The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-05-21
The ao1eita ailg eagle: Sunday orrins gau H. 1899

was noticeably interested in hospitals
and hospital work.
Before the end of her first season
Miss Nightingale had in a measure
withdrawn herself from social life. Her
time was devoted to going about among
the hospitals and charitable institutions
in London. She soon discovered the in
efficiency % the majority of those who
nursed the sick Those were the days
OF Sairey Camps. and her mind. active
in its sympathies and philanthropy.
reached out for a plan that might rem
edy this defect She saw in continental
countries the trained sisterhoods OF the
Catholic church carrying on their noble
work with all the advantages OF expe-
rience and trained skill. When she
heard of what was a unique organiza-
ton az the time-a sisterhood OF Prot
estant nurses at Kaiserworth, on the
Rhine-Miss Nightingale. full Of enthu
siasm, journeyed thither TO learn Of
these good women what she could Of
their methods and system. After stay
ing with them for a time she came back
TO London eager to put into practice
some of her newly acquired knowledge.
There was a home for superannuated
governesses which was sadly in need OF
financiering and better management
This Miss Nightingale took up as her
first task. She gave up her luxurious
surroundings, the society of congeniai
and cultivated friends. and with all the
ardor of a new Joan Of Arc threw her
self into the work OF caring for the poor
and sick That she succeeded in res
cuing the Governesses' home from dis
aster and oblivion goes without saying.
It stands today a prosperous institution
at II Harley street, London.
The undertaking proved too much for
the always delicate constitution OF Miss
nightingale. and she was after awhile
compelled 10 return TO her beautiful
home at Lea Hurst TO win back health
and strength among the beech groves
she loved so well.
The work for which Florence Nightin-
gale had been born came to her then.
perhaps because, herself weak and SUI
fering, she was the better able TO I'M
derstand the pain of others. PhilosO-
pliers of the Schopenhauer school say
that the quality and depth of our own
sympathy are in the ratio of cur own
experience.
The whole of England was ringing
with the suffering of the English sol
diers in the hospitals in the Crimea-
Public indignation had reached high
pitch, yet the British authorities seemed
unable to mend matters. Sir Sydney
Herbert of the war department knew
Miss Nightingale, and at last he said.
1T is woman's work. and there is one
woman in England who can set this
right" He sat down and wrote 10 Miss
Nightingale. At the same time, so that
their letters must have crossed in the
mails, Miss Nightingale had written a
letter offering her services to the gov
eminent and saying that she thought
the soldiers needed good nursing. such
as women alone could give them. There
was in those days no such thing as a
Red Cross society or trained nurses.
OF course, when her services were &C
cepted all her friends were aghast.
they said her going to Crimea was I'M
womanIy, foolish and useless sacrifice.
The real dignity OF a gentlewoman."
said Miss Nightingale in reply. is a
very high and unassailable thing and
which silently encompasses her from
her BIRTH
six months infused system and human
ity into the unspeakable arrangements
Of the hospitals of Scutari. In which she
superintended the care of $4,000. an ar
my of the sick and dying. There was
no laundry, no kitchen for the proper
preparation of food. no systematic care.
filth and decay everywhere. lack Of
food. medicine. beds and furniture--in
fact. lack of everything. No wonder.
as the pale sweet faced Florence Night
ingale. who had brought order out OF
this chaos. passed with her candle on her
nightly round of the hospitals, the he
rOes of Balaklava and Of Inkerman
would lift themselves on their elbows,
in spite Of the pangs of wounds or fe-
ver to kiss the spot where her shadow
had rested. 1t is an old story. too. Of