallest of Russia's forty-odd provinces, the -province of Taurida; yet it is one of the famous places of history, for -here, in the years 1854 and 1855, was fought the Crimean War, one of the -greatest wars of modern times. - -Russia and Turkey have never been good neighbors. They have always been -jealous of each other, always quarreling about this or that, the fact -being that each is afraid of the other's getting too much land and too -much power. In these disputes the other countries of Europe have -generally sympathized with Turkey, feeling that Russia had quite enough -power, and that if she had more it might be dangerous for all of them. -Some day you will read in history about the Eastern Question and the -Balance of Power, and will find out just what these meant in the -Fifties; but this is all that you need know now, in order to understand -what I am going to tell you. - -In 1854 Turkey, feeling that Russia was pressing too hard upon her, -called upon the other European powers to help her. The result was that -England, France, Sardinia (now a part of Italy, but then a separate -kingdom), and Turkey made an agreement with one another, and all -together declared war upon Russia. - -England had been at peace with all the world for forty years, ever since -the wars of Napoleon, which were closed by the great victory of -Waterloo. The English are a brave race; they had forgotten the horrors -of war, and remembered only its glories and its victories; and they -sprang to arms as joyously as boys run to a football game. "Sharpen your -cutlasses, and the day is ours!" said Sir Charles Napier to his men, -just before the British fleet sailed; and this was the feeling all -through the country. - -The fleets of the allied powers gathered in the Black Sea, forming one -great armada; surrounded the peninsula of the Crimea, and landed their -armies. In September, 1854, was fought the first great battle, by the -Alma River. The allies were victorious, and a great shout of joy went up -all over England. "Victory! victory!" cried old and young. There were -bells and bonfires and illuminations; the whole country went mad with -joy, and for a short time no one thought of anything except glory, -waving banners and sounding trumpets. But banners and trumpets, though a -real part of war, are only a very small part. After a little time, -through the shouting and rejoicing a different sound was heard; the -sound of weeping and lamentation, not only for the hundreds of brave men -who were lying dead beside the fatal river, but for the other hundreds -of sick and wounded soldiers, dying for want of care. - -There had been gross neglect and terrible mismanagement in the carrying -on of the war. Nobody knew just whose fault it was, but everything -seemed to be lacking that was most needed on that desolate shore of the -Crimea. The English troops were in an enemy's country, and a poor -country at that; whatever supplies there were had been taken by the -Russian armies for their own needs. Food and clothing had been sent out -from England in great quantities, but somehow, no one could find them. -Some supplies had been stowed in the hold of vessels, and other things -piled on top so that they could not be got at; some were stored in -warehouses which no one had authority to open; some were actually -rotting at the wharves, for want of precise orders as to their disposal. -The surgeons had no bandages, the doctors no medicines; it was a state -of things that to-day we can hardly imagine. Indeed, it seemed as if the -need were so great and terrible that it paralyzed those who saw it. - -"It is now pouring rain," wrote William Howard Russell to the London -_Times_, "the skies are black as ink, the wind is howling over the -staggering tents, the trenches are turned into dykes; in the tents the -water is sometimes a foot deep; our men have not either warm or -waterproof clothing; they are out for twelve hours at a time in the -trenches; they are plunged into the inevitable miseries of a winter -campaign--and not a soul seems to care for their comfort, or even for -their lives. These are hard truths, but the people of England must hear -them. They must know that the wretched beggar who wanders about the -streets of London in the rain, leads the life of a prince compared with -the British soldiers who are fighting out here for their country. - - * * * * * - -"The commonest accessories of a hospital are wanting; there is not the -least attention paid to decency or clean linen; the stench is appalling; -the fetid air can hardly struggle out to taint the atmosphere, save -through the chinks in the walls and roofs; and for all I can observe, -these men die without the least effort being made to save them. There -they lie, just as they were let gently down on the ground by the poor -fellows, their comrades, who brought them on their backs from the camp -with the greatest tenderness, but who are not allowed to remain with -them. The sick appear to be tended by the sick, and the dying by the -dying." - -He added that the snow was three feet deep on a level, and the cold so -intense that many soldiers were frozen in their tents. - -No one meant to be cruel or neglectful; but there were not half enough -doctors, and--think of it, children! there were _no nurses_. - -How did this happen? Well, when the war broke out the military -authorities did not want female nurses. The matter was talked over, and -it was decided that things would go better without them. This was put on -the ground that the class of nurses, as I have told you, was at that -time in England a very poor one. They were often drunken, generally -unfeeling, and always ignorant. The War Department decided that this -kind of nurse would do more harm than good; they did not realize that -"The old order changeth, yielding place to new," and that the time was -come when the new nurse must replace the old. - -But now the need was come, immediate and terrible, and there was no one -to meet it. When the people of England realized this; when they learned -that the hospital at Scutari was filled with sick and wounded and dying -men, and no one to care for them save a few male orderlies, wholly -untrained for the task; when they heard that in the hospitals of the -French army the Sisters of Mercy were doing their blessed work, tending -the wounded, healing the sick and comforting the dying, and realized -that the English soldiers, their own sons, brothers and husbands, had no -such help and no such comfort, the sound of bell and trumpet was lost in -a great cry of anger and sorrow that went up from the whole country. - -And matters grew worse and worse, as one great battle after another sent -its dreadful fruits to the already overflowing hospital at Scutari. On -October 25th came Balaklava; on November 5th, Inkerman. - -You have all read "The Charge of the Light Brigade"; yet I ask you to -read it again here, so that it may fit into its place in the story of -this terrible war. Remember, it is only one incident of that great -battle of Balaklava, in which both sides claimed the victory, while -neither gained any signal advantage. - - Half a league, half a league,[2] - Half a league onward, - All in the valley of Death - Rode the six hundred. - "Forward, the Light Brigade! - Charge for the guns!" he said; - Into the valley of Death - Rode the six hundred. - - "Forward, the Light Brigade!" - Was there a man dismayed? - Not though the soldier knew - Someone had blundered; - Theirs not to make reply, - Theirs not to reason why, - Theirs but to do and die: - Into the valley of Death - Rode the six hundred. - - Cannon to right of them, - Cannon to left of them, - Cannon in front of them - Volleyed and thundered. - Stormed at with shot and shell, - Boldly they rode and well; - Into the jaws of Death, - Into the mouth of Hell, - Rode the six hundred. - - Flashed all their sabres bare, - Flashed as they turned in air, - Sabring the gunners there, - Charging an army, while - All the world wondered; - Plunged in the battery-smoke, - Right through the line they broke. - Cossack and Russian - Reeled from the sabre-stroke, - Shattered and sundered. - Then they rode back, but not-- - Not the six hundred. - - Cannon to right of them, - Cannon to left of them, - Cannon behind them - Volleyed and thundered: - Stormed at with shot and shell, - While horse and hero fell, - They that had fought so well - Came through the jaws of Death - Back from the mouth of Hell-- - All that was left of them, - Left of six hundred. - - When can their glory fade? - O the wild charge they made! - All the world wondered. - Honor the charge they made! - Honor the Light Brigade, - Noble six hundred! - - -I have already spoken of William Howard Russell. He was the war -correspondent of the _Times_, the great English newspaper, and a man of -intelligence, heart and feeling. He was on the spot, and saw the horrors -of the war at first-hand. His heart was filled with sorrow and pity for -the suffering around him, and with indignation that so little was done -to relieve it; and he wrote day after day home to England, telling what -he saw and what was needed. Soon after Balaklava he wrote: - -"Are there no devoted women amongst us, able and willing to go forth to -minister to the sick and suffering soldiers of the East in the hospitals -at Scutari? Are there none of the daughters of England, at this extreme -hour of need, ready for such a work of mercy? France has sent forth her -Sisters of Mercy unsparingly, and they are even now by the bedsides of -the wounded and the dying, giving what woman's hand alone can give of -comfort and relief. Must we fall so far below the French in -self-sacrifice and devotedness, in a work which Christ so signally -blesses as done unto Himself? 'I was sick and ye visited me.'" - -This was the trumpet call that rang in the ears of the women of England, -sounding a clearer note than all the clarions of victory. We shall see -how it was answered. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -THE RESPONSE. - - -Mr. Sidney Herbert (afterwards Lord Herbert of Lea) was at this time at -the head of the War Department in England. He was a man of noble nature -and tender heart, whose whole life was spent in doing good, and in -helping those who needed help. He heard with deep distress the dreadful -tidings of suffering that came from the Crimea, and his heart responded -instantly to the call for help. Yes, the women of England must rise up -and go to that far, desolate land to tend and nurse the sick and wounded -and dying; but who should lead them? What one woman had the strength, -the power, the wisdom, the tenderness, to meet and overcome the terrible -conditions? Asking himself this question, Mr. Herbert answered without a -moment's hesitation: "Florence Nightingale!" - -He knew Miss Nightingale well; she was a dear friend of himself and his -beautiful wife, and had again and again given them help and counsel in -planning and managing their many charities, hospitals, homes for sick -children, and so forth. He knew that she possessed all the qualities -needed for this work, and he wrote to her, asking if she would undertake -it. Would she, he asked, go out to Scutari, taking with her a band of -nurses who would be under her orders, and take charge of the hospital -nursing? - -He did not make light of the task. - -"The selection of the rank and file of nurses would be difficult--no one -knows that better than yourself. The difficulty of finding women equal -to a task after all full of horror, and requiring, besides intelligence -and goodwill, great knowledge and great courage will be great; the task -of ruling them and introducing system among them great, and not the -least will be the difficulty of making the whole work smoothly with the -medical and military authorities out there. This it is which makes it so -important that the experiment should be carried out by one with -administrative capacity and experience." - -He went on to assure Miss Nightingale that she should have full power -and authority, and told her frankly that in his opinion she was the one -woman in England who was capable of performing this great task. - -"I must not conceal from you that upon your decision will depend the -ultimate success or failure of the plan.... If this succeeds, an -enormous amount of good will be done now, and to persons deserving -everything at our hands; and which will multiply the good to all time." - -It was a noble letter, this of Mr. Herbert's, but he might have spared -himself the trouble of writing it. Florence Nightingale, in her quiet -country home, had heard the call to the women of England; and even while -Mr. Herbert was composing his letter to her, she was writing to him, a -brief note, simply offering her services in the hospitals at Scutari. -Her letter crossed his on the way; and the next day it was proclaimed -from the War Office that Miss Nightingale, "a lady with greater -practical experience of hospital administration and treatment than any -other lady in the country," had been appointed by Government to the -office of Superintendent of Nurses at Scutari, and had undertaken the -work of organizing and taking out nurses thither. - -Great was the amazement in England. Nothing of this kind had ever been -heard of before. "Who is Miss Nightingale?" people cried all over the -country. They were answered by the newspapers. First the _Examiner_ and -then the _Times_ told them that Miss Nightingale was "a young lady of -singular endowments both natural and acquired. In a knowledge of the -ancient languages and of the higher branches of mathematics, in general -art, science, and literature, her attainments are extraordinary. There -is scarcely a modern language which she does not understand, and she -speaks French, German and Italian as fluently as her native English. She -has visited and studied all the various nations of Europe, and has -ascended the Nile to its remotest cataract. Young (about the age of our -Queen), graceful, feminine, rich, popular, she holds a singularly gentle -and persuasive influence over all with whom she comes in contact. Her -friends and acquaintances are of all classes and persuasions, but her -happiest place is at home, in the centre of a very large band of -accomplished relatives, and in simplest obedience to her admiring -parents." - -One who knew our heroine well wrote in a more personal vein: - -"Miss Nightingale is one of those whom God forms for great ends. You -cannot hear her say a few sentences--no, not even look at her, without -feeling that she is an extraordinary being. Simple, intellectual, sweet, -full of love and benevolence, she is a fascinating and perfect woman. -She is tall and pale. Her face is exceedingly lovely; but better than -all is the soul's glory that shines through every feature so exultingly. -Nothing can be sweeter than her smile. It is like a sunny day in -summer." - -Though well known among a large circle of earnest and high-minded -persons, Miss Nightingale's name was entirely new to the English people -as a whole, and--everything else apart--they were delighted with its -beauty. Had she been plain Mary Smith, she would have done just as good -work, but it would have been far harder for her to start it. Florence -Nightingale was a name to conjure with, as the saying is, and it echoed -far and wide. Everybody who could write verses (and many who could not), -began instantly to write about nightingales. _Punch_ printed a cartoon -showing a hospital ward, with the "ladybirds" hovering about the cots -of the sick men, each bird having a nurse's head. Another picture -represented one of the bird-nurses flying through the air, carrying in -her claws a jug labeled "Fomentation, Embrocation, Gruel." This was -called "The Jug of the Nightingale," for many people think that some of -the bird's beautiful, liquid notes sound like "jug, jug, jug!" - -Not content with pictures, _Punch_ printed "The Nightingale's Song to -the Sick Soldier," which became very popular, and was constantly quoted -in those days. - - Listen, soldier, to the tale of the tender nightingale, - 'Tis a charm that soon will ease your wounds so cruel, - Singing medicine for your pain, in a sympathetic strain, - With a jug, jug, jug of lemonade or gruel. - - Singing bandages and lint; salve and cerate without stint, - Singing plenty both of liniment and lotion, - And your mixtures pushed about, and the pills for you served out - With alacrity and promptitude of motion. - - Singing light and gentle hands, and a nurse who understands - How to manage every sort of application, - From a poultice to a leech; whom you haven't got to teach - The way to make a poppy fomentation. - - Singing pillow for you, smoothed; smart and ache and anguish soothed, - By the readiness of feminine invention; - Singing fever's thirst allayed, and the bed you've tumbled made - With a cheerful and considerate attention. - - Singing succour to the brave, and a rescue from the grave, - Hear the nightingale that's come to the Crimea; - 'Tis a nightingale as strong in her heart as in her song, - To carry out so gallant an idea. - -Of course there were some people who shook their heads; there always are -when any new work