The Benson signal., 1918-07-06

the horror of the cry of the perishing
at Scutari, it was a beautiful, cultured
woman that answered the cry.
And from this woman's inspiration
has grown all the Red Cross societies
Of the world.
Florence Nightingale went out like
an angel to the Crimean war, says a
writer in the New York Sun. She
secured corruption and uncleanness
from the hospitals, she gave food to
the starving, clothes to the naked, COM
fort to the sufferers. She made the
hospital place Of healing, not foul
couch on which famished, fevered vic
tins were thrown to die.
Born In Florence in 1920.
She was born in Florence on May
Is, 1920, and was named after her
birthplace, and she died eight years
ago on August 13, 1910. at the age Of
ninety years. Her parents were rich.
Her mother was kind, clever and
charming, but she did not in the least
understand her daughter.
Florence did not really understand
herself. She was brilliantly educated;
she became an accomplished linguist
and musician, a witty and graceful let
ter writer, and she thought deeply
about politics and religion. She trav-
eled in Europe, she went to Egypt,
studying not only the treasures of art
unveiled before her, but human life
and suffering, too.
It was this study of suffering that
moved in her the desire to take up
nursing. She saw the enormous need
for organized nursing.
In spite of great opposition she man.
aged to study at various hospitals in
England and Paris. At last she ap-
preached her hearts desire by secur-
ing an appointment as principal of
sanatorium for governesses in Harley
street. She was there when the Cri-
mean war broke out.
The English troops were sent to
| the Crimea and such a wretched apOl-
ogy for a hospital IS they had was es-
tablished on the spot, but the Turks
made over to them certain buildings
Bosphorus, opposite COnstantinOple. To
get the sick and wounded from the
battlefield to Scutari took eight days,
and q quarter Of the men who made
the voyage died on the horrible ships.
At Scutari the cOmmOnest appliances
Of a wOrkhouse sick ward were want
ing. n.
Never Recognized Women Nurses.
One day a strange thing happened.
The British army had never recognized
| the existence of women nurses, but one
morning two letters on the subject
crossed in the post. One was from
Florence Nightingale, suggesting that
she should go out with two or three
nurses at no cost to the nation; the
other was from the husband of the
lady she was writing to and was ad-
dressed to Miss Nightingale, suggest
ing that she should 90 at the expense
of the government. The man who
wrote to Miss Nightingale was Sidney
Herbert, amember of parliament, who
held an appointment at the war office.
He and his wife we're friends Of Miss
Nightingale, knowing her ambitions,
and they felt that her hour had come.
She was appointed superintendent Of
the women's nursing establishments in
the English hospitals in Turkey. She
started with 38 nurses, some we'll
trained, some not-good, bad and indif-
i ferent, the best that could be got in
the time available. Her mastery or
ganizing powers asserted themselves
at once. After travelling across France
she took ship at Marseilles and there
laid in a great store Of all manner
of needful things.
The task before her would have ap-
palled most women, but it only served
to inspire her with firmer determin-
alton. There were several hospitals
at Scutari, some bad, others worse,
none good. There were five more hos
pitfalls to which she afterwards went
all horrible.
The first thing the lady in chief did