Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1857-07-18

'soi' III 'heut, ana CO make perSonal acqualn-
tancc with each and every child, and
through that acquaintanceship, and by kind
Words, looks, and acts, to influence them to
good. To realize to herself more complete
ly the life and duties of teacher of the
| poor, Florence at once took lip her abode
with village school-mistreSs living with
her in herlittlc cottage, and teaching with
| her in her little school, SOFAS to observe, at
the closest point of view, the relation Of
teacher and pupil, and thus gain knowl-
edge and experience available for the bet
tor Organization of the schools in which she
was personally Interested
Then came the time when vet larger
schemes of benevolence began to occ,ipy
! her mind. The condition of the poor II,
the hour OF sickness, at all times a matter
Fof interest to her when visiting their cot.
tagcs, led naturally to a consideration of
Their fate when consigned to hospitaIss--
| Some easu'', exposure of neglect and mat
tentlon on the part of hospital nurses, led
her to consider the advantage of n better
training of women for such cmployments (;
and the chance perisaltof an article in re-
view on the subject, and with reference es
! pecially to an institution in Germany for
the express purpose of training nurses, first
led her thoughts and sympatlics into the
channel where they were henccforth to ex-
ercise themselves for iifo. She felt at once
how well such vocation could employ her
own energies, and satisfy her yearnines for
a wider sphere of usefulness, and saw how
tho more skillfll nursing of the sick might
Scmploy many independent and educated
women, while, at the same time, by quail
tying themselves to become nurses, hun
| drcds of poor women might find rcmuner-
atiye occupation.
In that year especially, when it may be
said that the minds Of the whole English
people were more than usually bent on ex-
citemeent and pleasure; in 1851, when the
prevalent idea with us all was, how best to
exhibit the materiod advantages of England,
and feast our eyes on the productions of
art OF our own and foreign countries-whcn,
l'for,a season, We were to give ourselves up
to sightseeing and social pleasures this
year, Florence Nightingale left her country
and pleasure home, to place herself at the
institution of Kaiserworth, in Prussia, in
order to train herself for nursing the sick.
Here under the guidance of the Protestant
Sisters Of Charity, engaged in tl,o auporin-
htcpdence of a large model hospital, she per.
formed her novitiate; employing herself
| practically in attending the sick, in witness
ing and assisting at operations, and in going
through a course ofmedical study, to eua-
bic her to passan examination of no ordina-
ry5strictness.
On herrcturn to England, and on looking
round for the most useful sphere in which
to exercise her now maturod experience,
Florence Nightingale found that the cstab.-
llshment called the Ladies Hospital, in
Harley Street, which had been founded es-
pecially for the reception of invalid ladies
OF small fortune, was in lingering state
for the want of assistance and good manage
mont She at once undertook the Office of
matron, and in,avcry short time raised it to
condition OF, efficiency and great useful
ness. To attain this, her cxcrtions were
unwcaried, and She not only applied to it
the whole of her time and energies, but
forsook every claim which her fortune and
position in society might have otherwise
| made on her. fashionable society, the
pleasures of literature, art, music all were
resigned in the fHthcrancc of her purpose ;
and this by, one whose highly cultivated
mind and faculties qlickcned to an intense
appreciation of all that is beautiful and per
feet. rendered the sacrifice only greater 2
In q plain but unprctcnding costume she
might be seen in that old house in Harley
Street, bending, at night, over the couch
of some suffering invalid, administering the
prescribed medicine, smoothing The pillow,
supplying little expcdicnts for comfort, or
tenderly soothing the irritable Inourncr-1.
by day occupied with all the domestic de-
tails of a large establishment, enquiring in
to the symptoms of patients, consulting with
medical men on each particular case, and
| attending to instructions from them, with
table covered with prescriptions, letters of
application, &c. sfstt 20 sAats
Thus was her life, when theI breaking out
of the war with Russia opened to her a wid-
or sphere of usefulness When the need
was deeply felt of sending out an efficient
staff of nurses to assist in the care of the
sick and the wounded, it fortunately han,
pene1 chat the capabilities ndreduirements,
the fitness, in fact, Of Florence nightingale
for taking the lead IN the enterprise. was
known to some members of the Government,
who had the power Of appointment in their
/ hlapnds. bar She was saskcd TO undertake the of
ice OF superintendent OF the nursing de-
partment ia the Eastern hospital, and with
little hesitation consented. Accompanied
( by q large party Of paid nurses and ladyyol-
Isunteersi selected BY her, she proceeded Ia
iScntarIs and arrived there at tho moment
ssben the disorder and, n1ismanagcments in
IiShe large hospital there had reached its
I height while the aiek and tSuo,,,s Il "a ,S,,