is undertaken. Some thought it was improper for women -to nurse in a military hospital; others thought they would be useless, -or worse; others again thought that the nurses would ruin their own -health and be sent home in a month to the hospitals of England. There -were still other objections, which were strongly felt in those days, -however strange they may sound in our ears to-day. - -"Oh, dreadful!" said some people; "Miss Nightingale is a Unitarian!" - -"Oh, shocking!" said others. "Miss Nightingale is a Roman Catholic!" And -so it went on. But while they were talking and exclaiming, drawing -pictures and singing songs, Miss Nightingale was getting ready. In six -days from the time she undertook the work she was ready to start, with -thirty nurses, chosen with infinite care and pains from the hundreds who -had volunteered to go. There was no flourish of trumpets. While England -was still wondering how they could go, and whether they ought to be -allowed to go--behold, they were gone! slipping away by night, as if -they were bound on some secret errand. Indeed, Miss Nightingale has -never been able to endure "fuss and feathers," and all her life she has -looked for a bushel large enough to hide her light under, though happily -she has never succeeded. - -Only a few relatives and near friends stood on the railway platform on -that evening of October 21, 1854. Miss Nightingale, simply dressed in -black, was very quiet, very serene, with a cheerful word for everyone; -no one who saw her parting look and smile ever forgot them. So, in night -and silence, the "Angel Band" whose glory was soon to shine over all the -world, left the shores of England. - -But though England slept that night, France was wide awake the next -morning. The fishwives of Boulogne had heard what was doing across the -Channel, and were on the lookout. When Miss Nightingale and her nurses -stepped ashore they were met by a band of women, in snowy caps and -rainbow-striped petticoats, all with outstretched hands, all crying, -"Welcome, welcome, our English sisters!" - -They knew, Marie and Jeanne and Suzette. Their own husbands, sons, and -brothers were fighting and dying in the Crimea; their own nurses, the -blessed Sisters of Mercy, had from the first been toiling in hospital -and trench in that dreadful land; how should they not welcome the -English sisters who were going to join in the holy work? - -Loudly they proclaimed that none but themselves, the fishwives of -Boulogne, should help the _soeurs Anglaises_. They shouldered bag and -baggage; they swung the heavy trunks up on their broad backs, and with -laughter and tears mingled in true French fashion, trudged away to the -railway station. Pay? Not a sou; not a centime! The blessing of our -English sisters is all we desire; and if they should chance to see -Pierre or Jacques _là-bas_--ah! the heavens are over all. A handshake, -then, and _Adieu! Adieu! vivent les soeurs!_ the good God go with you! - -And that prayer was surely answered. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -SCUTARI. - - -Open the atlas once more at the map of Russia, and look downward from -the Crimea, across the Black Sea toward the southwest. You see a narrow -strait marked "Bosporus" leading from the Black Sea to the Sea of -Marmora; and on either side of the strait a black dot, one marked -"Constantinople," the other "Scutari." It is to Scutari that we are -going, but we must not pass the other places without a word, for they -are very famous. This is the land of story, and every foot of ground, -every trickle of water, has its legend or fairy tale, or true story of -sorrow or heroism. - -Bosporus means "the cow's ford." It was named, the old story says, for -Io, a beautiful maiden beloved of Zeus. To conceal her from the eyes of -Hera, his jealous wife, Zeus turned Io into a snow-white heifer; but -Hera, suspecting the truth, persuaded him to give the poor pretty -creature to her. Then followed a sad time. Hera set Argus, a giant with -a hundred eyes, to watch the heifer, lest she escape and regain her -human form. The poor heifer-maiden was so unhappy that Zeus sent Hermes -to set her free; and the cunning god told stories to Argus till he fell -asleep, and then cut off his head, hundred eyes and all. Hera took the -eyes and put them in the tail of her sacred peacock, and there they are -to this day. Meantime Io ran away as fast as she could, but she could -not escape the vengeance of the jealous goddess. Hera sent a gadfly -after her, which stung her cruelly, and pursued her over land and sea. -The poor creature fled wildly hither and thither; swam across the Ionian -Sea, which has borne her name ever since; roamed over the whole breadth -of what is now Turkey, and finally came to the narrow strait or ford -between the two seas. Here she crossed again, and went on her weary way; -and here again she left--not her own name, but that of the animal in -whose form she suffered. Poor Io! one is glad to read that she was -released at last, and given her woman's body again. True? No, the story -is not true, but it is very famous. Those of you who care about moths -will find another reminder of Io in the beautiful _Saturnia Io_, which -is named for the Greek maiden and her cruel foe, Saturnia being another -name for Hera or Juno. - -The scenery along the banks of the Bosporus is so beautiful that whole -books have been written about it. On either side are seven promontories -and seven bays; indeed, it is almost a chain of seven lakes, connected -by seven swift-rushing currents. The promontories are crowned with -villages, towns, palaces, ruins, each with its own beauty, its own -interest, its own story; but we cannot stay for these; we must go onward -to where, at the lower end of the passage, with its long, narrow harbor, -the Golden Horn, curling round it, lies Constantinople, the wonder-city. - -Here indeed we must stop for a moment, for this is one of the most -famous cities of history. In ancient days, when Rome was in her glory -and long before, it was Byzantium that lay shining in the curve of the -Golden Horn; Byzantium the rich, the powerful, the desired of all; -fought over through successive generations by Persian, Greek, Gaul and -Roman; conquered, liberated, conquered again. In the second century of -our era it was besieged by the Roman emperor Severus, and after a heroic -resistance lasting three years, was taken and laid waste by the -conqueror. But the city sprang up again, more beautiful than ever, and a -century and a half later the emperor Constantine made it the capital of -the Roman Empire, and gave it his own name. - -Constantinopolis, the City of Constantine; so it became in the year 330, -and so it remains to this day, but not under the rule of Romans or their -descendants. - -"Blessed shall he be who shall take Constantinople!" So, three hundred -years later, exclaimed Mohammed, the prophet and leader of men. His -disciples and followers never forgot the saying, and many wars were -fought, many desperate attempts made by the Mohammedans to win the -wonder city. It was another Mohammed, not a prophet but a great soldier, -surnamed the Conqueror, who finally conquered it, in 1453, after another -tremendous siege, of which you will read in history. There is a terrible -story about the entry of this savage conqueror into the city. It is said -that its inhabitants, mostly Christians, though of various -nationalities, took refuge in the great church of St. Sophia, and were -there barbarously slaughtered by the ferocious Turks. In the south aisle -of the church the dead lay piled in great heaps, and in over this -dreadful rampart rode Mohammed on his war horse; and as he rode, he -lifted his bloody right hand and smote one of the pillars, and there--so -the story says--the mark may be seen to this day. - -From that time to our own Constantinople has been the capital city of -the Turkish Empire. Again, I wish I might tell you about at least a few -of its many wonders, for I have seen some of them, but again I must -hasten on. - -The city is so great that it overflows in every direction; in fact, -there are three cities in one: Stamboul, the central division, filling -the tongue of land between the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmora; -Galata, on the farther bank of the Horn; and Scutari, on the opposite -shore of the Bosporus. It is to the last-named that we are going. - -Although actually a suburb of Constantinople, Scutari is a town in -itself, and a large and ancient one. In the earliest times of the great -Persian monarchy, it was called _Chrysopolis_, the Golden City. Its -present name means in Persian a courier who carries royal orders from -station to station; that is because the place has always, from its -earliest days, been a _rendezvous_ for caravans, messengers, travelers -of every description. Here Xenophon and his Greeks, returning from the -war against Cyrus, halted for seven days while the soldiers disposed of -the booty they had won in the campaign. Here, for hundreds of years, -stood the three colossal statues, forty-eight feet high, erected by the -Byzantians in honor of the Athenians, who had saved them from -destruction at the hands of Philip the Lacedæmonian. Here, to-day, are -mosques and convents, palaces and tombs, especially the last; for the -burying ground of Scutari is one of the largest in the world, and its -silent avenues hold, some say, twenty times as many dwellers as the gay -and noisy streets of Stamboul. - -It is a strange place, this great burying ground. Beside each tomb rises -a cypress tree, tall and majestic. The tombs themselves are mostly -pillars of marble, with a globe or ball on the top; and perched atop of -this globe is in many cases a turban or a fez, carved in stone and -painted in gay colors. This shows that a man lies beneath; the women's -tombs are marked by a grapevine or a stem of lotus, also carved in -marble. At foot of the column is a flat stone, hollowed out in the -middle to form a small basin. Some of these basins are filled with -flowers or perfumes; in others, the rain and dew make a pleasant bathing -and drinking place for the birds who fly in great flocks about the quiet -place. - -Not far from this great cemetery is another place of burial, that of the -English; and this is laid out like a lovely garden, and watched and -tended with loving care; for here rest the brave men who fell in this -terrible war of the Crimea, or who wasted away in the great building -that towers foursquare over all the neighborhood. We must look well at -this building, the Barrack Hospital of Scutari, for this is what -Florence Nightingale came so far to see. Through all the long, wearisome -journey, I doubt whether she gave much heed to the beauties or the -discomforts of the way. Her eyes were set steadfastly forward, following -her swift thoughts; and eyes and thoughts sought this one thing, this -gaunt, bare building rising beside the new-made graves. Let us follow -her and see what she found there. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -THE BARRACK HOSPITAL. - - -The Barrack Hospital at Scutari was just what its name implies. It was -built for soldiers to live in, and was big enough to take in whole -regiments. Surrounding the four sides of a quadrangle, each one of its -sides was nearly a quarter of a mile long, and it was believed that -twelve thousand men could be exercised in the great central court. Three -sides of the building were arranged in galleries and corridors, rising -story upon story; we are told that these long narrow rooms, if placed -end to end, would cover four miles of ground. At each corner rose a -tower; the building was well situated, and looked out over the Bosporus -toward the glittering mosques and minarets of Stamboul. - -You would think that this vast building would hold all the sick and -wounded men of one short war; but this was not so. Seven others were -erected, and all were filled to overflowing; but the Barrack Hospital -was Miss Nightingale's headquarters, and the chief scene of her labors, -though she had authority over all; I shall therefore describe the -situation and the work as she found it there. - -If there had been mismanagement at home in England, there had been even -worse at the seat of war. The battles, you remember, were all fought in -the Crimea. They were cruel, terrible battles, too terrible to dwell -upon here. Hundreds and thousands were killed; but other hundreds and -thousands lay wounded and helpless on the field. In those days there was -no Red Cross, no field practice, no first aid to the injured. The poor -sufferers were taken, all bleeding and fainting as they were, to the -water side, and there put in boats which carried them, tossing on the -rough waters of the Black Sea, across to Scutari. Several days would -pass before any were got from the battlefield to the ferry below the -hospital, and most of them had not had their wounds dressed or their -broken limbs set. Often they had had no food; they were tortured by -fever and thirst; and now they must walk, if they could drag themselves, -or be dragged or carried by others up the hill to the hospital. We can -fancy how they looked forward to rest; how they thought of comfort, aid, -relief from pain. Alas! they found little of all these things. - -The Barrack Hospital had been built by the Turks, and lent to the -English by the Turkish Government; it had been meant for the hardy -Turkish soldiery to sleep in, and there were no appliances to fit it for -a hospital. We are told that in the early months of the war "there were -no vessels for water or utensils of any kind; no soap, towels or cloths, -no hospital clothes; the men lying in their uniforms, stiff with gore -and covered with filth to a degree and of a kind no one could write -about; their persons covered with vermin, which crawled about the floors -and walls of the dreadful den of dirt, pestilence and death to which -they were consigned." - -Is this too dreadful to read about? But it was not too dreadful to -happen. The poor fellows, laid down in the midst of all this horror, -would wait with a soldier's patience, hoping for the doctor or surgeon -who should bind up their wounds and relieve their terrible suffering. -Alas! often and often death was more prompt than the doctor, and -stilled the pain forever, before any human aid had been given. - -One of Miss Nightingale's assistants writes: - -"How can I ever describe my first day in the hospital at Scutari? -Vessels were arriving and orderlies carrying the poor fellows, who with -their wounds and frost-bites had been tossing about on the Black Sea for -two or three days and sometimes more. Where were they to go? Not an -available bed. They were laid on the floor one after another, till the -beds were emptied of those dying of cholera and every other disease. -Many died immediately after being brought in--their moans would pierce -the heart--and the look of agony on those poor dying faces will never -leave my heart. They may well be called 'the martyrs of the Crimea.'" - -Where were the doctors? They were there, doing their very best; working -day and night, giving their strength and their lives freely; but there -were not half, not a tenth part, enough of them; and there was no one to -help them but the orderlies, who, as I have said, had had no training, -and knew nothing of sickness or hospital work. The conditions grew so -frightful that a kind of paralysis seemed to fall upon the minds of the -workers. They felt that the task was hopeless, and they went about their -duties like people in a nightmare. The strangest thing of all, to us -now, seems to be that they _did not tell_. Though Mr. Russell and others -wrote to England of the horrors of the hospitals, the authorities -themselves were silent, or if questioned, would only reply that -everything was "all right." There was no inspection that was worthy of -the name. The same officers who would front death on the battlefield -with a song and a laugh, shrank from meeting it in the hospital wards, -the air of which was heavy with the poison of cholera and fever. - -"An orderly officer took the rounds of the wards every night, to see -that all was in order. He was of course expected by the orderlies, and -the moment he raised the latch he received the word: 'All right, your -honor!' and passed on. This was hospital inspection!"