Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-07-19
ANGEL Of CRIMEA
At NINETY YEARS
Renaissance Of Florence Night.
ingaIe, Famous War Nurse.
A VISIT TO HER BEDSIDE.

Says Mrs. Florence Howe Hall, He
Goddauehter-Great Heroine Favor
Suffraoism, but With q Peaeefu
Campaign.
Florence Nightingale, the "angel o
the Crimea" and the most famous o
the worlds living heroines, was ninet,
years old on May ~, and it was qpol
this anniversary that the followin,
"reminiscences Of the great woman
golden aging and the leaning towart
suffrage was told recently by Mis-.
Nightingale's goddaughter, Mrs. Flor
ence Howe Hall.
1T was only the briefest VISIT" sale
Mrs. Hall at the Hotel Judson, in New
York city, made in 1902 to Miss
Nightingale's pretty home in Mayfair
London, where she had lain bedrid
den invalid for many years. But to
me it has always seemed like a pill.
grimage to holy shrine.
"Strangely enough, you know it was
partly upon the advice Of my father.
| DR.. Samuel Howe, that she undertook
that great work to the Crimea forty
years before
Honeymoon on Battlefield.
my mother, Mrs. Julia Ward Howe,
and my father had just been married
in the early forties and were back in
England on their honeymoon after WIS.,
iting the scenes where father had
fought and 'nursed' In the Grecian
war.
Miss Nightingale, hearing Of bis
presence, came to him and asked If a
great work for humanity did not lie
In the foundation Of such movement
as has since developed into the Red
Cross. I think so, and I think 1t is
q woman's place to lead it, said my
father, and two years later Miss Night
ingale was away at the German hos
pitfalls preparing for the events that
even she could not then have fore
seen.
Meanwhile she had become firmly
attached to my mother, and when
some years later l was born she asked
that be given her name. 1he sent
me a beautifully bound volume Of
Shakespeare al birth gift, and I
think it the most treasured heirloom
in our family today.
"Long, long afterward, when her
fame had become worldwide in the
Crimea and after mother had also
won note through the writing of the
Battle Hymn of the Republic Miss
Nightingale wrote to send lock Of
her hair to mother and to ask that
her goddaughter visit her II ever l
came to London. And years after that
when 1 finally did get to London l re-
called that invitation which I had
heard Of as q girl aqd went upon the
pilgrimage to Mayfair.
"As | remember now Miss Nightin-
gale was sitting propped in bed facing
a window that looked out upon long
vista of pretty cottages, tiny groves
and timer gardens.
"She was esghty-two then. and even
as she lay in bed could see that be-
fore disease wasted her form she must
have been a very tall and very beau
tiful woman.
"I am very glad to see you, god
daughter she said, putting forth her
hand and smiling sweetly.
'Then she asked after my mother;
said she had never heard such an in
spiring anthem as The Battle Hymn
and wished me to convey her dearest
love to my parent, whom she remem-
bered to be just a little more than q
year older than herself.
Believes In Suffraqism.
II did not press her to tell me Of her
Crimea experiences, for that was
subject which she had long since put
BY. But did discover that she believ-
ed in suffragism-not the militant suf-
fragism Of the English radicals, but In
a peaceful campaign that should go on
gathering volume peacefully through
the years until it should conquer from
the sheer weight Of its business.
II think we talked together half an
hour. Then I said goodby. left her
home with one idea of her that has
never faded--her perfect serenity. the
serenity of a great woman who has
done a great life's work well and is
content to await the end"
Mrs. Hall, herself woman Of many
literary accomplishments, has been
resident at the Hotel Judson for sew
eral years. She says she believes that
Miss Nightingale has entirely abandon
ed correspondence in the philanthropic
movements she aided until very re-