The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-11-22

ANE OF the bitter ironies OF war Is
] the fact that while one body OF
men are busy raising funds for the
destruction OF their fellow beings an
other body rs quite as busy raising
money FOR means of alleviatng the
distress and suffering which their next
door neighbor Is working SO hard TO
bring about. So while the British par
Lament Is voting war funds he Royal
Red Cross society Is sending out nurses
ana medicines ana comforts for the sick
ana wounded on the battlefelds OF
South Africa. The head OF the nursing
stan during the Transvaal war is Miss
L.. Hardement, who is already at the
front as the representative OF the Red
Cross. The queen OF England is ac-
lively interested i'm the work of this
great organization OF mercy, and duly
decorates each nurse who distinguishes
herself on the field with a badge. The
highest decoration conferred by the
queen on army nurses is known as the
Royal Red Cross general idea OF
which may be obtained from the accom-
panying illustration.
How many Florence Nightingales Will
England's war with the Beers develop? ?
The need for assistance in he Trans
Vaal Is very great. American women
in London are taking so great an in
terest in the war that, under the leader
ship of Lady Randolph Churchill, they
are trying TO raise a fund 10 equip a
| hospital ship. The sum OF 100000. or
| about $50 900, is to be raised I'm a very
| short time. The committee in charge
| OF the fund gathering consists Of well
| known American women. nearly all
| wives or widows OF prominent English
| men. The chairman Is Lady Randolph
| Churchill; honorary secretary, Mrs.
! Blow; honorary treasurer, Mrs. Fanny
| Ronalds, with the Duchess of Marl-
1 borough, Countess OF Essex, Mrs.
| Bradley Martin, Mrs. Joseph Chamber
lain and Mrs. Arthur Paget all interest
| ed in the collecting Of pounds, shillings
| and pence for the sufferers abroad.
Florence Nightingale, lying in her
darkened room I'm London, can give lit
tie assistance in this war. There are.
however. many to take her place. In
every struggle since the Crimean some
English woman has achieved renown.
Mrs. Dacre Craven. who won her spurs
as a volunteer in the Franco-Prussian
war while little more than "a student.
was knowns as Sister Florence and
did noble work for her country i'm it's
various wars. She has received the
decorations of the empress OF Germany,
tn war medal and the iron cross, the
queens jubilee medal. the diamond
jubilee clasp and the Cross of St -InhL
in Jerusalem and many other orders.
Mrs. George King. better known as
Sister Janet, Is another famous Eng
lish nurse. She served I'm the Russo
Turkish war and in the Zulu war. She
lives now in a charming country house
at Finchley, although the need for Red
Cross nurses may soon send her once
more TO the front. The work OF the
Red Cross nurses in South Africa in
1879 was most difficult: they had to
contend with lack Of supplies and a
tropical climate that at last brought
even most of the nurses to deaths door.
Sister Janet was one OF the compare
lively few well members of the band
and was compelled 10 attend TO her
nurses as well as TO the sick and
wounded of the army. Sister Janet in
that war became known as THE Min
istering Angel of the Veldts.'
Even the Zulus respected this brave