[3] - -In fact, these orderlies too often, I fear, bore some resemblance to the -old class of nurses that I described, and were in many cases rough, -unfeeling, ignorant men. Sometimes it was for this reason that they -drank the brandy which should have been given to their patients; but -often, again, it was because they were ill themselves, or else because -they were so overcome by the horrors around them that they drank just to -bring forgetfulness for a time. - -The strange paralysis of which I have spoken seemed to hang over -everything connected with the unfortunate soldiers of the Crimea. Mr. -Sidney Herbert assured Miss Nightingale that the hospitals were supplied -with every necessary. He had reason to think so, for the things had been -sent, had left England, had reached the shores of the Bosporus. "Medical -stores had been sent out by the ton." But where were they? I have -already told you; they were rotting on the wharves, locked up in the -warehouses, buried in the holds of vessels; they were everywhere except -in the hospitals. The doctors had nothing to work with, but they could -not leave their work to find out why it was. - -The other authorities said it was "all right!" They knew the things had -come, but they were not sure just who were the proper persons to open -the cargoes, take out and distribute the stores; it must not be done -except by the proper persons. This is what is called _red tape_; it -stands for authority without intelligence, and many books have been -written about it. I remember, when I was a child, a cartoon in _Punch_ -showing the British soldier entangled in the coils of a frightful -serpent, struggling for life; the serpent was labeled "_Red Tape_." (The -monster is still alive in our day, but he is not nearly so powerful, and -people are always on the lookout for him, and can generally drive him -away.) - -This was the state of things when Miss Nightingale and her band of -nurses arrived at Scutari. Her first round of the hospitals was a -terrible experience, which no later one ever effaced from her mind. The -air of the wards was so polluted as to be perfectly stifling. "The -sheets," she said, "were of canvas, and so coarse that the wounded men -begged to be left in their blankets. It was indeed impossible to put men -in such a state of emaciation into those sheets. There was no bedroom -furniture of any kind, and only empty beer or wine bottles for -candlesticks."[4] - -The wards were full to overflowing, and the corridors crowded with sick -and wounded, lying on the floor, with the rats running over them. She -looked out of the windows; under them were lying dead animals in every -state of decay, refuse and filth of every description. She sought the -kitchens; there were no kitchens, and no cooks; at least nothing that -would be recognized to-day as a hospital kitchen. In the barrack kitchen -were thirteen huge coppers; in these the men cooked their own food, meat -and vegetables together, the separate portions inclosed in nets, all -plunged in together, and taken out when some one was ready to take them. -Part of the food would be raw when it came out, another part boiled to -rags. This was all the food there was, for sick and well, the wounded, -the fever-stricken, the cholera patient. No doubt hundreds died from -improper feeding alone. - -She looked for the laundry; there was no laundry. There were washing -contracts, but up to the time of her arrival "only seven shirts had -been washed." The clothes and bed linen of wounded men and of those sick -with infectious diseases were thrown in together. Moreover, the -contractors stole most of the clothes that came into their hands, so -that the sick did not like to part with their few poor garments, for -fear of never seeing them again, and were practically without clean -linen, except when a soldier's wife would now and then take compassion -on them, and wash out a few articles. - -These were the conditions that Florence Nightingale had to meet. A -delicate and sensitive woman, reared amid beauty and luxury, these were -the scenes among which she was to live for nearly two years. But one -thing more must be noted. Do you think everyone was glad to see her and -her nurses? Not by any means! The overwrought doctors were dismayed and -angered at the prospect of a "parcel of women" coming--as they -fancied--to interfere with their work, and make it harder than it was -already. The red-tape officials were even less pleased. What? A woman in -petticoats, a "Lady-in-Chief," coming to inquire into their deeds and -their methods? Had they not said repeatedly that everything was all -right? What was the meaning of this? - -This was her coming; this is what she found; now we shall see what she -did. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -THE LADY-IN-CHIEF. - - -Miss Nightingale arrived at Scutari on November 4th. You have seen what -she found; but there was worse to come. Only twenty-four hours after her -arrival, the wounded from the battle of Inkerman began to come in; soon -every inch of room in both the Barrack and the General hospital was -full, and men by hundreds were lying on the muddy ground outside, unable -to find room even on the floor of the corridor. Neither Lady-in-Chief -nor nurses had had time to rest after their long voyage, to make plans -for systematic work, even to draw breath after their first glimpse of -the horrors around them, when this great avalanche of suffering and -misery came down upon them. No woman in history has had to face such a -task as now flung itself upon Florence Nightingale. - -She met it as the great meet trial, quietly and calmly. Her cheek might -pale at what she had to see, but there was no flinching in those clear, -gray-blue eyes, no trembling of those firm lips. Ship after ship -discharged its ghastly freight at the ferry below; train after train of -wounded was dragged up the hill, brought into the overflowing hospital, -laid down on pallet, on mattress, on bare floor, on muddy ground, -wherever space could be found. "The men lay in double rows down the long -corridors, forming several miles of suffering humanity." - -As the poor fellows were brought in, they looked up, and saw a slender -woman in a black dress, with a pale, beautiful face surmounted by a -close-fitting white cap. Quietly, but with an authority that no one ever -thought of disputing, she gave her orders, directing where the sufferers -were to be taken, what doctor was to be summoned, what nurses to attend -them. During these days she was known sometimes to stand on her feet -_twenty hours at a time_, seeing that each man was put in the right -place, where he might receive the right kind of help. I ask you to think -of this for a moment. Twenty hours! nearly the whole of a day and -night. - -Where a particularly severe operation was to be performed, Miss -Nightingale was present whenever it was possible, giving to both surgeon -and patient the comfort and support of her wonderful calm strength and -sympathy. In this dreadful inrush of the Inkerman wounded, the surgeons -had first of all to separate the more hopeful cases from those that -seemed desperate. The working force was so insufficient, they must -devote their energies to saving those who could be saved; this is how it -seemed to them. Once Miss Nightingale saw five men lying together in a -corner, left just as they had come from the vessel. - -"Can nothing be done for them?" she asked the surgeon in charge. He -shook his head. - -"Then will you give them to me?" - -"Take them," replied the surgeon, "if you like; but we think their case -is hopeless." - -Do you remember the little girl sitting by the wounded dog? All night -long Florence Nightingale sat beside those five men, one of the faithful -nurses with her, feeding them with a spoon at short intervals till -consciousness returned, and a little strength began to creep back into -their poor torn bodies; then washing their wounds, making them tidy and -decent, and all the time cheering them with kind and hopeful words. When -morning came the surgeons, amazed, pronounced the men in good condition -to be operated upon, and--we will hope, though the story does not tell -the end--saved. - -Is it any wonder that one poor lad burst into tears as he cried: "I -can't help it, I can't indeed, when I see them. Only think of -Englishwomen coming out here to nurse us! It seems so homelike and -comfortable." - -In those days one of the nurses wrote home to England: - -"It does appear absolutely impossible to meet the wants of those who are -dying of dysentery and exhaustion; out of four wards committed to my -care, eleven men have died in the night, simply from exhaustion, which, -humanly speaking, might have been stopped, could I have laid my hand at -once on such nourishment as I knew they ought to have had. - -"It is necessary to be as near the scene of war as we are, to know the -horrors which we have seen and heard of. I know not which sight is most -heartrending--to witness fine strong men and youths worn down by -exhaustion and sinking under it, or others coming in fearfully wounded. - -"The whole of yesterday was spent, first in sewing the men's mattresses -together, and then in washing them, and assisting the surgeons, when we -could, in dressing their ghastly wounds, and seeing the poor fellows -made as easy as their circumstances would admit of, after their five -days' confinement on board ship, during which space their wounds were -not dressed.... We have not seen a drop of milk, and the bread is -extremely sour. The butter is most filthy--it is Irish butter in a state -of decomposition; and the meat is more like moist leather than food. -Potatoes we are waiting for until they arrive from France." - -This was written six days after arrival. By the tenth day, a miracle had -been accomplished. Miss Nightingale had established and fitted up a -kitchen, from which eight hundred men were fed daily with delicacies and -food suitable to their condition. Beef-tea, chicken broth, jelly--a -quiet wave of the wand, and these things sprang up, as it were, out of -the earth. - -Hear how one of the men describes it himself. On arriving at the -hospital early in the morning, he was given a bowl of gruel. "'Tommy, me -boy,' he said to himself, 'that's all you'll get into your inside this -blessed day, and think yourself lucky you've got that.' But two hours -later, if another of them blessed angels didn't come entreating of me to -have just a little chicken broth! Well, I took that, thinking maybe it -was early dinner, and before I had well done wondering what would happen -next, round the nurse came again with a bit o' jelly, and all day long -at intervals they kept on bringing me what they called 'a little -nourishment.' In the evening, Miss Nightingale she came and had a look -at me, and says she, 'I hope you're feeling better.' I could have said, -'Ma'am, I feels as fit as a fightin' cock,' but I managed to git out -somethin' a bit more polite." - -How was the miracle accomplished? Up to this time, the method of giving -out stores had been much like the method (only there was really no -method about it!) of cooking and washing. There were no regular hours; -if you asked for a thing in the morning, you might get it in the -evening, when the barrack fires were out. And you could get nothing at -all until it had been inspected by this official, approved by that, and -finally given out by the other. These were called "service rules"; they -were really folds and coils of the monster Red Tape, at his work of -binding and strangling. How was the miracle accomplished? Simply enough. -Miss Nightingale, with the foresight of a born leader, had anticipated -all this, and was ready for it. The materials for all the arrowroot, -beef-tea, chicken broth, wine jelly, of those first weeks, came out of -her own stores, brought out with her in the vessel, the _Victis_, from -England. She had no intention of waiting a day or an hour for anyone; -she had not a day or an hour to waste. - -It must have been a wonderful cargo, that of the _Victis_; I can think -of nothing but the astonishing bag of the Mother in the "Swiss Family -Robinson," or that still more marvelous one of the Fairy Blackstick. Do -you remember? - -"And Giglio returned to his room, where the first thing he saw was the -fairy bag lying on the table, which seemed to give a little hop as he -came in. 'I hope it has some breakfast in it,' says Giglio, 'for I have -only a very little money left.' But on opening the bag, what do you -think was there? A blacking-brush and a pot of Warren's jet, and on the -pot was written, - - "Poor young men their boots must black; - Use me and cork me and put me back!" - -So Giglio laughed and blacked his boots, and put the brush and the -bottle into the bag. - -"When he had done dressing himself, the bag gave another hop, and he -went to it and took out-- - - 1. A tablecloth and napkin. - - 2. A sugar basin full of the best loaf sugar. - - 4, 6, 8, 10. Two forks, two teaspoons, two knives, and a pair of - sugar-tongs, and a butterknife, all marked G. - - 11, 12, 13. A teacup, saucer, and slop-basin. - - 14. A jug full of delicious cream. - - 15. A canister with black tea and green. - - 16. A large tea-urn and boiling water. - - 17. A saucepan, containing three eggs nicely done. - - 18. A quarter of a pound of best Epping butter. - - 19. A brown loaf. - -"And if he hadn't enough now for a good breakfast, I should like to know -who ever had one?" - -When I was your age, I never tired of reading about this breakfast; and -then there was that other wonderful day when the bag was "grown so long -that the Prince could not help remarking it. He went to it, opened it, -and what do you think he found in it? - -"A splendid long gold-handled, red-velvet-scabbarded cut-and-thrust -sword, and on the sheath was embroidered 'ROSALBA FOREVER!'" - -But I am not writing the "Rose and the Ring"; I wish I were! - -So, as I said, all good and comforting things came in those first days -out of the Fairy Florence's bag--I mean ship. She hired a house close by -the hospital, and set up a laundry, with every proper and sanitary -arrangement, and there, every week, five hundred shirts were washed, -besides other garments. But now came a new difficulty. Many of the -soldiers had no clothes at all save the filthy and ragged ones on their -backs; what was to become of them while their shirts were washed and -mended? The ship bag gave another hop (at least I should think it would -have, for pure joy of the good it was doing), and out came ten thousand -shirts; and for the first time since they left the battlefield the sick -and wounded men were clean and comfortable. - -But the Lady-in-Chief knew that her fairy stores were not of the kind -that renew themselves; and having once got matters into something like -decent order and comfort in the hospital, she turned quietly and -resolutely to do battle with the monster Red Tape. - -The officials of Scutari did not know what to make of the new state of -things. As I have said, many of them had shaken their heads and pulled -very long faces when they heard that a woman was coming out who was to -have full power and authority over all things pertaining to the care of -the sick and wounded. They honestly thought, no doubt, that the -confusion would be doubled, the distraction turned to downright madness. -What could a woman know about such matters? What experience had she had -of "service rules"? What would become of them all? - -They were soon to find out. The Lady-in-Chief did not cry out, or wring -her hands, or do any of the things they had expected. Neither did she -bluster or rage, scold or reproach. She simply said that this or that -must be done, and then saw that it was done. Her tact and judgment were -as great as her power and wisdom; more I cannot say. - -Suppose she wanted certain stores that were in a warehouse on the wharf. -The warehouse was locked. She sent for the wharfinger. Would he please -open the warehouse and give her the stores? He was very sorry, but he -could not do so without an order from the board. She went to the chief -officer of the board. He was very sorry, but it would be necessary to -have a meeting of the entire board. Who made up the board? Well, Mr. -So-and-so, and Dr. This, and Mr. That, and Colonel 'Tother. Where were -they? Well, one of them was not very well, and another was probably out -riding, and a third---- - -Would he please call them together at once? - -Well, he was extremely busy just now, but to-morrow or the day after, he -would be delighted---- - -Would he be ready himself for a meeting, if Miss Nightingale could get -the other members of the board together? Well--of course--he would be -delighted, but he could assure Miss Nightingale that everything would -be all right, without her having the trouble to---- - -The board met; pen, ink and paper were ready. Would they kindly sign the -order? Many thanks! Good morning! - -And the warehouse was opened, and the goods on their way to the -hospital, before the astonished gentlemen had fairly drawn their breath. - -"But what kind of way is this to do business?" cried the slaves of Red -Tape. "She doesn't give us time! The moment a thing is wanted, she goes -and gets it!!! The rules of the service----" - -But this was not true; for, as methodical as she was wise and generous, -Miss Nightingale was most careful to consult the proper authorities, -and, whenever it was possible, to make them take the necessary steps -themselves. Once, and only once, did she absolutely take the law into -her own hands. There came a moment when certain stores were desperately -needed for some sick and wounded men. The stores were at hand, but they -had not been inspected, and Red Tape had decreed that nothing should be -given out until it had been inspected by the board. (This was another -board, probably; their name was Legion.) Miss Nightingale tried to get -the board together, but this time without success. One was away, and -another was ill, and a third