Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-24

day In the London Times appeared a
dispatch from w. II. Russell. it's most
distinguished correspondent. telling of
me sunerings of the wounded. AS a mat
Ter or fact the situation was hardly
worse than that of our. own soldiers in
the Spanish war. whether at Siboney or
Chattanooga. When we recall the num-
Der of lives lost by typhoid fever at
must look with admiration upon the rec
ord made by Miss Nightingale in reduc-
ing the deaths in the Crimea from sixty
in the hundred to little more than one
The graphic dispatch from Russell
which stirred her to undertake this work
deserves mention. Had it not been for
the labor of this brilliant journalist
Florence Nightingale would not have
undertaken the task which made
her famous. nor, for that matter, would
the money necessary to her work have
been contributed by the British people.
Immediately upon reading this vigor-
Gus appeal the heart of the English peo-
pie was stirred. Subscriptions in aid of
the soldiers at the front were opened
and in two weeks those sent to one
newspaper alone exceeded $4,000 The
contributions of blankets fiannels and
clothing of all sorts fairly oyercrowded
handle this fund. who distribute these
supplies was a matter to be determined
Miss Nightingale's reputation had become
established in England. SO that when.
greatly uIStTeSSeu ny the news from the
Crimea. she wrote offering her services
to the government, her letter crossed one
from the secretary of war, begging her
to undertake that very service. 1t was
the first time the British government
had ever called upon a woman to under
take so important duty. OF course,
there We're criticism and doubt but both
were stiled by her complete success.
Won Success First Day.
For success was won by Miss Night
ingale from the very first day of her
arrival at the front, whittier she went
with thirtyfour nurses. She foupI men
dying of typhoid and dysentery lying on
filthy mattresses i'm dismal novels Soon
she had them on clean and comforta BILE
beds in cheerful hospital wards. Hers
was the genius OF organization. She
could not herself. of course, give personal
attention to a 1.-THE of the sufferers but
she saw that the attention they did get
was not perfunctOry. and she herself
was in evidence most of the time. Twenty
hours a day was no unusual stretch of
work for her. Though she herself was
seized with the fever that she fought
for her patients. she refused to give up
her work and prosecuted T. until the end
of the war. To the men she was a true
angel of light. I'VE call her the
angel" one wrote i'm a letter home.
Gould bad men he bad in the presence
OF an anger: And another, not quite
so refined in expression, wrote: Before
she came there was such cussin' and
swearin' as you never heard: but after
she came il was as holy as church"
Swiftly the name of this savior of the
soldiers spread. Those who had scOffed
at her dispatch to the seat of war, be-
cause of her frail health, became the
loudest in her praise. The war having
ended. the British government sent a man.
of-war to bring her home. and planned
a triumphant reception for her, but she,
evaded this national courtesy by return
ing to England on a French ship and pro-
ceeding directly to her home. But even
so she could not escape the ovatiOns Of
a grateful people. though her shattered
health enabled her to beg off from pub
lie appearances
Presented With Red Cross.
Queen Victoria summoned her to Bal