eminent victorians-第25章

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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。'　The　letter　was

read　aloud　in　the　wards　by　the　Chaplain。　'It　is　a　very　feeling

letter；'　said　the　men。



And　so　the　months　passed；　and　that　fell　winter　which　had　begun

with　Inkerman　and　had　dragged　itself　out　through　the　long　agony

of　the　investment　of　Sebastopol；　at　last　was　over。　In　May；　1855；

after　six　months　of　labour；　Miss　Nightingale　could　look　with

something　like　satisfaction　at　the　condition　of　the　Scutari

hospitals。　Had　they　done　nothing　more　than　survive　the　terrible

strain　which　had　been　put　upon　them；　it　would　have　been　a　matter

for　congratulation；　but　they　had　done　much　more　than　that　they

had　marvellously　improved。　The　confusion　and　the　pressure　in　the

wards　had　come　to　an　end；　order　reigned　in　them；　and　cleanliness；

the　supplies　were　bountiful　and　prompt；　important　sanitary　works

had　been　carried　out。　One　simple　comparison　of　figures　was　enough



to　reveal　the　extraordinary　change：　the　rate　of　mortality　among

the　cases　treated　had　fallen　from　forty…two　percent　to　twenty…two

per　1；000。　But　still；　the　indefatigable　lady　was　not　satisfied。

The　main　problem　had　been　solved　the　physical　needs　of　the　men

had　been　provided　for；　their　mental　and　spiritual　needs　remained。

She　set　up　and　furnished　reading…rooms　and　recreation　rooms。　She

started　classes　and　lectures。　Officers　were　amazed　to　see　her

treating　their　men　as　if　they　were　human　beings；　and　assured　her

that　she　would　only　end　by　'spoiling　the　brutes'。　But　that　was

not　Miss　Nightingale's　opinion；　and　she　was　justified。　The

private　soldier　began　to　drink　less　and　even　though　that　seemed

impossible　to　save　his　pay。　Miss　Nightingale　became　a　banker

for　the　Army；　receiving　and　sending　home　large　sums　of　money

every　month。　At　last；　reluctantly；　the　Government　followed　suit；

and　established　machinery　of　its　own　for　the　remission　of

money。Lord　Panmure；　however；　remained　sceptical；　'it　will　do　no

good；'　he　pronounced；　'the　British　soldier　is　not　a　remitting

animal。'　But；　in　fact　during　the　next　six　months　￡71；000　was　sent

home。



Amid　all　these　activities；　Miss　Nightingale　took　up　the　further

task　of　inspecting　the　hospitals　in　the　Crimea　itself。　The　labour

was　extreme；　and　the　conditions　of　life　were　almost　intolerable。

She　spent　whole　days　in　the　saddle；　or　was　driven　over　those

bleak　and　rocky　heights　in　a　baggage　cart。　Sometimes　she　stood

for　hours　in　the　heavily　failing　snow；　and　would　only　reach　her

hut　at　dead　of　night　after　walking　for　miles　through　perilous

ravines。　Her　powers　of　resistance　seemed　incredible；　but　at　last

they　were　exhausted。　She　was　attacked　by　fever；　and　for　a　moment

came　very　near　to　death。　Yet　she　worked　on；　if　she　could　not

move；　she　could　at　least　write；　and　write　she　did　until　her　mind

had　left　her；　and　after　it　had　left　her；　in　what　seemed　the

delirious　trance　of　death　itself；　she　still　wrote。　When；　after

many　weeks；　she　was　strong　enough　to　travel；　she　was　implored　to

return　to　England；　but　she　utterly　refused。　She　would　not　go

back；　she　said；　before　the　last　of　the　soldiers　had　left　Scutari。



This　happy　moment　had　almost　arrived；　when　suddenly　the

smouldering　hostilities　of　the　medical　authorities　burst　out　into

a　flame。　Dr。　Hall's　labours　had　been　rewarded　by　a　K。C。B

letters　which；　as　Miss　Nightingale　told　Sidney　Herbert；　she　could

only　suppose　to　mean　'Knight　of　the　Crimean　Burial…Grounds'　and