was--I don't know where. The clear -gray-blue eyes grew stern. - -"I must have these things!" she said quietly. "My men are dying for lack -of them." - -The under-official stammered and turned pale; he did not wish to disobey -her, but--it meant a court-martial for him if he disobeyed the rules of -the service. - -"You shall have no blame," said the Lady-in-Chief. "I take the entire -responsibility upon myself. Open the door!" - -The door was opened, and in a few moments the sick men had the -stimulants for lack of which they were sinking into exhaustion. - -When Miss Nightingale arrived at Scutari, the death rate in the Barrack -Hospital was sixty per cent; within a few months it was reduced to one -per cent; and this, under heaven, was accomplished by her and her -devoted band of nurses. Do you wonder that she was called "The Angel of -the Crimea?" - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -THE LADY WITH THE LAMP. - - Whene'er a noble deed is wrought,[5] - Whene'er is spoken a noble thought, - Our hearts, in glad surprise, - To higher levels rise. - - The tidal wave of deeper souls - Into our inmost being rolls, - And lifts us unawares - Out of all meaner cares. - - Honor to those whose words or deeds - Thus help us in our daily needs, - And by their overflow - Raise us from what is low! - - Thus thought I, as by night I read - Of the great army of the dead, - The trenches cold and damp, - The starved and frozen camp,-- - - The wounded from the battle-plain, - In dreary hospitals of pain, - The cheerless corridors, - The cold and stony floors. - - Lo! in that house of misery - A lady with a lamp I see - Pass through the glimmering gloom, - And flit from room to room. - - And slow, as in a dream of bliss, - The speechless sufferer turns to kiss - Her shadow, as it falls - Upon the darkening walls. - - As if a door in heaven should be - Opened and then closed suddenly, - The vision came and went, - The light shone and was spent. - - On England's annals, through the long - Hereafter of her speech and song, - That light its rays shall cast - From portals of the past. - - A Lady with a Lamp shall stand - In the great history of the land, - A noble type of good, - Heroic womanhood. - - Nor even shall be wanting here - The palm, the lily, and the spear, - The symbols that of yore - Saint Filomena bore. - - - -Miss Nightingale's headquarters were in the "Sisters' Tower," as it came -to be called, one of the four corner towers of the great building. Here -was a large, airy room, with doors opening off it on each side. In the -middle was a large table, covered with stores of every kind, constantly -in demand, constantly replaced; and on the floor, and flowing into all -the corners, were--more stores! Bales of shirts, piles of socks, -slippers, dressing gowns, sheets, flannels--everything you can think of -that is useful and comfortable in time of sickness. About these piles -the white-capped nurses came and went, like bees about a hive; all was -quietly busy, cheerful, methodical. In a small room opening off the -large one the Lady-in-Chief held her councils with nurses, doctors, -generals or orderlies; giving to all the same courteous attention, the -same clear, calm, helpful advice or directions. Here, too, for hours at -a time, she sat at her desk, writing; letters to Sidney Herbert and his -wife; letters to Lord Raglan, the commander-in-chief, who, though at -first averse to her coming, became one of her firmest friends and -admirers; letters to sorrowing wives and mothers and sisters in -England. She received letters by the thousand; she could not answer them -all with her own hand, but I am sure she answered as many as was -possible. One letter was forwarded to her by the Herberts which gave a -great pleasure not to her only, but to everyone in all that place of -suffering. It was dated Windsor Castle, December 6, 1854. - -"Would you tell Mrs. Herbert," wrote good Queen Victoria, "that I beg -she would let me see frequently the accounts she receives from Miss -Nightingale or Mrs. Bracebridge, as _I hear no details of the wounded_, -though I see so many from officers, etc., about the battlefield, and -naturally the former must interest me more than anyone. - -"Let Mrs. Herbert also know that I wish Miss Nightingale and the ladies -would tell these poor, noble wounded and sick men, that _no one_ takes a -warmer interest or feels _more_ for their sufferings or admires their -courage and heroism _more_ than their Queen. Day and night she thinks of -her beloved troops. So does the Prince. - -"Beg Mrs. Herbert to communicate these my words to those ladies, as I -know that _our_ sympathy is much valued by these noble -fellows.--Victoria." - -I think the tears may have come into those clear eyes of Miss -Nightingale, when she read these words. She gave the letter to one of -the chaplains, and he went from ward to ward, reading it aloud to the -men, and ending each reading with "God save the Queen!" The words were -murmured or whispered after him by the lips of sick and dying, and -through all the mournful place went a great wave of tender love and -loyalty toward the good Queen in England, and toward their own queen, -their angel, who had shared her pleasure with them. - -You will hardly believe that in England, while the Queen was writing -thus, some people were still sadly troubled about Miss Nightingale's -religious views, and were writing to the papers, warning other people -against her; but so it was. One clergyman actually warned his flock not -to subscribe money for the soldiers in the East "if it was to pass -through Popish hands." He thought the Lady-in-Chief was a Catholic; -others still maintained that she was a Unitarian; others were sure she -had gone out with the real purpose of converting the soldiers to -High-Church views. - -In reading about this kind of thing, it is comforting to find one good -Irish clergyman who, being asked to what sect Miss Nightingale belonged, -replied: "She belongs to a sect which unfortunately is a very rare -one--the sect of the Good Samaritans." - -But these grumblers were only a few, we must think. The great body of -English people was filled with an enthusiasm of gratitude toward the -"angel band" and its leader. From the Queen in her palace down to the -humblest working women in her cottage, all were at work making lint and -bandages, shirts and socks and havelocks for the soldiers. Nor were they -content with making things. Every housekeeper ransacked her linen closet -and camphor chest, piled sheets and blankets and pillowcases together, -tied them up in bundles, addressed them to Miss Nightingale, and sent -them off. - -When Sister Mary Aloysius first began to sort the bales of goods on the -wharf at Scutari, she thought that "the English nobility must have -emptied their wardrobes and linen stores, to send out bandages for the -wounded. There was the most beautiful underclothing, and the finest -cambric sheets, with merely a scissors run here and there through them, -to insure their being used for no other purpose, some from the Queen's -palace, with the royal monogram beautifully worked." - -Yes, and the rats had a wonderful time with all these fine and delicate -things, before the Sisters could get their hands on them! - -These private gifts were not the only nor the largest ones. The _Times_, -which you will remember had been the first to reveal the terrible -conditions in the Crimea, now set to work and organized a fund for the -relief of the wounded. A subscription list was opened, and from every -part of the United Kingdom money flowed in like water. The _Times_ -undertook to distribute the money, and appointed a good and wise man, -Mr. McDonald, to go out to the East and see how it could best be -applied. - -And now a strange thing came to pass; the sort of thing that, in one way -or another, was constantly happening in connection with the Crimean War. -Mr. McDonald went to the highest authorities in the War Office and told -of his purpose. They bowed and smiled and said the _Times_ and its -subscribers were very kind, but the fact was that such ample provision -had been made by the Government that it was hardly likely the money -would be needed. Mr. McDonald opened his eyes wide; but he was a wise -man, as I have said; so he bowed and smiled in return, and going to -Sidney Herbert, told his story to him. - -"Go!" said Mr. Herbert; "Go out to the Crimea!" and he went. - -When he reached the seat of war, it was the same thing over again. The -high officials were very polite, very glad to see him, very pleased that -the people of England were so sympathetic and patriotic; but the fact -was that nothing was wanted; they were amply supplied; in short, -everything was "all right." - -Many men, after this second rebuff, would have given the matter up and -gone home; but Mr. McDonald was not of that kind. While he was -considering what step to take next, one man came forward to help him; -one man who was brave enough to defy Red Tape, for the sake of his -soldiers. This was the surgeon of the 39th regiment. I wish I knew his -name, so that you and I could remember it. He came to Mr. McDonald and -told him that his regiment, which had been stationed at Gibraltar, had -been ordered to the Crimea and had now reached the Bosporus. They were -going on to the Crimea, to pass the winter in bitter cold, amid ice and -snow; and they had no clothes save the light linen suits which had been -given them to wear under the hot sun of Gibraltar. - -Here was a chance for the _Times_ fund! Without more ado Mr. McDonald -went into the bazaars of Constantinople and bought flannels and woolens, -until every man in that regiment had a good warm winter suit in which to -face the Crimean winter. - -Did anyone else follow the example of the surgeon of the 39th? Not one! -Probably many persons thought he had done a shocking thing, by thus -exposing the lack of provision in the army for its soldiers' comfort. -This was casting reflection upon Red Tape! Better for the soldier to -freeze and die, than for a slur to be cast upon those in authority, upon -the rules of the service! - -So, though McDonald stood with hands held out, as it were, offering -help, no one came forward to take it. - -He went to Scutari, and here at first it was the same thing. He offered -his aid to the chief medical authority over the hospitals; the reply was -calm and precise: "Nothing was wanted!" He went still higher, to -"another and more august quarter"; the answer was still more emphatic: -there was no possible occasion for help; soldiers and sailors had -everything they required; if he wished to dispose of the _Times_ fund, -it might be a good thing to build an English church at Pera! - -"Yet, at that very time," says the historian of the Crimea, "wants so -dire as to include want of hospital furniture and of shirts for the -patients, and of the commonest means for maintaining cleanliness, were -afflicting our stricken soldiery in the hospitals."[6] - -Mr. McDonald did not build an English church; instead, he went to the -Barrack Hospital and asked for the Lady-in-Chief. - -I should like to have seen Florence Nightingale's face when she heard -his story. No help needed? The soldiers supplied with everything they -needed? Everything "all right"? - -"Come with me!" she said. - -She took him through the wards of the Barrack Hospital, and showed him -what had been done, and what an immense deal was yet to do; how, though -many were comfortably clad, yet fresh hundreds were arriving constantly, -half naked, without a shred of clean or decent clothing on their backs; -how far the demand was beyond the supply; how fast her own stores were -dwindling, and how many of the private offerings were unsuitable for the -needs they were sent to fill; how many men were still, after all her -labors, lying on the floor because there were not beds enough to go -round. - -All these things good Mr. McDonald saw, and laid to heart; but he saw -other things besides. - -Perhaps some of you have visited a hospital. You have seen the bright, -fresh, pleasant rooms, the rows of snowy cots, the bright faces of the -nurses, here and there flowers and pictures; seeing two or three hundred -patients, it has seemed to you as if you had seen all the sick people -in the world. Was it not so? - -In the Barrack Hospital (and this, remember, was but one of eight, and -these eight the English hospitals alone!) there were two or three -thousand patients; it was a City of Pain. Its streets were long, narrow -rooms or corridors, bare and gloomy; no furniture save the endless rows -of cots and mattresses, "packed like sardines," as one eye-witness says; -its citizens, men in every stage of sickness and suffering; some tossing -in fever and delirium; some moaning in pain that even a soldier's -strength could not bear silently; some ghastly with terrible wounds; -some sinking into their final sleep. - -Following the light, slight figure of his guide through these narrow -streets of the City of Pain, McDonald saw and noted that - -"Wherever there is disease in its most dangerous form, and the hand of -the Spoiler distressingly nigh, there is this incomparable woman sure to -be seen. Her benignant presence is an influence for good comfort even -among the struggles of expiring nature. She is a 'ministering angel' -without any exaggeration in these hospitals, and as the slender form -glides quietly along each corridor, every poor fellow's face softens -with gratitude at the sight of her. When all the medical officers have -retired for the night, and silence and darkness have settled down upon -those miles of prostrate sick, she may be observed alone, with lamp in -her hand, making her solitary rounds. - -"The popular instinct was not mistaken which, when she set out from -England, hailed her as a heroine; I trust she may not earn her title to -a higher though sadder appellation. No one who has observed her fragile -figure and delicate health can avoid misgivings lest these should -fail.... I confidently assert that but for Miss Nightingale the people -of England would scarcely, with all their solicitude, have been spared -the additional pang of knowing, which they must have done sooner or -later, that their soldiers, even in the hospitals, had found scanty -refuge and relief from the unparalleled miseries with which this war has -hitherto been attended." - -Look with me for a moment into one of these wards, these "miles of sick" -through which the agent of the _Times_ passed with his guide. It is -night. Outside, the world is wide and wonderful with moon and stars. -Beyond the dark-blue waters of the Bosporus, the lights of Stamboul -flash and twinkle; nearer at hand, the moonlight falls on the white city -of the dead, and shows its dark cypresses standing like silent guardians -beside the marble tombs; nearer yet, it falls full on the bare, gaunt -square of building that crowns the hill. The windows are narrow, but -still the moonbeams struggle in, and cast a dim light along the -corridor. The vaulted roof is lost in blackness; black, too, are the -corners, and we cannot see where the orderly nods in his chair, or where -the night nurse sits beside a dying patient. All is silent, save for a -low moan or murmur from one cot or another. See where the moonbeam -glimmers white on that cot under the window! That is where the Highland -soldier is lying, he who came so near losing his arm the other day. The -surgeons said it must be amputated, but the Lady-in-Chief begged for a -little time. She thought that with care and nursing the arm might be -saved; would they kindly delay the operation at least for a few days? -The surgeons consented, for by this time no one could or would refuse -her anything. The arm _was_ saved; now the bones are knitting nicely, -and by and by he will be well and strong again, with both arms to work -and play and fight with. - -But broken bones hurt even when they are knitting nicely, and the -Highland lad cannot sleep; he lies tossing about on his narrow cot, -gritting his teeth now and then as the pain bites, but still a happy and -a thankful man. He stares about him through the gloom, trying to see who -is awake and who asleep. But now he starts, for silently the door opens, -and a tiny ray of light, like a golden finger, falls across his bed. A -figure enters and closes the door softly; the figure of a woman, tall -and slender, dressed in black, with white cap and apron. In her hand she -carries a small shaded lamp. At sight of her the sick lad's eyes grow -bright; he raises his sound arm and straightens the blanket, then waits -in eager patience. Slowly the Lady with the Lamp draws near, stopping -beside each cot, listening to the breathing and noting the color of the -sleepers, whispering a word of cheer and encouragement to those who -wake. Now she stands beside his bed, and her radiant smile is brighter, -he thinks, than lamplight or moonlight. A few words in the low, musical -voice, a pat to the bedclothes, a friendly nod, and she passes on to the -next cot. As she goes, her shadow, hardly more noiseless than her -footstep, falls across the sick man's pillow; he turns and kisses it, -and then falls happily asleep. - -So she comes and passes, like a light; and so her very shadow is -blessed, and shall be blessed so long as memory endures. