Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1857-07-18
MISCELLANY
From the Dover (English) Chronicle.
FLORENCE NTGHTINGALE,
TIE SISTER OF CHARITY

At the time when reports of the disas-
trous state OF affairs in our hospitals at the
scat OF the Crimcan war, the year before last,
reached this country filling every heart with
the deepest c0mnisscration and diSmay,
there were thousands of women who would
gladly have undertaken to dozwhat in them
lay to mitigate the awful amount of suffer-
ing which the daily papers laid bare to their
readers; but there was, perhaps, but in one
woman the sonse of due preparation and
practical experience to qualify her for ta-
king the lead in such an undertaking.. It
was Florence Nightingale alone, who not
only possessed the high natural require
mcnts to. fit her for the task, whose whole
previous life had been in some respects n
preparation for it; but, above all, who had
especially trained herself for nursing the
sick and wounded, and for UNDERSTANDING
tho systematic organization Of n hospital,
and the government of a staff of assistant
nurses, 1t was, perhaps, the first. in the
cham OF secondary causes which prepared
Florence Nightingale for such a devotion
OF her life to her fellow creatures, the fact
that her ancestors ON both sides we're re-
markable for. their benevolcnce and philan-
thropy-her maternal grandfather, the late
MIR. w. Smith, of Norwich, himself ah en-
'ncnt Unitarian, as well as Miss Nightin-
gale, having been remarkable for intelli-
gencc and sagacity, while the excellence
of his private character, his superior un-
Outstanding, cultivated taste and strong re-
llglous feelings, could not but leave a deep
impression upon his own and his children's
children The memory and example, of
life devoted to high and noble aims, is. of
itself precious bcqucst for the head of
family to leave to his descendants, and such
an inheritance cannot but have it's influence
in the formation of character and habits !;
and thus It cnme naturally TO be the habit
of the family to which Florence Nightin-
gale belonged, to employ themselves in
the welfare of their fellow creatures. From
her ocrlicst childhood, when surrounded
in her home with all that wealth and cult
waited taste could bring together of refined
luxury, it was still to the poor around her
that she saw the thoughts of her parents
ever directed as a prominent duty. At her
fathers dinner table, and in her mothers
drawing-room, she was early accustomed to
listen to some of the philapthropists of the
day, discussing various schemes and 'theo-
ries, which bad for their object the relief
and education of the poor.
She had been born at Florence during a
temporary residence in Italyj and on their
return to England the Inheritance of a large
fortune and estate led to the. formation OF
two family homes in the counties of Hamp.
shire and Derbyshire, where the early lives
OF herself and her sister were passed, in
more than usually close contact with the
surrounding .peasantry. To their bency,,-
lent father and mother, these poor neigh
borsl We're held of even more importance
than their wealthy acquaintanees and II.
was part of every days duty of the little
girls, to visit the cottages of the poor who
awelt on or near their father estates. On
sallying forth on their morning walk.
basket packed with some little comfort or
fs!!eseyji sr g Go j,asii;4 hook from which
70 read to, some old or jnfirln neighbor, was
ancyer-failing accompannnent. in the,ad-
joining villages schools were cstablishedby
their father and mother, for the edhcation
.ofthe children of the poor mot ss. a mere
relief TO their eonscicnces, that ii the spen4
dng Of large fortune so much sliould be
gwen stpwards q generally acknowledged
good purpose, but with a deep md eairhcst
desire that, through those schools, a nun.
ber oftheir fcllow-cre at0res should be raised
IN the scale of being, and trained 10 fsoft,l-
pess and happiness both here and lfcroafter.
These schools, built ansl found biz heir faith.
or, became, rs his dangEtefS gfeW ut flre
especial object of care. IT ,Wis shcif tasJS
tQorganize them on good principies. Ia fInd
nffiaiaY,i taodf. 6s 9fs,s q 80 y ss. Z ~ N