The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-01-16

been explained nor is 1t known from
whom II was issued or whether i'm
truth II was. ever givep. AS a military
manoeuvre IL was useless. insane and
without a possible result. As an ex-
plolt IL has never been equalled even
by those related in the widest legends
of chivalric romance"
Mrs Vaughns paper was supple
mented by a paper by Mrs. Kelsey
Dow, giving graphic account of
Florence Nightingale and her noble
work In the Crimean War Incidents OF
the happy years and congenial sur
roundings OF her early life were com
mented upon, when continuing, the
first premonitions OF the heroic career
she was about To enter upon were de-
scrbed as follows: "She early exhibit
ed an intense devotion TO the allevia-
ton OF suffering. she had the true
nurses touch and that ready sympa-
thy with the afflicted which enables
those who possess il to dcvine their
wants before they are expressed.
In England as in most other densely
populated countries. poverty and dis
ease abound on every side I'm painful
contrast TO the elegance and abund-
ance by which persons of the rank of
Miss Nightingale are surrounded. One
consequence OF this is that the daugh-
ters OF aftuence, unless they are re-
markably devoid OF good feeling, em-
ploy part Of their leisure IN visiting the
cottages Of the poor and ministering to
the wants Of the infirm and sick II
was thus that Miss Nightingale began
her voluntary apprenticeship TO the
noble art OF mitigating human anguish.
She seriously studied the art OF nurs-
ing, visited hospitals in the neighbor-
hood and read with the utmost eager
ness whatever she could find in her
fathers library relating to the treat
ment of disease and the management
OF asylums.'
From this point Mrs Dow described
the excellence Of the London hospitals
OF this period. the skill of the surgeons
and the iepl"rabla ignoranoe ana con-
cait Of the nurses and continuing, de-
scrihed the reforms I'm the nursing sys-
tenn brought about by Miss Nightingale.
Ter long years OF preparation and
| study for her great mission were n
terestingly told, when the great work
OF her life. viz: her devotion 10 the
soldiers Gf the Crimean War was told
as follows:
Her devotion TO the sufferers can
never be forgotten. She would stand
| twenty hours at n stretch In order 20
| see them provided with accommoda-
| tions and all the requisites OF their con-
! dtion and issued her orders with the
! caImneSS that comes or certain knOWl-
! edge Of what is best 10 he done. II rcd
| tape interposed she quietly cut ii. II
| there was no one near who was all
| thorized 20 unlock store house, she
, took a few Turks with her and stood by
| while they broke it open.
The Times Commissioners wrote. she
| Is a mnistering angel in these hospi-
| tails. and as her slender form giides
quietly along each corridor, every poor
| fellows face softens with gratitude at
! the sight OF her" As one private sol
! der whom she had nursed. said OF her,
| "She would speak to one and another.
and nod and smile TO many more. but
! she could not do il to ALL YOU know, for
we lay there by hundreds but we could
| kiss her shadow as Il fell on the wall
| at night. and lay our heads on our pill
\ lows again content"
| Again the story is told of u dinner
| given 10 the officers of the British army
| and navy. when il was suggested that
| every guest should write on ? piece of
paper the name OF the person whose
| deeds In the Crimean War would en-
grave themselves most indeHbly in the
history OF the British people and when
| the papers were examined every on2
! had written the name of FLORENCE
| Nightingale"
Mrs Dow was followed by Mrs. VIII
| lard &. Selleck who read Longfellow :
santa Filomena.' the same being Gu
logistic Of Florence Nightingale.
Mrs Chapman gave very good, but
short paper describing the aims and
Continued on Page SixD