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -WINTER. - - O the long and dreary winter![7] - O the cold and cruel winter! - Ever thicker, thicker, thicker - Froze the ice on lake and river, - Ever deeper, deeper, deeper - Fell the snow o'er all the landscape, - Fell the covering snow, and drifted - Through the forest, round the village. - - * * * * * - - O the famine and the fever! - O the wasting of the famine! - O the blasting of the fever! - O the wailing of the children! - O the anguish of the women! - All the earth was sick and famished; - Hungry was the air around them, - Hungry was the sky above them, - And the hungry stars in heaven - Like the eyes of wolves glared at them! - - - -"The bad weather commenced about November the 10th, and has continued -ever since. A winter campaign is under no circumstances child's play; -but here, where the troops had no cantonments to take shelter in, where -large bodies were collected in one spot, and where the want of -sufficient fuel soon made itself felt, it told with the greatest -severity upon the health, not of the British alone, but of the French -and Turkish troops.... To the severity of the winter the whole army can -bear ample testimony. The troops have felt it in all its intensity; and -when it is considered that they have been under canvas from ten to -twelve months--that they had no other shelter from the sun in summer, -and no other protection from wet and snow, cold and tempestuous winds, -such as have scarcely been known even in this climate, in winter--and -that they passed from a life of total inactivity, already assailed by -deadly disease, to one of the greatest possible exertion--it cannot be a -matter of surprise that a fearful sickness has prevailed throughout -their ranks, and that the men still suffer from it."--Lord Raglan to -Lord Panmure, February, 1855. - -After the battle of Inkerman, the allied armies turned all their -energies to the siege of Sebastopol, the principal city of the Crimea. -You will read some day about this memorable siege, one of the most -famous in history, and about the prodigies of valor performed by both -besiegers and besieged; but I can only touch briefly on those aspects of -it which are connected with my subject. - -The winter of 1854-5 was, as Lord Raglan says, one of unexampled -severity, even in that land of bitter winters. On November 14th a -terrible hurricane swept the country, bringing death and ruin to -Russians and allies alike. In Sebastopol itself trees were torn up by -the roots, buildings unroofed, and much damage done; in the camps of the -besiegers things were even worse. Tents were torn in shreds and swept -away like dead leaves; not only the soldiers' tents, but the great -hospital marquees were destroyed, and the sick and wounded left exposed -to bitter blast and freezing sleet. The trenches were flooded; no fires -could be lit, and therefore no food cooked; and when the snowstorm came -which followed the tempest, many a brave fellow lay down famished and -exhausted, and the white blanket covered his last sleep. - -In the harbor even more ruin was wrought, for the ships were dashed -about like broken toys that a wilful child flings hither and thither. -The _Prince_, which had just arrived loaded with clothing, medicines, -stores of every description, went down with all her precious freight; -the _Resolute_ was lost, too, the principal ammunition ship of the army; -and other vessels loaded with hay for the horses, a supply which would -have fed them for twenty days. - -This dreadful calamity was followed by day after day of what the -soldiers called "Inkerman weather," with heavy mists and low drizzling -clouds; then came bitter, killing frost, then snow, thaw, sleet, frost -again, and so round and round in a cruel circle; and through every -variation of weather the soldier's bed was the earth, now deep in snow, -now bare and hard as iron, now thick with nauseous mud. All day long the -soldiers toiled in the trenches with pick and spade, often under fire, -always on the alert; others on night duty, "five nights out of six, a -large proportion of them constantly under fire." - -Is it to be wondered at that plague and cholera broke out in the camp of -the besiegers, and that a steady stream of poor wretches came creeping -up the hill at Scutari? - -The Lady-in-Chief was ready for them. Thanks to the _Times_ fund and -other subscriptions, she now had ample provision for many days. -Moreover, by this winter time her influence so dominated the hospital -that not only was there no opposition to her wishes, but everyone flew -to carry them out. The rough orderlies, who had growled and sworn at the -notion of a woman coming to order them about, were now her slaves. Her -unvarying courtesy, her sweet and heavenly kindness, woke in many a -rugged breast feelings of which it had never dreamed; and every man who -worked for her was for the time at least a knight and a gentleman. It -was bitter, hard work; she spared them no more than she spared herself; -but they labored as no rules of the service had ever made them work. -Through it all, not one of them, orderlies or common soldiers, ever -failed her "in obedience, thoughtful attention, and considerate -delicacy." "Never," she herself says, "came from any of them one word or -one look which a gentleman would not have used; and while paying this -humble tribute to humble courtesy, the tears come into my eyes as I -think how amidst scenes of loathsome disease and death there arose above -it all the innate dignity, gentleness and chivalry of the men (for never -surely was chivalry so strikingly exemplified), shining in the midst of -what must be considered as the lowest sinks of human misery, and -preventing instinctively the use of one expression which could distress -a gentlewoman." - -If it was so with the orderlies, you can imagine how it was with the -poor fellows for whom she was working. Every smile from her was a gift; -every word was a precious treasure to be stored away and kept through -life. They would do anything she asked, for they knew she would do -anything in her power for them. When any specially painful operation was -to be performed (there was not always chloroform enough, alas! and in -any case it was not given so freely in those days as it is now), the -Lady-in-Chief would come quietly into the operating room and take her -stand beside the patient; and looking up into that calm, steadfast face, -and meeting the tender gaze of those pitying eyes that never flinched -from any sight of pain or horror, he would take courage and nerve -himself to bear the pain, since she was there to help him bear it. - -"We call her the Angel of the Crimea," one soldier wrote home. "Could -bad men be bad in the presence of an angel? Impossible!" - -Another wrote: "Before she came there was such cussin' and swearin' as -you never heard; but after she came it was as holy as a church." - -And still another--perhaps our Highland lad of the night vigil, perhaps -another--wrote to his people: "She would speak to one and another, and -nod and smile to many more; but she could not do it to all, you know, -for we lay there by hundreds; but we could kiss her shadow as it fell, -and lay our heads on our pillows again content." - -Miss Nightingale never wearied of bearing testimony to the many virtues -of the British soldier. She loved to tell stories like the following: - -"I remember a sergeant who, on picket--the rest of the picket killed, -and himself battered about the head--stumbled back to camp (before -Sebastopol), and on his way, picked up a wounded man and brought him on -his shoulders to the lines, where he fell down insensible. When, after -many hours, he recovered his senses, I believe after trepanning, his -first words were to ask after his comrade: 'Is he alive?' - -"'Comrade indeed! yes, he's alive--it's the General!' At that moment the -General, though badly wounded, appeared at the bedside. 'Oh! General, it -was you, was it, I brought in? I'm so glad; I didn't know your honor. -But if I'd known it was you, I'd have saved you all the same!'" - -I must not leave the story of this winter without telling of all that -Miss Nightingale did for the soldiers' wives. There were many of these -poor women, who had come out to this far country to be near their -husbands. There was no proper provision for them, and Miss Nightingale -found them in a wretched condition, living in three or four damp, dark -rooms in the basement of the hospital. Their clothes were worn out; they -were barefooted and bareheaded. We are told that "the only privacy to be -obtained was by hanging up rags of clothes on lines. There, by the light -of a rushlight, the meals were taken, the sick attended, and there the -babies were born and nourished. There were twenty-two babies born from -November to December, and many more during the winter."[8] - -The Lady-in-Chief soon put an end to this state of things. First she fed -and clothed the women from her own stores, and saw that the little -babies were made warm and comfortable. In January a fever broke out -among the women, owing to a broken drain in the basement, and she found -a house near by, had it cleaned and furnished, and persuaded the -commandant to move the women into it. All through the winter she helped -these poor souls in every way, employing some in the laundry, finding -situations for others in Constantinople, sending widows home to England, -helping to start a school for the children. Altogether about five -hundred women were helped out of the miserable condition in which she -found them, and were enabled to earn their own living honestly and -respectably. Writing of these times later, Miss Nightingale says: "When -the improvements in our system which the war must suggest are discussed, -let not the wife and child of the soldier be forgotten." - -Another helper came out to Scutari in those winter days; a gallant -Frenchman, M. Soyer, who had been for years _chef_ of one of the great -London clubs, and who knew all that there was to know about cookery. He -read the _Times_, and in February, 1855, he wrote to the editor: - -"SIR: After carefully perusing the letter of your correspondent, dated -Scutari ... I perceive that, though the kitchen under the -superintendence of Miss Nightingale affords so much relief, the system -of management at the large one in the Barrack Hospital is far from being -perfect. I propose offering my services gratuitously, and proceeding -direct to Scutari at my own personal expense, to regulate that important -department, if the Government will honor me with their confidence, and -grant me the full power of acting according to my knowledge and -experience in such matters." - -It was April before M. Soyer reached Scutari. He went at once to the -Barrack Hospital, asked for Miss Nightingale, and was received by her in -her office, which he calls "a sanctuary of benevolence." They became -friends at once, for each could help the other and greatly desired to do -so. - -"I must especially express my gratitude to Miss Nightingale," says the -good gentleman in his record of the time, "who from her extraordinary -intelligence and the good organization of her kitchen procured me every -material for making a commencement, and thus saved me at least one -week's sheer loss of time, as my model kitchen did not arrive until -Saturday last." - -M. Soyer, on his side, brought all kinds of things which Miss -Nightingale rejoiced to see: new stoves, new kinds of fuel, new -appliances of many kinds which, in the first months of her work, she -could never have hoped to see. He was full of energy, of ingenuity, and -a fine French gayety and enthusiasm which must have been delightful to -all the brave and weary workers in the City of Pain. He went everywhere, -saw and examined everything; and told of what he saw, in his own -flowery, fiery way. He told among other things how, coming back one -night from a gay evening in the doctors' quarters, he was making his way -through the hospital wards to his own room, when, as he turned the -corner of a corridor, he came upon a scene which made him stop and hold -his breath. At the foot of one cot stood a nurse, holding a lighted -lamp. Its light fell on the sick man, who lay propped on pillows, -gasping for breath, and evidently near his end. He was speaking, in -hoarse and broken murmurs; sitting beside him, bending near to catch the -painful utterances, was the Lady-in-Chief, pencil and paper in hand, -writing down the words as he spoke them. Now the dying man fumbled -beneath his pillow, brought out a watch and some other small objects, -and laid them in her hand; then with a sigh of relief, sank back -content. It was two o'clock. Miss Nightingale had been on her feet, very -likely, the whole day, perhaps had not even closed her eyes in sleep; -but word was brought to her that this man was given up by the doctors, -and had only a few hours to live; and in a moment she was by his side, -to speak some final words of comfort, and to take down his parting -message to wife and children. - -The kind-hearted Frenchman never forgot this sight, yet it was one that -might be seen any night in the Barrack Hospital. No man should die alone -and uncomforted if Florence Nightingale and her women could help it. - -This is how M. Soyer describes our heroine: - -"She is rather high in stature, fair in complexion and slim in person; -her hair is brown, and is worn quite plain; her physiognomy is most -pleasing; her eyes, of a bluish tint, speak volumes, and are always -sparkling with intelligence; her mouth is small and well formed, while -her lips act in unison, and make known the impression of her heart--one -seems the reflex of the other. Her visage, as regards expression, is -very remarkable, and one can almost anticipate by her countenance what -she is about to say; alternately, with matters of the most grave import, -a gentle smile passes radiantly over her countenance, thus proving her -evenness of temper; at other times, when wit or a pleasantry prevails, -the heroine is lost in the happy, good-natured smile which pervades her -face, and you recognize only the charming woman. - -"Her dress is generally of a grayish or black tint; she wears a simple -white cap, and often a rough apron. In a word, her whole appearance is -religiously simple and unsophisticated. In conversation no member of the -fair sex can be more amiable and gentle than Miss Nightingale. Removed -from her arduous and cavalierlike duties, which require the nerve of a -Hercules--and she possesses it when required--she is Rachel[9] on the -stage in both tragedy and comedy." - -The long and dreary winter was over. The snow was gone, and the birds -sang once more among the cypresses of Scutari, and sunned themselves, -and bathed and splashed in the marble basins at the foot of the tombs; -but there was no abatement of the stream that crept up the hill to the -hospital. No frostbite now--I haven't told you about that, because it is -too dreadful for me to tell or for you to hear--but no less sickness. -Cholera was raging in the camp before Sebastopol, and typhus, and -dysentery; the men were dying like flies. The dreaded typhus crept into -the hospital and attacked the workers. Eight of the doctors were -stricken down, seven of whom died. "For a time there was only one -medical attendant in a fit state of health to wait on the sick in the -Barrack Hospital, and his services were needed in twenty-four wards." - -Next three of the devoted nurses were taken, two dying of fever, the -third of cholera. More and more severe grew the strain of work and -anxiety for Miss Nightingale, and those who watched her with loving -anxiety trembled. So fragile, so worn; such a tremendous weight of care -and responsibility on those delicate shoulders! Is she not paler than -usual to-day? What would become of us if she---- - -Their fears were groundless; the time was not yet. Tending the dying -physicians as she had tended their patients; walking, sad but steadfast, -behind the bier that bore her dear and devoted helpers to the grave; -adding each new burden to the rest, and carrying all with unbroken calm, -unwearying patience; Florence Nightingale seemed to bear a charmed life. -There is no record of any single instance, through that terrible winter -and spring, of her being unable to perform the duties she had taken upon -her. She might have said with Sir Galahad: - - "My strength is as the strength of ten - Because my heart is pure." - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -MISS NIGHTINGALE UNDER FIRE. - - -In May, 1855, Miss Nightingale decided to go to the Crimea, to inspect -the hospitals there. In the six months spent at Scutari, she had brought -its hospitals into excellent condition; now she felt that she must see -what was being done and what still needed to be done elsewhere. -Accordingly she set sail in the ship _Robert Lowe_, accompanied by her -faithful friend Mr. Bracebridge, who, with his admirable wife, had come -out with her from England, and had been her constant helper and adviser; -M. Soyer, who was