the　honour　had　turned　his　head。　He　was　Sir　John；　and　he　would　be

thwarted　no　longer。　Disputes　had　lately　arisen　between　Miss

Nightingale　and　some　of　the　nurses　in　the　Crimean　hospitals。　The

situation　had　been　embittered　by　rumours　of　religious

dissensions；　while　the　Crimean　nurses　were　Roman　Catholics；　many

of　those　at　Scutari　were　suspected　of　a　regrettable　propensity

towards　the　tenets　of　Dr。　Pusey。　Miss　Nightingale　was　by　no　means

disturbed　by　these　sectarian　differences；　but　any　suggestion　that

her　supreme　authority　over　all　the　nurses　with　the　Army　was；　no

doubt；　enough　to　rouse　her　to　fury；　and　it　appeared　that　Mrs。

Bridgeman；　the　Reverend　Mother　in　the　Crimea；　had　ventured　to

call　that　authority　in　question。　Sir　John　Hall　thought　that　his

opportunity　had　come；　and　strongly　supported　Mrs。　Bridgeman　or；

as　Miss　Nightingale　preferred　to　call　her；　the　'Reverend

Brickbat'。



There　was　a　violent　struggle；　Miss　Nightingale's　rage　was

terrible。　Dr。　Hall；　she　declared；　was　doing　his　best　to　'root　her

out　of　the　Crimea'。　She　would　bear　it　no　longer；　the　War　Office

was　playing　her　false；　there　was　only　one　thing　to　be　done

Sidney　Herbert　must　move　for　the　production　of　papers　in　the

House　of　Commons；　so　that　the　public　might　be　able　to　judge

between　her　and　her　enemies。　Sidney　Herbert；　with　great

difficulty；　calmed　her　down。　Orders　were　immediately　dispatched

putting　her　supremacy　beyond　doubt；　and　the　Reverend　Brickbat

withdrew　from　the　scene。　Sir　John；　however；　was　more　tenacious。　A

few　weeks　later；　Miss　Nightingale　and　her　nurses　visited　the

Crimea　for　the　last　time；　and　the　brilliant　idea　occurred　to　him

that　he　could　crush　her　by　a　very　simple　expedient　he　would

starve　her　into　submission；　and　he　actually　ordered　that　no

rations　of　any　kind　should　be　supplied　to　her。　He　had　already

tried　this　plan　with　great　effect　upon　an　unfortunate　medical　man

whose　presence　in　the　Crimea　he　had　considered　an　intrusion；　but

he　was　now　to　learn　that　such　tricks　were　thrown　away　upon　Miss

Nightingale。　With　extraordinary　foresight；　she　had　brought　with

her　a　great　supply　of　food；　she　succeeded　in　obtaining　more　at

her　own　expense　and　by　her　own　exertions；　and　thus　for　ten　days；

in　that　inhospitable　country；　she　was　able　to　feed　herself　and

twenty…four　nurses。　Eventually；　the　military　authorities

intervened　in　her　favour；　and　Sir　John　had　to　confess　that　he　was

beaten。



It　was　not　until　July；　1856four　months　after　the　Declaration　of

Peace　that　Miss　Nightingale　left　Scutari　for　England。　Her

reputation　was　now　enormous；　and　the　enthusiasm　of　the　public　was

unbounded。　The　royal　approbation　was　expressed　by　the　gift　of　a

brooch；　accompanied　by　a　private　letter。　'You　are；　I　know；　well

aware；'　wrote　Her　Majesty；　'of　the　high　sense　I　entertain　of　the

Christian　devotion　which　you　have　displayed　during　this　great　and

bloody　war；　and　I　need　hardly　repeat　to　you　how　warm　my

admiration　is　for　your　services；　which　are　fully　equal　to　those

of　my　dear　and　brave　soldiers；　whose　sufferings　you　have　had　the

privilege　of　alleviating　in　so　merciful　a　manner。　I　am；　however；

anxious　of　marking　my　feelings　in　a　manner　which　I　trust　will　be

agreeable　to　you；　and　therefore；　send　you　with　this　letter　a

brooch；　the　form　and　emblems　of　which　commemorate　your　great　and

blessed　work；　and　which　I　hope　you　will　wear　as　a　mark　of　the

high　approbation　of　your　Sovereign！



'It　will　be　a　very　great　satisfaction　to　me；'　Her　Majesty　added；

'to　make　the　acquaintance　of　one　who　has　set　so　bright　an　example

to　our　sex。'



