The evening times., 1898-06-11
ALL ENGLAND
W'0!.RSHIPS HER
Florence Nightingale. Nurse
of the Crimean War.
Her Recent Birthday Has Revived
the Story Of Her Work During
The Terrible Crimean War.


lations last month on having attained
her seventy-eighth birthday. 1t was In
Florence that she was born-hence her
name. She early showed her aptitude
for nursing. and was familiar and
welcome figure in the cottage homes
upon her fathers beautifully wooded
estate in Hampshire. Her first ease"
was that of a shepherds dog. Roger,
which had been injured by stone
thrown by thoughtless youngster on
his way home from schol. Its master,
thinking its leg was broken, and being
unable to keep a non-worker. was go
ing to give'ft It's quietus when the
saulre's little maid" as she was locally
called, pleaded for it's life. paid 1t
professional visit and nursed 1t back
to strength and usefulness.
Later Miss Nightingale was duly pre-
sented at court. but. caring little for the
saities Of society. she lOnged ardently
for a career. and announced desire OF
going into training for nursing. Whiie
her parents did not absolutely forbid
the project, they discouraged 1t mildly
hoping to keep her near them. Her ac-
auaintance,, however. with Mrs. Eliz-
abeth Frey, the philanthrOphist, made
her more and more desirous of a life OF
work for others, and she began to pay
frequent visits to the various hospitals
in the neighborhOod Of her home, thus
enlargfng the experience gained among
the Hampshire and Derbyshire cot
tagers. She went to Dublin, to Edin-
burgh. to France, Germany and Italy
upon the same errand, and when in
tlar iYa inn
upon the great subject at the hospital
at Alexandria. The system of training
in vogue at Pastor Fliedner's institu-
ton at Kaiserswerth, near Dusseldorf,
on the Rhine. especially commended it
self To her and she offered herself as
voluntary nurse in the establishment,
performing all the ordinary duties OF
night and day nurse for some months.
Her next essay was in the community
of the Sisters of st. Vincent de Paui IN
Paris, visiting their hospitals and or
phanages and being nursed by these
devoted women when she herself be-
came SO Ill as to need all their care and
skill.
When convalescent she took charge
of the Home for Sick Governesses'
which had for some time been IAN
gushing through mismanagement and
was appealed TO for help. and, in addi-
ton to a donation. he gave her great
hearted self. apply herself for sew
eral wears to the : with as much
zeal as though her livelihood depended
upon success, replacing chaos by order,
waste by a wise economy, and rehaDll-
itating the institute. The horrors OF
the Crimean war. the terrible suherings
of the wounded. and the need of trained
nurses, induced Miss Night ngale to Of
fer herself for the work, and according
ly. in October, 1854, a little band of
thfrty-eight noble women, with Miss
! Nightingale at their head, started
from London. accompanied by Mr.. and
| Mrs. Bracebridge. a clergyman, and
! courier. They arrived at Scutari on the
| day of the battle of Inkerman, and had
( barely settled in their quarters when
| 600 wounded soldiers were brought in
| from Inkerman, and from that time on
| ward their hands were necessarily full.
| Miss Nightingale moved about among
! the men a veritable ministerinS angel
! cooking for them, dressing their
! wounds, writing their home letters.
| soothing and cheering the conva-
| lescents, and tending the dying with
| such unspeakable tenderness that the
rough soldiers kissed her shadow as
! she passed down the wards, and rev.
| erenced her as little short of goddess.
| She was often known to stand twenty
| hours at a time. on the arrival of fresh
| detachments of sick and wounded, CIV
| ing directions. apportioning quarters
and distributing stores.
Transport arrangements were SO bad
| that Miss Nightingale had a special
| carriage built for her own use. 1t was a
very light four wheeled vehicle. being
| COMPOSED of wood battenS and basket
| work, its interior lined with water
proof canvas. A canopy ran the full
length. and there were curtains at the
sides, so that it might be enclosed at
will The sides were padded, and 1t
was fitted with patent brakes. so as to
| allow it to go gently down the steep
| Turkish roads. All though the cam
| paign she worked with well-nigh in
credible courage and patience. almost
| succumbing at one period to the ter
rible Crimean fever, but recovering and
taking up her work again. in spite of a
naturally fragile constitution. still
further weakened by hardships innum-
erable and overwork. The national
| gratitude knew no bounds. and Eng
| land subscribed $685. ,0G0, which sum
| was devoted to the founding of the
| Nightingale Home, where nurses are
| trained for the splendid work of which
| Florence Nightingale may be called the
| pioneer. The queen, who had followed
| her career with intense interest and
| sympathy, presented her with a costly
| and beautiful decoration, and she lives
today in the heart of the nation.