going to see how kitchen matters were going _là-bas_, -and her devoted boy Thomas. Thomas had been a drummer boy. He was twelve -years old, and devoted to his drum until he came under the spell of the -Lady-in-Chief. Then he transferred his devotion to her, and became her -aide-de-camp, following her wherever she went, and ready at any moment -to give his life for her. - -It was fair spring weather now, and the fresh, soft air and beautiful -scenery must have been specially delightful to the women who had spent -six months within the four bare walls of the hospital surrounded by -misery and death; but when she found that there were some sick soldiers -on board, Miss Nightingale begged to be taken to them. She went from one -to another in her cheerful way, and every man felt better at once. -Presently she came to a fever patient who was looking very discontented. - -"This man will not take his medicine!" said the attendant. - -"Why will you not take it?" asked Miss Nightingale, with her winning -smile. - -"Because I took some once," said the man, "and it made me sick, and I -haven't liked physic ever since." - -"But if I give it to you myself you will take it, won't you?" - -I wonder if anyone ever refused Miss Nightingale anything! - -"It will make me sick just the same, ma'am!" murmured the poor soul -piteously; but he took the medicine, and forgot to be sick as she sat -beside him and asked about the battle in which he had been wounded. - -When they entered the harbor of Balaklava, they found all the vessels -crowded with people. Word had got abroad that the Lady-in-Chief was -expected, and everybody was agog to see the wonderful woman who had done -such a great work in the hospitals of Scutari. The vessel was no sooner -brought to anchor than all the doctors and officials of Balaklava came -on board, eager to pay their respects and welcome her to their shore. -For an hour she received these various guests, but she could not wait -longer, and by the time Lord Raglan, the Commander-in-Chief, reached the -vessel on the same errand, she had already begun her inspection of the -hospital on shore. She never had any time to waste, and so she never -lost any. - -But the visit of a Commander-in-Chief must be returned; so the next day -Miss Nightingale set out on horseback, with a party of friends, for the -camp of the besiegers. M. Soyer, who was of the party, tells us that she -"was attired simply in a genteel amazone, or riding-habit, and had quite -a martial air. She was mounted upon a very pretty mare, of a golden -color, which, by its gambols and caracoling, seemed proud to carry its -noble charge. The weather was very fine. Our cavalcade produced an -extraordinary effect upon the motley crowd of all nations assembled at -Balaklava, who were astonished at seeing a lady so well escorted." - -The road was very bad, and crowded with people of every nationality, -riding horses, mules and asses, driving oxen and cows and sheep. Now -they passed a cannon, stuck in the mud, its escort prancing and yelling -around it; now a wagon overturned, its contents scattered on the road, -its owner sitting on the ground lamenting. Everywhere horses were -kicking and whinnying, men shouting and screaming. It is no wonder that -Miss Nightingale's pretty mare "of a golden color" got excited too, and -kicked and pranced with the rest; but her rider had not scampered over -English downs and jumped English fences for nothing, and the pretty -creature soon found that she, like everyone else, must obey the -Lady-in-Chief. - -The first hospital they came to was in the village of Kadikoi. After -inspecting it, and seeing what was needed, Miss Nightingale and her -party rode to the top of a hill near by; and here for the first time she -looked down on the actual face of war; saw the white tents of the -besiegers and in the distance the grim walls of the beleaguered city; -saw, too, the puffs of white smoke from trench and bastion, heard the -roar of cannon and the crackle of musketry. To the boy beside her no -doubt it was a splendid and inspiring sight; but Florence Nightingale -knew too well what it all meant, and turned away with a heavy heart. - -Lord Raglan, not having been warned of her coming, was away; so, after -visiting several small regimental hospitals, Miss Nightingale went on to -the General Hospital before Sebastopol. Here she found some hundreds of -sick and wounded. Word passed along the rows of cots that the "good lady -of Scutari" was coming to visit them, and everywhere she was greeted -with beaming smiles and murmurs of greeting and welcome. But when she -came out again, and passed along toward the cooking encampment, she was -recognized by some former patients of hers at the Barrack Hospital, and -a great shout of rejoicing went up; a shout so loud that the golden -mare capered again, and again had to learn who her mistress was. - -Now they approached the walls of Sebastopol; and Miss Nightingale, who -did not know what fear was, insisted upon having a nearer view of the -city. They came to a point from which it could be conveniently seen; but -here a sentry met them, and with a face of alarm begged them to -dismount. "Sharp firing going on here," he said, and he pointed to the -fragments of shell lying about; "you'll be sure to attract attention, -and they'll fire at you." - -Miss Nightingale laughed at his fears, but consented to take shelter -behind a stone redoubt, from which, with the aid of a telescope, she had -a good view of the city. - -But this was not enough. She must go into the trenches themselves. The -sentry was horrified. "Madam," said he, "if anything happens I call upon -these gentlemen to witness that I did not fail to warn you of the -danger." - -"My good young man," replied Miss Nightingale, "more dead and wounded -have passed through my hands than I hope you will ever see in the -battlefield during the whole of your military career; believe me, I have -no fear of death." - -They went on, and soon reached the Three-Mortar Battery, situated among -the trenches and very near the walls. And here M. Soyer had a great -idea, which he carried out to his immense satisfaction. You shall hear -about it in his own words: - -"Before leaving the battery, I begged Miss Nightingale as a favor to -give me her hand, which she did. I then requested her to ascend the -stone rampart next the wooden gun carriage, and lastly to sit upon the -centre mortar, to which requests she very gracefully and kindly acceded. -'Gentlemen,' I cried, 'behold this amiable lady sitting fearlessly upon -that terrible instrument of war! Behold the heroic daughter of -England--the soldier's friend!' All present shouted 'Bravo! hurrah! -hurrah! Long live the daughter of England!'" - -When Lord Raglan heard of this, he said that the "instrument of war" on -which she sat ought to be called "the Nightingale mortar." - -The 39th regiment was stationed close by; and seeing a lady--a strange -enough sight in that place--seated on a mortar, gazing calmly about her, -as if all her life had been spent in the trenches, the soldiers looked -closer, and all at once recognized the beloved Lady-in-Chief, the Angel -of the Crimea. They set up a shout that went ringing over the fields and -trenches, and startled the Russians behind the walls of Sebastopol; and -Miss Nightingale, startled too, but greatly touched and moved, came down -from her mortar and mounted her horse to ride back to Balaklava. - -It was a rough and fatiguing ride, and the next day she felt very tired; -but she was used to being tired, and never thought much of it, so she -set out to visit the General Hospital again. After spending several -hours there, she went on to the Sanatorium, a collection of huts high up -on a mountainside, nearly eight hundred feet above the sea. The sun was -intensely hot, the ride a hard one; yet she not only reached it this -day, but went up again the day after, to install three much-needed -nurses there; this done, she went on with her work in the hospitals of -Balaklava. But, alas! this time she had gone beyond even her strength. -She was stricken down suddenly, in the midst of her work, with the worst -form of Crimean fever. - -The doctors ordered that she should be taken to the Sanatorium. Amid -general grief and consternation she was laid on a stretcher, and the -soldiers for whom she had so often risked her life bore her sadly -through the streets of Balaklava and up the mountainside. A nurse went -with her, a friend held a white umbrella between her and the pitiless -sun, and poor little Thomas, "Miss Nightingale's man" as he had proudly -called himself, followed the stretcher, crying bitterly. Indeed, it -seemed as if everyone were crying. The rough soldiers--only she never -found them rough--wept like children. It was a sad little procession -that wound its way up the height, to the hut that had been set apart for -the beloved sufferer. It was a neat, airy cabin, set on the banks of a -clear stream. All about were spring buds and blossoms, and green, -whispering trees; it was just such a place as she would have chosen for -one of her own patients; and here, for several days, she lay between -life and death. - -The news spread everywhere; Florence Nightingale was ill--was dying! All -Balaklava knew it; soon the tidings came to Scutari, to her own -hospital, and the sick men turned their faces to the wall and wept, and -longed to give their own lives for hers, if only that might be. The news -came to England, and men looked and spoke--ay, and felt--as if some -great national calamity threatened. But soon the messages changed their -tone. The disease was checked; she was better; she was actually -recovering, and would soon be well. Then all the Crimea rejoiced, and at -Scutari they felt that spring had come indeed. - -While she still lay desperately ill, a visitor climbed the rugged height -to the Sanatorium, and knocked at the door of the little lonely hut. I -think you must hear about this visit from Mrs. Roberts, the nurse who -told M. Soyer about it: - -"It was about five o'clock in the afternoon when he came. Miss -Nightingale was dozing, after a very restless night. We had a storm that -day, and it was very wet. I was in my room sewing when two men on -horseback, wrapped in large guttapercha cloaks and dripping wet, knocked -at the door. I went out, and one inquired in which hut Miss Nightingale -resided. - -"He spoke so loud that I said: 'Hist! hist! don't make such a horrible -noise as that, my man,' at the same time making a sign with both hands -for him to be quiet. He then repeated his question, but not in so loud a -tone. I told him this was the hut. - -"'All right,' said he, jumping from his horse; and he was walking -straight in when I pushed him back, asking what he meant and whom he -wanted. - -"'Miss Nightingale,' said he. - -"'And pray who are you?' - -"'Oh, only a soldier,' was the reply, 'but I must see her--I have come a -long way--my name is Raglan--she knows me very well.' - -"Miss Nightingale overhearing him, called me in, saying: 'Oh! Mrs. -Roberts, it is Lord Raglan. Pray tell him I have a very bad fever, and -it will be dangerous for him to come near me.' - -"'I have no fear of fever or anything else,' said Lord Raglan. - -"And before I had time to turn round, in came his lordship. He took up a -stool, sat down at the foot of the bed, and kindly asked Miss -Nightingale how she was, expressing his sorrow at her illness, and -praising her for the good she had done for the troops. He wished her a -speedy recovery, and hoped she might be able to continue her charitable -and invaluable exertions, so highly appreciated by everyone, as well as -by himself. He then bade Miss Nightingale goodbye, and went away...." - -After twelve days Miss Nightingale was pronounced convalescent. The -doctors now earnestly begged her to return to England, telling her that -her health absolutely required a long rest, with entire freedom from -care. But she shook her head resolutely. Her work was not yet over; she -would not desert her post. Weak as she was, she insisted on being taken -back to Scutari; she would come back by and by, she said, and finish the -work in the Crimea itself. Sick or well, there was no resisting the -Lady-in-Chief. The stretcher was brought again, and eight soldiers -carried her down the mountainside and so down to the port of Balaklava. -The _Jura_ lay at the wharf; a tackle was rigged, and the stretcher -hoisted on board, the patient lying motionless but undaunted the while; -but this vessel proved unsuitable, and she had to be moved twice before -she was finally established on a private yacht, the _New London_. - -Before she sailed, Lord Raglan came to see her again. It was the last -time they ever met, for a few weeks after the brave commander died, worn -out by the struggles and privations of the war, and--some -thought--broken-hearted by the disastrous repulse of the British troops -at the Redan. - -Rather more than a month after she had left for the Crimea, Miss -Nightingale saw once more the towers and minarets of Constantinople -flashing across the Black-Sea water, and, on the other side of the -narrow Bosporus, the gaunt white walls which had come to seem almost -homelike to her. She was glad to get back to her Scutari and her people. -She knew she should get well here, and so she did. - -The welcome she received was most touching. All the great people, -commanders and high authorities, met her at the pier, and offered her -their houses, their carriages, everything they had, to help her back to -strength; but far dearer to her than this were the glances of weary eyes -that brightened at her coming, the waving of feeble hands, the cheers of -feeble voices, from the invalid soldiers who, like herself, were -creeping back from death to life, and who felt, very likely, that their -chance of full recovery was a far better one now that their angel had -come back to dwell among them. - -As strength returned, Miss Nightingale loved to walk in the great -burying ground of which I have told you; to rest under the cypress -trees, and watch the little birds, and pick wild flowers in that lovely, -lonely place. There are strange stories about the birds of Scutari, by -the way; the Turks believe that they are the souls of sinners, forced to -flit and hover forever, without rest; but it is not likely that thoughts -of this kind troubled Miss Nightingale, as she watched the pretty -creatures taking their bath, or pecking at the crumbs she scattered. - -Birds and flowers, green trees and soft, sweet air--all these things -ministered to her, and helped her on the upward road to health and -strength; and before long she was able to take up again the work which -she loved, and which was waiting for her hand. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -THE CLOSE OF THE WAR. - - -The sun soared over the gulf, where the water, covered with ships at -anchor, and with sail- and row-boats in motion, played merrily in its -warm and luminous rays. A light breeze, which scarcely shook the leaves -of the stunted oak bushes that grew beside the signal station, filled -the sails of the boats, and made the waves ripple softly. On the other -side of the gulf Sebastopol was visible, unchanged, with its unfinished -church, its column, its quay, the boulevard which cut the hill with a -green band, the elegant library building, its little lakes of azure -blue, with their forests of masts, its picturesque aqueducts, and, above -all that, clouds of a bluish tint, formed by powder smoke, lighted up -from time to time by the red flame of the firing. It was the same proud -and beautiful Sebastopol, with its festal air, surrounded on one side by -the yellow smoke-crowned hills, on the other by the sea, deep blue in -color and sparkling brilliantly in the sun. At the horizon, where the -smoke of a steamer traced a black line, white, narrow clouds were -rising, precursors of a wind. Along the whole line of the -fortifications, along the heights, especially on the left side, spurted -out suddenly, torn by a visible flash, although it was broad daylight, -plumes of thick white smoke, which, assuming various forms, extended, -rose, and colored the sky with sombre tints. These jets of smoke came -out on all sides--from the hills, from the hostile batteries, from the -city--and flew toward the sky. The noise of the explosions shook the air -with a continuous roar. Toward noon these smoke puffs became rarer and -rarer, and the vibrations of the air strata became less frequent. - -"'Do you know that the second bastion is no longer replying?' said the -hussar officer on horseback, 'it is entirely demolished. It is -terrible!' - -"'Yes, and the Malakoff replies twice out of three times,' answered the -one who was looking through the field-glass. 