The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1910-09-29
In Peace Is
Paradise Gained
A Tribute to the Memory Of the
Great English Army Nurse,
Florence Nightingale.
Paper Read Before the chautauqua Circle.


Paper Read Before the Chdutduqua Circle.
| claim very little originality In
the construction of this paper, such
as it is. While the phraseology is
more or less original, the facts, of
course, were cleaned through the
reading of various articles. How
ever, though my unlearned pen is
fa, from capable of doing it justice,
the subject l have chosen is worthy
one and one of which it is impossible
to speak too much praise life
work of Florence Nightingale, whose
recent death in England is mourned
by the entire civilized world. The
day of her birth and every day OF
the ninety long years of her life, was
indeed divine blessing to mankind
and the sorrowful day of her death
one of deepest grief to thankful
and appreciative world.
Thehappy eventof Florence Night
ingale's entrance into this world oc-
CURED in the year 1920, at Villa
Colomboia, near Florence, Italy, after
which city she was named. She
was still an infant when taken by her
parents to their home in Lea, Derby
shire, England. where her childhood
and youth were spent. While still
very young she showed fondness
for nursing and often doctored and
cared for the injured and sick cats,
dogs and other animals, and finally
decided to devote her life to nursing
the sick and caring for the dying.
She devoted her time to becoming a
practical nurse and chose that as her
vocation, although her parents were
wealthy and she was literally edu-
Gated in all directions.
At the age of thirtyfour, during
the war with Russia in 1854, she was
appointed to the position of-superin-
tendent of nurses and together with
some thirty other trained nurses, left
on Oct. 20, 1854, for Crimea, where
they arrived the day after the battle
of Inkerman. Attention had been
called by correspondent of Lon
don paper to the neglect of the
wounded and the lack of food, cloth
ing and medical attention after the
battle of Alma. It twas to obliterate
this suffering as much as possible
that Miss Nightingale and her corps
of assistants were dispatched to the
scene of distress. They found the
barracks hospital huge building
whose quadrangle sides were nearly
a quarter of a mile in length. Here
were eighteen thousand wretched
wounded soldiers, surrounded by
filth, pestilence, disorder and incom
petence. In the midst of this sick
ening and discouraging state of affairs
entered Florence Nightingale, the
lady of riches and refinement, witt
heart filled to overfiowing witt
love and sympathy for the sufferers
Here was the lady who had beer
reared amid luxury and comfort
countless servants at her comman6
waiting to do her bidding, the lad!
who had aever known want, who's,
slightest wish had ever been granted
here was this petted child of yer!
rich father and mother deliberatel.
giving up house abounding in com
Portable couches and downy cushion
for the comfortless cot and Othe
hardships of an army nurse ant
choosing life of selfdenial and ser
vice in face of the conventional sen
timent of that time against woman
activities anywhere outside the home
Was there ever more laudabl
demonstration of loyal devotion t
humanity? The bravery and cour
age of soldier who gives his lif
for his country's sake are indeed no
BILE traits. but grander still is th
fidelity Of Florence Nightingale.
She began her noble work by firs
breaking the red tape with absolut