The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-06-01
FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE.
Mother Of the Red Cross.
A GREAT LIFE.

At the close of great war OF our
own, with a congress Of the nations in
session whose object Is to abolish wars
forever, with the English people rejoc-
ing over the celebration of the 70 birth
days of the woman who has done more
than any living creature to rob war of
some Of its horror, it is especially inter-
estlng to recall the fact that Florence
Nightingale, Old and bedridden, is still
Il potent factor in modern philanthropy
ic methods OF caring for the sick. Ont
of the darkened room in London go
words that have value perhaps not
now intrinsic, because her methods are
not modern methods, but because they
were uttered by Florence Nightingale,
the idollzed eel OF the English hospit-
ais, the founder of the Red Cross soci-
ETY. and the modern system of trained
nursing.
More than threescore years ago, one
pleasant summer day, among the pic
turesque hills Of Derbysh,re, England,
two equestrian figures might have been
seen cantering idly along, laughing and
chatting or stopping to look out over
some particularly picturesque stretch
OF landscape. One figure, on a smart
pony, was that Of a very young girl, al
most a child the other was that of an
elderly man, clerical in appearance and
manner. The sweet, pale face Of the
little girl was one that would attract
attention only among those to whom
spiritual beauty is the highest type of
loveliness. Raphael or Fra Ansellco
would have encircled the soft brown
hair with shining halo and transfer
red to canvas the radiant yisage OF a
young seraph. To Rubens, whose ideal
ranged through various substantial as
poets OF adipose tissue, Or Titan, who
saw In the beauty of woman only an
opportunity to empty his cclor box,
the charming maiden would never have
been an interesting type, but Michael
Angelo, who studied lines, would, .Eith
intuitive eye, have taken his block Of
marble, and, mallet in hand, have
given us that face in the likeness Of a
young Christian martyr.
Perhaps the soulful, elusive beauty
Of the pure, pale face owed something
to the influences that had surrounded
its infancy. Born in the beautiful city
Of Florence in that very month Of flow
ers that had given Alfieri birth and
had seen the martyrdom ct Sayonaro.
la, it may be that the stars which had
holded their fates were at that hour
high in the ascendant, for in her char
acter there has always been something
Of the sensitive, imaginative quality Of
The one and the firm, fearless, deyout
of the other.
All OF this was unthought OF by the
merry two who guided their way
through the oaks and naples and
birches. Suddenly the little girls
chatter was silenced. In the distance
she saw an old Scotch shepherd laborl-
ously looking after his sheep.
"Why, Roger, where is your dog?
asked the child as they rode up to him,
and The old fellow, taking off his hat,
wagged his head mournfully.
"He's done for, missy, and Pm that
set to ABOUT it I scarce know what to
10. You see, the boys was throwing
stones, and some of them hlt him. I'm
of putting him out of his mis-
cry tonight, tor his legs broken, and
he'll never be OF use again.
Poor Cap" sald the girl, the tears
coming to her gray eyes, for the dog
aad been one of her friends. "Oh,
Roger. How could you leave him
alone in his pain? Do tell me where
he is."
"You can't do him any good, Missy"
he old shepherd said sorrowiully. "But
le's lying in the shed over there"
The old vicar, whose companion she
sometimes was, as to-day, on visits to
,he poor, followed her to the shed,
where she was soon kneeling beside the
moaning animal, soothing and caress-
ng it,
rs there nothing we can do for
him?" she asked, looking up at the
vicar, who was something of physician
md had been hastily examining the
wounded leg.
1T isn't broken only swollen" he
said judicially. "What it needs is the
application of hot compresses."
eff you'll tell me ow, him sure I
could attend to it. Pm so fond of Cap
gou know she pleaded through her
ears.
The vicar did explain, and that sum-
ner afternoon Florence Nightingale
undertook her first case. The dog got