'This silence is driving me -mad! They are firing straight on the Korniloff battery and that is not -replying.' - -"'There is a movement in the trenches; they are marching in close -columns.' - -"'Yes, I see it well,' said one of the sailors; 'they are advancing by -columns. We must set the signal.' - -"'But see, there--see! They are coming out of the trenches!' - -"They could see, in fact, with the naked eye black spots going down from -the hill into the ravine, and proceeding from the French batteries -toward our bastions. In the foreground, in front of the former, black -spots could be seen very near our lines. Suddenly, from different points -of the bastion at the same time, spurted out the white plumes of the -discharges, and, thanks to the wind, the noise of a lively fusillade -could be heard, like the patter of a heavy rain against the windows. The -black lines advanced, wrapped in a curtain of smoke, and came nearer. -The fusillade increased in violence. The smoke burst out at shorter and -shorter intervals, extended rapidly along the line in a single light, -lilac-colored cloud, unrolling and enlarging itself by turns, furrowed -here and there by flashes or rent by black points. All the noises -mingled together in the tumult of one continued roar. - -"'It is an assault,' said the officer, pale with emotion, handing his -glass to the sailor. - -"Cossacks and officers on horseback went along the road, preceding the -commander-in-chief in his carriage, accompanied by his suite. Their -faces expressed the painful emotion of expectation. - -"'It is impossible that it is taken!' said the officer on horseback. - -"'God in heaven--the flag! Look now!' cried the other, choked by -emotion, turning away from the glass. 'The French flag is in the -Malakoff mamelon!'" - - * * * * * - -It is thus that Tolstoi, the great Russian writer, describes the fall of -Sebastopol, as he saw it. At the same moment that the French were taking -the Malakoff redoubt, the British were storming the Redan, from which -they had been so disastrously repulsed three months before. The flags of -the allied armies floated over both forts, and in the night that -followed the Russians marched silently out of the fallen city, leaving -flames and desolation behind them. - -The war was over. The good news sped to England, and the great guns of -the Tower of London thundered out "Victory!" - -"Victory!" answered every arsenal the country over. "Victory!" rang the -bells in every village steeple. "Victory!" cried man, woman, and child -throughout the length and breadth of the land. But mingled with the -shouts of rejoicing was a deeper note, one of thankfulness that the -cruel war was done, and peace come at last. - -In these happy days Miss Nightingale's name was on all lips. What did -not England owe to her, the heroic woman who had offered her life, and -had all but lost it, for the soldiers of her country? What should -England do to show her gratitude? People were on fire to do something, -make some return to Florence Nightingale for her devoted services. From -the Queen to the cottager, all were asking: "What shall we do for her?" - -It was decided to consult her friends, the Sidney Herberts, as to the -shape that a testimonial of the country's love and gratitude should take -in order to be acceptable to Miss Nightingale. Mrs. Herbert, being -asked, replied: "There is but one testimonial which would be accepted by -Miss Nightingale. The one wish of her heart has long been to found a -hospital in London and to work it on her own system of unpaid nursing, -and I have suggested to all who have asked my advice in this matter to -pay any sums that they may feel disposed to give, or that they may be -able to collect, into Messrs. Coutts' Bank, where a subscription list -for the purpose is about to be opened, to be called the 'Nightingale -Hospital Fund,' the sum subscribed to be presented to her on her return -home, which will enable her to carry out her object regarding the reform -of the nursing system in England." - -Here was something definite indeed. A committee was instantly formed--a -wonderful committee, with "three dukes, nine other noblemen, the Lord -Mayor, two judges, five right honorables, foremost naval and military -officers, physicians, lawyers, London aldermen, dignitaries of the -Church, dignitaries of nonconformist churches, twenty members of -Parliament, and several eminent men of letters"[10]; and the -subscription was opened. How the money came pouring in! You would think -no one had ever spent money before. The rich gave their thousands, the -poor their pennies. There were fairs and concerts and entertainments of -every description, to swell the Nightingale fund; but the offering that -must have touched Miss Nightingale's heart most deeply was that of the -soldiers and sailors of England. "The officers and men of nearly every -regiment and many of the vessels contributed a day's pay."[11] That -meant more to her, I warrant, than any rich man's thousands. - -Before a year had passed, the fund amounted to over forty thousand -pounds; and there is no knowing how much higher it might have gone had -not Miss Nightingale herself come home and stopped it. - -That was enough, she said; if they wanted to give more money, they might -give it to the sufferers from the floods in France. - -But she did not come home at once; no indeed! The war might be over, but -her work was not, and she would never leave it while anything remained -undone. The war was over, but the hospitals, especially those of the -Crimea itself, were still filled with sick and wounded soldiers, and -until the formal peace was signed an "army of occupation" must still -remain in the Crimea. Miss Nightingale knew well that idleness is the -worst possible thing for soldiers (as for everyone); and while she -cared for the sick and wounded, she took as much pains to provide -employment and amusement for the rest. As soon as she had fully regained -her strength, she returned to the Crimea as she had promised to do, set -up two new camp hospitals, and established a staff of nurses, taking the -charge of the whole nursing department upon herself. These new hospitals -were on the heights above Balaklava, not far from where she had passed -the days of her own desperate illness. She established herself in a hut -close by the hospitals and the Sanatorium, and here she spent a second -winter of hard work and exposure. It was bitter cold up there on the -mountainside. The hut was not weather-proof, and they sometimes found -their beds covered with snow in the morning; but they did not mind -trifles like this. - -"The sisters are all quite well and cheerful," writes Miss Nightingale; -"thank God for it! They have made their hut look quite tidy, and put up -with the cold and inconveniences with the utmost self-abnegation. -Everything, even the ink, freezes in our hut every night." - -In all weathers she rode or drove over the rough and perilous roads, -often at great risk of life and limb. Her carriage being upset one day, -and she and her attendant nurse injured, a friend had a carriage made on -purpose for her, to be at once secure and comfortable. - -It was "composed of wood battens framed on the outside and basketwork. -In the interior it is lined with a sort of waterproof canvas. It has a -fixed head on the hind part and a canopy running the full length, with -curtains at the side to inclose the interior. The front driving seat -removes, and thus the whole forms a sort of small tilted wagon with a -welted frame, suspended on the back part on which to recline, and well -padded round the sides. It is fitted with patent breaks to the hind -wheels so as to let it go gently down the steep hills of the Turkish -roads."[12] - -This curious carriage is still preserved at Lea Hurst. Miss Nightingale -left it behind her when she returned to England, and it was about to be -sold, with other abandoned articles, when our good friend M. Soyer heard -of it; he instantly bought it, sent it to England, and afterwards had -the pleasure of restoring it to its owner. She must have been amused, I -think, but no doubt she was pleased, too, at the kindly thought. - -But this comfortable carriage only increased her labors, in one way, for -with it she went about more than ever. No weather was too severe, no -snowstorm too furious, to keep her indoors; the men needed her and she -must go to them. "She was known to stand for hours at the top of a bleak -rocky mountain near the hospitals, giving her instructions while the -snow was falling heavily. Then in the bleak dark night she would return -down the perilous mountain road with no escort save the driver."[13] - -It was not only for the invalids that Miss Nightingale toiled through -this second winter; much of her time was given to the convalescents and -those who were on active duty. She established libraries, and little -"reading huts," where the men could come and find the English magazines -and papers, and a stock of cheerful, entertaining books, carefully -chosen by the dear lady who knew so well what they liked. She got up -lectures, too, and classes for those who wished to study this or that -branch of learning; and she helped to establish a café at Inkerman, -where the men could get hot coffee and chocolate and the like in the -bitter winter weather. There really seems no end to the good and kind -and lovely things she did. I must not forget one thing, which may seem -small to some of you, but which was truly great in the amount of good -that came from it. Ever since she first came out to Scutari, she had -used all her influence to persuade the soldiers to write home regularly -to their families. The sick lads in the hospital learned that if they -would write a letter--just two or three lines, to tell mother or sister -that they were alive and doing well--and would send it to the -Lady-in-Chief, she would put a stamp on it and speed it on its way. So -now, in all the little libraries and reading huts, there were pens, ink -and paper, envelopes and stamps; and when Miss Nightingale looked in at -one of these cheerful little gathering places, we may be sure that she -asked Jim or Joe whether he had written to his mother this week, and -bade him be sure not to forget it. Does this seem to you a small thing? -Wait till you go away from home, and see what the letters that come -from home mean to you; then multiply that by ten, and you will know -partly, but not entirely, what your letters mean to those at home. It -has always seemed to me that this was a very bright star in Miss -Nightingale's crown of glory. - -The soldier's wife and child, mother and sister, were always in her -thoughts. Not only did she persuade the men to write home, but she used -all her great influence to induce them to send home their pay to their -families. At Scutari she had a money-order office of her own, and four -afternoons in each month she devoted to receiving money from the -soldiers who brought it to her, and forwarding it to England. It is -estimated that about a thousand pounds was sent each month, in small -sums of twenty or thirty shillings. "This money," says Miss Nightingale, -"was literally so much rescued from the canteen and drunkenness." - -After the fall of Sebastopol the British Government followed her -example, and set up money-order offices in several places, with -excellent results. - -Sometimes it was Miss Nightingale herself who wrote home to the -soldier's family; sad, sweet letters, telling how the husband or father -had done his duty gallantly, and had died as a brave man should; giving -his last messages, and inclosing the mementos he had left for them. To -many a humble home these letters brought comfort and support in the hour -of trial, and were treasured--are no doubt treasured to this day--like -the relics of a blessed saint. - -The Treaty of Peace was signed at Paris on March 30, 1856, and now all -hearts in the Crimea turned toward home. One by one the hospitals were -closed, as their inmates recovered strength; one by one the troopships -were filled with soldiers--ragged, gaunt, hollow-eyed, yet gay and -light-hearted as schoolboys--and started on the homeward voyage; yet -still the Lady-in-Chief lingered. Not while one sick man remained would -Florence Nightingale leave her post. Indeed, at the last moment she -found a task that none but herself might have taken up. The troopships -were gone; but here, on the camping ground before Sebastopol, were fifty -or sixty poor women, left behind when their husbands' regiments had -sailed, helpless and--I was going to say friendless, but nothing could -be more untrue; for they gathered in their distress round the hut of -the Lady-in-Chief, imploring her aid; and she soon had them on board a -British ship, speeding home after the rest. - -And now the end had come, and there was only one more thing to do, one -more order to give; the result of that last order is seen to-day by all -who visit that far-away land of the Crimea. On the mountain heights -above Balaklava, on a peak not far from the Sanatorium where she labored -and suffered, towers a great cross of white marble, shining like snow -against the deep blue sky. This is the "Nightingale Cross," her own -tribute to the brave men and the devoted nurses who died in the war. At -the foot of the cross are these words: - - "Lord have mercy upon us." - - -To every Englishman--nay, to everyone of any race who loves noble -thoughts and noble deeds--this monument will always be a sacred and a -venerable one. - -In the spring of this year, Lord Ellesmere, speaking before Parliament, -said: - -"My Lords, the agony of that time has become a matter of history. The -vegetation of two successive springs has obscured the vestiges of -Balaklava and of Inkerman. Strong voices now answer to the roll call, -and sturdy forms now cluster round the colors. The ranks are full, the -hospitals are empty. The angel of mercy still lingers to the last on the -scene of her labors; but her mission is all but accomplished. Those long -arcades of Scutari, in which dying men sat up to catch the sound of her -footstep or the flutter of her dress, and fell back on the pillow -content to have seen her shadow as it passed, are now comparatively -deserted. She may be thinking how to escape, as best she may, on her -return, the demonstration of a nation's appreciation of the deeds and -motives of Florence Nightingale." - -This was precisely what the Lady-in-Chief was thinking. She meant to -return to England as quietly as she left it; and she succeeded. The -British Government begged her to accept a man-of-war as her own for the -time being; she was much obliged, but would rather not. She went over to -Scutari, saw the final closing of the hospitals there, and took a silent -farewell of that place of many memories; then stepped quietly on board a -French vessel, and sailed for France. A few days later--so the story -goes--a lady quietly dressed in black, and closely veiled, entered the -back door of Lea Hurst. The old butler saw the intruder, and hastened -forward to stop her way--and it was "Miss Florence!" - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -THE TASKS OF PEACE. - - -Now, the people of England had been on tiptoe for some days with -eagerness, waiting to welcome the heroine of the Crimea back to her -native shores. They would give her such a reception as no one had ever -yet had in that land of hospitality and welcomings. She should have -bells and cannon and bonfires, processions and deputations and -addresses--she should have everything that anybody could think of. - -When they found that their heroine had slipped quietly through their -fingers, as it were, and was back in her own peaceful home once more, -people were sadly disappointed. They must give up the cannon and the -bonfires; but at least they might have a glimpse of her! So hundreds of -people crowded the roads and lanes about Lea Hurst, waiting and -watching. An old lady living at the park gate told Mrs. Tooley: "I -remember the crowds as if it was yesterday. It took me all my time to -answer them. Folks came in carriages and on foot, and there was titled -people among them, and a lot of soldiers, some of them without arms and -legs, who had been nursed by Miss Florence in the hospital, and I -remember one man who had been shot through both eyes coming and asking -to see Miss Florence. But not ten out of the hundreds who came got a -glimpse of her. If they wanted help about their pensions, they were told -to put it down in writing, and Miss Florence's maid came with an answer. -Of course she was willing to help everybody, but it stood to reason she -could not receive them all; why, the park wouldn't have held all the -folks that came, and besides, the old Squire wouldn't have his daughter -made a staring stock of."