The　brooch；　which　was　designed　by　the　Prince　Consort；　bore　a　St　。

George's　cross　in　red　enamel；　and　the　Royal　cipher　surmounted　by

diamonds。　The　whole　was　encircled　by　the　inscription　'Blessed　are

the　Merciful'。





III



THE　name　of　Florence　Nightingale　lives　in　the　memory　of　the　world

by　virtue　of　the　lurid　and　heroic　adventure　of　the　Crimea。　Had

she　diedas　she　nearly　didupon　her　return　to　England；　her

reputation　would　hardly　have　been　different；　her　legend　would

have　come　down　to　us　almost　as　we　know　it　todaythat　gentle

vision　of　female　virtue　which　first　took　shape　before　the　adoring

eyes　of　the　sick　soldiers　at　Scutari。　Yet；　as　a　matter　of　fact；

she　lived　for　more　than　half　a　century　after　the　Crimean　War；　and

during　the　greater　part　of　that　long　period；　all　the　energy　and

all　the　devotion　of　her　extraordinary　nature　were　working　at

their　highest　pitch。　What　she　accomplished　in　those　years　of

unknown　labour　could；　indeed；　hardly　have　been　more　glorious　than

her　Crimean　triumphs；　but　it　was　certainly　more　important。　The

true　history　was　far　stranger　even　than　the　myth。　In　Miss

Nightingale's　own　eyes　the　adventure　of　the　Crimea　was　a　mere

incident　scarcely　more　than　a　useful　stepping…stone　in　her

career。　It　was　the　fulcrum　with　which　she　hoped　to　move　the

world；　but　it　was　only　the　fulcrum。　For　more　than　a　generation

she　was　to　sit　in　secret；　working　her　lever：　and　her　real　〃life〃

began　at　the　very　moment　when；　in　the　popular　imagination；　it　had

ended。



She　arrived　in　England　in　a　shattered　state　of　health。　The

hardships　and　the　ceaseless　effort　of　the　last　two　years　had

undermined　her　nervous　system；　her　heart　was　pronounced　to　be

affected；　she　suffered　constantly　from　fainting…fits　and　terrible

attacks　of　utter　physical　prostration。　The　doctors　declared　that

one　thing　alone　would　save　her　a　complete　and　prolonged　rest。

But　that　was　also　the　one　thing　with　which　she　would　have　nothing

to　do。　She　had　never　been　in　the　habit　of　resting；　why　should　she

begin　now？　Now；　when　her　opportunity　had　come　at　last；　now；　when

the　iron　was　hot；　and　it　was　time　to　strike？　No；　she　had　work　to

do；　and；　come　what　might；　she　would　do　it。　The　doctors　protested

in　vain；　in　vain　her　family　lamented　and　entreated；　in　vain　her

friends　pointed　out　to　her　the　madness　of　such　a　course。　Madness？

Madpossessedperhaps　she　was。　A　demoniac　frenzy　had　seized

upon　her。　As　she　lay　upon　her　sofa；　gasping；　she　devoured　blue…

books；　dictated　letters；　and；　in　the　intervals　of　her

palpitations；　cracked　her　febrile　jokes。　For　months　at　a　stretch

she　never　left　her　bed。　For　years　she　was　in　daily　expectation　of

death。　But　she　would　not　rest。　At　this　rate；　the　doctors　assured

her；　even　if　she　did　not　die；　she　would；　become　an　invalid　for

life。　She　could　not　help　that；　there　was　the　work　to　be　done；

and；　as　for　rest；　very　likely　she　might　rest　。。。　when　she　had

done　it。



Wherever　she　went；　in　London　or　in　the　country；　in　the　hills　of

Derbyshire；　or　among　the　rhododendrons　at　Embley；　she　was　haunted

by　a　ghost。　It　was　the　spectre　of　Scutari　the　hideous　vision　of

the　organisation　of　a　military　hospital。　She　would　lay　that

phantom；　or　she　would　perish。　The　whole　system　of　the　Army

Medical　Department；　the　education　of　the　Medical　Officer；　the

regulations　of　hospital　procedure　。。。　REST？　How　could　she　rest

while　these　things　were　as　they　were；　while；　if　the　like

necessity　were　to　arise　again；　the　like　results　would　follow？

And；　even　in　peace　and　at　home；　what　was　the　sanitary　condition

of　the　Army？　The　mortality　in　the　barracks　was；　she　found；　nearly

double　the　mortality　in　civil　life。　'You　might　as　well　take　1；100

men　every　year　out　upon　Salisbury　Plain　and　shoot　them；'