[14] - -After the first disappointment--which after all was perfectly -natural--all sensible people realized how weary Miss Nightingale must be -after her tremendous labors, and how much she must need rest. All who -knew her, too, knew that she never could abide public "demonstrations"; -so they left her in peace, and began sending her things, to show their -gratitude in a different way. The first gift of this kind she had -received before she left the Crimea, from good Queen Victoria herself. -This was "the Nightingale Jewel," as it is called; "a ruby-red enamel -cross on a white field, encircled by a black band with the words: -'Blessed are the merciful.' The letters V. R.; surmounted by a crown in -diamonds, are impressed upon the centre of the cross. Green enamel -branches of palm, tipped with gold, form the framework of the shield, -while around their stems is a riband of blue enamel, with the single -word 'Crimea.' On the top are three brilliant stars of diamonds. On the -back is an inscription written by the Queen." - -Another gift received on the scene of her labors was a magnificent -diamond bracelet sent her by the Sultan of Turkey. - -I do not know of any more jewels; but two gifts that Miss Nightingale -prized highly were a fine case of cutlery sent her by the workmen of -Sheffield, each knife blade inscribed with the words "Presented to -Florence Nightingale, 1857," and the silver-bound oak case inlaid with a -representation of the Good Samaritan; and a beautiful pearl-inlaid -writing desk, presented by her friends and neighbors near Lea Hurst. - -All these things were very touching; still more touching were the -letters that came from all over the country, thanking and blessing her -for all she had done. Truly it was a happy home coming. - -Miss Nightingale knew that she was very, very weary; she realized that -she must have a long rest, but she little thought how long it must be. -She, and all her friends, thought that after a few months she would be -able to take up again the work she so loved, and become the active -leader in introducing the new methods of nursing into England. But the -months passed, and grew from few to many, and still her strength did not -return. The next year, indeed, when the dreadful Indian Mutiny broke -out, she wrote to her friend Lady Canning, wife of the Governor-General -of India, offering to come at twenty-four hours' notice "if there was -anything to do in her line of business"; but Lady Canning knew that she -was not equal to such a task. - -Slowly, gradually, the truth came to Florence Nightingale: she was never -going to be strong or well again. Always delicate, the tremendous -labors of the Crimea had been too much for her. While the work went on, -the frail body answered the call of the powerful will, the undaunted -mind, the great heart; now that the task was finished, it sank down -broken and exhausted. Truly, she had given her life, as much as any -soldier who fought and died in the trenches or on the battlefield. - -And what did she do when she finally came to realize this? Did she give -up, and say, "My work on earth is done?" Not she! There may have been -some dark hours, but the world has never heard of them. She never for an -instant thought of giving up her work; she simply changed the methods of -it. The poor tired body must stay in bed or on the sofa; very well! But -the mind was not tired at all; the will was not weakened; the heart had -not ceased to throb with love and compassion for the sick, the -sorrowful, the suffering; the question was to find the way in which they -could work with as little trouble as might be to their poor sick friend -the body. - -The way was soon found. Whether at Lea Hurst or in London (for she now -spent a good deal of time in the great city, to be near the centre of -things), her sick room became one of the busiest places in all England. - -Schemes for army reform, for hospital reform, for reform in everything -connected with the poor and the sick--all these must be brought to Miss -Nightingale. All the soldiers in the country must write to her whenever -they wanted anything, from a pension down to a wooden leg (to their -honor be it said, however, that though she was overwhelmed with begging -letters from all parts of the country, not a soldier ever asked her for -money). The Nightingale fund, now nearly fifty thousand pounds, was -administered under her advice and direction, and the first Training -School for Nurses organized and opened. The old incapable, ignorant -nurse vanished, and the modern nurse, educated, methodical, clear-eyed -and clear-headed, took her place quietly; one of the great changes of -modern times was effected, and the hand that directed it was the same -one that we have seen holding the lamp, or writing down the dying -soldier's last words, in the Barrack Hospital at Scutari. - -That slender hand wrote books with all the rest of its work. In the sick -room as in the hospital, Miss Nightingale had no time to waste. Her -"Hospital Notes" may be read to-day with the keenest interest by all who -care to know more of that great story of the Crimean War; her "Notes on -Nursing" became the handbook of the Nursing Reform, and ought to be in -the hands of every nurse to-day as it was in 1860, when it was written. -Nor in the hands of nurses only; I wish every girl and every boy who -reads this story would try to find that slender, dingy volume in some -library, and "read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest" its contents. They -would know a good deal more than they do now. Well might Miss -Nightingale write, in 1861: "I have passed the last four years between -four walls, only varied to other four walls once a year; and I believe -there is no prospect but of my health becoming ever worse and worse till -the hour of my release. But I have never ceased, during one waking hour -since my return to England five years ago, laboring for the welfare of -the army at home, as I did abroad, and no hour have I given to -friendship or amusement during that time, but all to work." - -Drop a stone in the water and see how the circles spread, growing wider -and wider. After a while you cannot see them, but you know that the -motion you have started must go on and on till it whispers against the -pebbles on the farther shore. So it is with a good deed or an evil one; -we see its beginning; we cannot see what distant shore it may reach. So, -no one will ever know the full amount of good that this noble woman has -done. The Sanitary Commission of our own Civil War, the Red Cross which -to-day counts its workers by thousands in every part of the civilized -world, both owed their first impulse to the pebble dropped by Florence -Nightingale--even her own life, given freely to suffering humanity. - -I have never seen, but I like to think of the quiet room in London, -where she lies to-day in the white beauty of her age. Nearly ninety -years have passed since the little girl-baby woke to life among the -blossoms of the City of Flowers; more than half a century has gone by -since the Lady with the Lamp passed like light along the corridors of -the Barrack Hospital; yet still Florence Nightingale lives and loves, -still her thoughts go out in tenderness and compassion toward all who -are "in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity." - -Let us think of that quiet room as one of the holy places of the earth; -let us think of her, and take our leave of her, with loving and thankful -hearts. - -THE END. - - -STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS - -=JOURNEYS OF THE KIT KAT CLUB.= _Illustrated. 8vo. $2.00 Net._ - - By William R. A. Wilson. - -A beautifully illustrated volume filled with interesting and salient -features of English history, folk-lore, politics, and scenery. - -=BUTT CHANLER, FRESHMAN.= _Illustrated. 12mo. $1.50._ - - By James Shelley Hamilton, Amherst '06. - -College sports are always a subject of interest to young readers, and -here are incidents that are dear to all college associates. - -"The story is breezy, bright, and clean."--_The Bookseller, New York_. - -=WILLIAMS OF WEST POINT.= _Illustrated. 12mo. $1.50._ - - By Lieut. Hugh S. Johnson. - -A story of West Point under the old code. "Every boy with red blood in -his veins will pronounce it a corker."--_The Globe, Boston._ - -=THE SUBSTITUTE.= _Illustrated. 12mo. $1.50._ - - By Walter Camp. - -"Presents the ideal to football enthusiasts. The author's name is -guarantee of the accuracy of descriptions of the plays."--_The Courant, -Hartford, Conn._ - -=THE FOREST RUNNERS.= _Illustrated in Color. 12mo. $1.50._ - - By Joseph A. Altsheler. - -This story deals with the further adventures of the two young woodsmen -in the history of Kentucky who were heroes in "The Young Trailers." The -story is full of thrills to appeal to every boy who loves a good story. - - -D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, NEW YORK. - - - - -TWO GOOD NOVELS. - - -=Cy Whittaker's Place.= - -A Novel of Cape Cod Life, by Joseph C. Lincoln, Author of "Mr. Pratt," -"Cap'n Eri," etc. 27 illustrations by Wallace Morgan, colored inlay on -cover. 12mo. Cloth, $1.50. - - Cape Cod life, as pictured by Joseph C. Lincoln, is delightful in - its homeliness, its wholesomeness, its quaint simplicity. The plot - of this novel revolves around a little girl whom an old bachelor, - Cy Whittaker, adopts. Her education is too stupendous a task for - the old man to attempt alone, so he calls in two old cronies and - they form a "Board of Strategy." A dramatic story of unusual merit - then develops, and through it all runs that rich vein of humor - which has won for the author a fixed place in the hearts of - thousands of readers. Cy Whittaker is the David Harum of Cape Cod. - - -=The Whispering Man.= - -A Detective Story Worth While, by Henry Kitchell Webster. Frontispiece. -12mo. Decorated cloth, $1.50. - - A detective story you ought to read. Something altogether - _different_ in that the clues to the mystery lie open to the reader - throughout the whole story, and are yet so concealed that the - unsuspecting reader is amazed at the outcome. To those who have - tired of the ordinary type of detective story, we commend this - _different_ novel as most refreshing. - - -D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, NEW YORK. - - -NOVELS BY ROBERT W. CHAMBERS. - -=SPECIAL MESSENGER.= _Illustrated. 12mo. Cloth, $1.50._ - -A romantic love story of a woman spy in the Civil War. - -=THE FIRING LINE.= _Illustrated. 12mo. Cloth, $1.50._ - -"The tale is rich in vivid descriptions, pleasing incidents, effective -situations, human interest and luxurious scenic effects. It is a story -to be remembered."--_Grand Rapids Herald._ - -=THE YOUNGER SET.= _Illustrated. Cloth, $1.50._ - -"The Younger Set" is a novel of the swirl of wealthy New York society. -The hero, forced out of the army by domestic troubles, returns to New -York homeless and idle. He finds a beautiful girl who promises ideal -happiness. But new complications intervene and are described with what -the New York _Sun_ calls Mr. Chambers' "amazing knack of narrative." - -=THE FIGHTING CHANCE.= _Illustrated. Cloth, $1.50._ - -One of the most brilliant pictures of wealthy American society ever -painted; one of the most interesting and appealing stories ever written; -one of the most widely read of all American novels. - -=SOME LADIES IN HASTE.= _Illustrated. Cloth, $1.50._ - -Mr. Chambers has written most delightfully, and in his charming satire -depicts the plight of five society girls and five clubmen. - -=IOLE.= _Illustrated. Cloth, $1.25._ - -"Think of eight pretty girls in pink silk pajamas and sunbonnets, -brought up in innocence in a scientific Eden, with a 'House Beautiful' -in the back-ground, and a poetical father in the foreground. Think again -of those rose-petalled creations turned loose upon New York society and -then enjoy the fun of it all in 'Iole.'"--_Boston Herald._ - -=THE TRACER OF LOST PERSONS.= _Illustrated. Cloth, $1.50._ - -The captivating account of the strangely absorbing adventures of a -"matrimonial sleuth," "a deputy of Cupid." - -"Compared with him Sherlock Holmes is clumsy and without human -emotions."--_Chicago Inter-Ocean._ - -=THE TREE OF HEAVEN.= _Illustrated. Cloth, $1.50._ - -If you looked squarely into a mirror and saw your PROFILE instead of -your full face, _if you suddenly found yourself 25 miles away from -yourself_, you would be in one of the tantalizing situations that give -fascination to this charming book. - -=THE RECKONING.= _Illustrated. Cloth, $1.50._ - -A story of northern New York during the last fierce fights between -Tories and Revolutionaries and the Iroquois Indians, by which tribe the -hero had been adopted. - -"It would be but an unresponsive American that would not thrill to such -relations."--_New York Times._ - - -D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, NEW YORK. - -BY RALPH HENRY BARBOUR - -=The New Boy at Hilltop= - - Illustrated in Colors, Ornamental Cloth Cover with Inlay in Colors, - 12mo, $1.50. - - The story of a boy's experiences at boarding school. The first - chapter describes his arrival and reception by the others. The - remaining chapters tell of his life on the football field, on the - crew, his various scrapes and fights, school customs and school - entertainments. His experiences are varied and cover nearly all the - incidents of boarding school life. - - -=Winning His "Y"= - -Illustrated in Colors, 12mo, Decorated Cloth Cover, $1.50. - - The scene of this story is Yardley Hall, the school made famous in - "Double Play" and "Forward Pass!"; and we meet again the manly, - self-reliant Dan Vinton, his young friend Gerald Pennimore, and - many others of the "old boys" whose athletic achievements and other - doings have been so entertainingly chronicled by Mr. Barbour. The - new story is thus slightly connected with its predecessors, but - will be fully as interesting to a boy who has not read them as if - it were not. - - -=Double Play= - -Illustrated in Colors, 12mo, Cloth, $1.50. - - Further experiences of Dan Vinton--hero of "Forward Pass!"--at - Yardley Hall. He becomes in a way the mentor of the millionaire's - son, Gerald Pennimore, who enters the school. There is the - description of an exciting baseball game, and the stratagem by - which the wily coach, Payson, puts some ginger into an overtrained - squad and develops from it a winning team will appeal to every boy. - - -=Forward Pass!= - -Illustrated in Colors, 12mo, Cloth, $1.50. - - In his new story, Mr. Barbour returns to the field of his earlier - and more successful stories, such as "The Half-Back," "Captain of - the Crew," etc. The main interest in "Forward Pass!" centers about - the "new" football; the story is, nevertheless, one of - preparatory-school life and adventures in general. The book - contains several illustrations and a number of diagrams of the - "new" football plays. Mr. Barbour considers this his best story. - - -D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, NEW YORK - - -BY WALTER CAMP - - -=Jack Hall at Yale= - -Illustrated in Colors, 12mo, Cloth, $1.50. - -This is a story following, but not distinctly a sequel to, Mr. Camp's -successful juvenile, "The Substitute." It is a story dealing principally -with football in college, but including rowing and other sports. Mr. -Camp's idea in this book is to give a little more of a picture of -college life and the relations, friendships, enmities, etc., of the -students rather than to tell nothing but a football story. In other -words, the book is more of an attempt at the "Tom Brown at Rugby" idea -than a purely athletic story, although the basis of the story, as in -"The Substitute," is still athletics. - - -=The Substitute= - -Illustrated in Colors, 12mo, Cloth, $1.50. - -It describes vividly the efforts of the coaches in "whipping" the -football team of a great university into shape for the season's -struggles. The whole story is completely realistic--the talks of the -coaches to the team; the discussion of points and tactics in the game; -the details of individual positions; the daily work on the field. - -Who can tell of Yale traditions, Yale ideals, and the militant Yale -spirit--which the famous author has marshaled on a hundred football -fields--as well as Walter Camp? - - "Those interested in the great college game of football will find a - most fascinating tale in 'The Substitute,' of which Walter Camp, - the well-known coach and authority on the game, is the - author."--_Brooklyn Eagle._ - - -D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, NEW YORK - - -FOOTNOTES: - -[Footnote 1: "By the Alma River," by Dinah Maria Mulock Craik.] - -[Footnote 2: "Charge of the Light Brigade," by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.] - -[Footnote 3: Tooley, "Life of Florence Nightingale," p. 137.] - -[Footnote 4: Tooley, "Life of Florence Nightingale," p. 126.] - -[Footnote 5: "Santa Filomena," by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.] - -[Footnote 6: Kinglake, "Invasion of the Crimea."] - -[Footnote 7: "Hiawatha," by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.] - -[Footnote 8: Tooley, "Life of Florence Nightingale," p. 154.] - -[Footnote 9: Rachel was a famous French actress, but I cannot imagine -any real resemblance between her and Miss Nightingale.] - -[Footnote 10: Tooley, "Life of Florence Nightingale," p. 220.] - -[Footnote 11: Tooley, "Life of Florence Nightingale," p. 223.] - -[Footnote 12: Tooley, "Life of Florence Nightingale," p. 229.] - -[Footnote 13: Tooley, "Life of Florence Nightingale," pp. 231-32.] - -[Footnote 14: Tooley, "Life of Florence Nightingale," p. 240.] - - -Transcriber's notes: - -_Underscores_ show where _italic_ fonts were used in the original printed book. - -=Equals signs= show where =bold= fonts were used in the original printed book. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Florence Nightingale the Angel of the -Crimea, by Laura E. 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