The Life of Florence Nightingale Volume II Part 36

(144) _In Memory of Robert James Baron Wantage, V.C., K.C.B._ A privately printed memoir, containing on p. 53 a letter from Miss Nightingale.

The letter, dated June 12, 1901, includes these words: "Lord Wantage is a great loss, but he has been a great gain. And what he has gained for us can never be lost. It is my experience that such men exist only in England: a man who had everything (to use the common phrase) which this world could give him, but who worked as hard, and to the last, as the poorest able man--and all for others--for the common weal. A man whose life makes a great difference for all: _all_ are better off than if he had not lived; and this betterness is for always, it does not die with him--that is the true estimate of a great life." These words were quoted at the head of an article on Lord Wantage in the _Edinburgh Review_, January 1902.

(145) _Appeal on behalf of the Invalid Hospital for Gentlewomen, Harley Street._ Letter in the _Times_, November 12, 1901.

Reprinted in the Annual Reports of the Inst.i.tution for 1902, 1903, etc. The letter, though signed Florence Nightingale, bears no mark of her style, and is not quite accurate in its account of her early a.s.sociation with the hospital (see Vol. I. p. 133). The letter is said to have been written for Miss Nightingale by Mrs. Dicey. The inst.i.tution, re-christened "The Florence Nightingale Hospital for Gentlewomen," is now in new quarters in Lisson-grove.

1905

(146) _New Year's Message from Florence Nightingale to the Nursing Staff of the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, January 1905._ Printed on a card.

"I pray with all my heart that G.o.d will bless the work abundantly in Edinburgh Infirmary, and enable the workers to do it for Him, in the love which we owe Him."

(147) _Message to the Crimean Veterans._ Printed at p. 47 of a pamphlet ent.i.tled _The Crimean and Indian Mutiny Veterans' a.s.sociation, Bristol_.

Bristol, 1905.

One of the last messages sent by Miss Nightingale. The anniversaries celebrated by the Veterans, she says, "have always been marked days to her also."

APPENDIX B

LIST OF SOME WRITINGS ABOUT MISS FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE

(_For the limited scope of this list, see the Preface_, Vol. I. p. viii.)

1854

(1) Letter in the _Times_, October 24, by "One who has known Miss Nightingale."

(2) "Who is 'Mrs.' Nightingale?" A biographical article in the _Examiner_ (reprinted in the _Times_, October 30).

These two communications fixed the popular idea of Miss Nightingale.

For the article in the _Examiner_, see Vol. I. p. 164.

1855

(3) Bracebridge. "British Hospitals in the East." Report in the _Times_, October 16, 1855, of a lecture given at Coventry by Mr. C. H.

Bracebridge, supplemented by a letter from him in the _Times_, October 20.

For a reference to this lecture, see Vol. I. p. 287. The report contains many particulars of Miss Nightingale's services and difficulties.

(4) _The "Record" and Miss Nightingale. Remarks on two Articles contained in the "Record" of February 1, and March 8, 1855._ London: Nisbet, 1855.

This pamphlet throws light on the _odium theologic.u.m_, see Vol. I.

Part II. Ch. VIII. Miss N. was denounced as "a semi-Romish Nun," an "Anglican Papist."

(5) Roebuck Committee. _Reports from the Select Committee on the Army before Sebastopol_, March 1, 1853-June 18, 1855.

For this Report, see Vol. I. p. 176.

(6) S. G. O. _Scutari and its Hospitals._ By the Hon. and Rev. Sydney G.o.dolphin Osborne. London: d.i.c.kinson Brothers, 1855.

This contains the best and fullest account by an eye-witness of Miss Nightingale at work at Scutari.

1855-57

(7) _Various Broadsheets, Popular Songs, etc._, about Miss Nightingale (see Vol. I. p. 266). A collection of them is preserved amongst her Papers. The following is the text of the most popular of the Songs:--

On a dark lonely night on the Crimea's dread sh.o.r.e There had been bloodshed and strife on the morning before; The dead and the dying lay bleeding around, Some crying for help--there was none to be found.

Now G.o.d in His mercy He pitied their cries, And the soldiers so cheerful in the morning do arise.

_So forward, my lads, may your hearts never fail You are cheered by the presence of a sweet Nightingale._

Now G.o.d sent this woman to succour the brave; Some thousands she saved from an untimely grave.

Her eyes beam with pleasure, she's beauteous and good, The wants of the wounded are by her understood.

With fever some brought in, with life almost gone, Some with dismantled limbs, some to fragments are torn.

_But they keep up their spirits, their hearts never fail, They are cheered by the presence of a sweet Nightingale._

Her heart it means good, for no bounty she'll take, She'd lay down her life for the poor soldier's sake; She prays for the dying, she gives peace to the brave, She feels that a soldier has a soul to be saved.

The wounded they love her as it has been seen, She's the soldier's preserver, they call her their Queen.

_May G.o.d give her strength, and her heart never fail, One of Heaven's best gifts is Miss Nightingale._

The wives of the wounded, how thankful are they!

Their husbands are cared for by night and by day.

Whatever her country, this gift G.o.d has given, And the soldiers they say she's an Angel from Heaven.

All praise to this woman, and deny it who can That woman was sent as a comfort to man: _Let's hope that no more against them you'll rail, Treat them well, and they'll prove like Miss Nightingale._

1856

(8) _Eastern Hospitals and English Nurses; the Narrative of Twelve Months' Experience in the Hospitals of Koulali and Scutari._ By a Lady Volunteer. 2 vols. 1856; 3rd ed. in one vol. 1857.

The author, Miss f.a.n.n.y M. Taylor, was a member of the second party of nurses, which went out with Miss Stanley.

(9) _Sayah; or, the Courier to the East._ [By H. Byng Hall.] London: Chapman & Hall.

Contains a general tribute to Miss Nightingale, from one who visited Scutari.

(10) McNeill. Speech by Sir John McNeill at the Crimean Banquet at Edinburgh, reported verbatim in the _Daily News_, Nov. 3, 1856.

An excellent appreciation of Miss Nightingale, with many particulars of her work at Scutari.

(11) _The Nightingale Fund. Report of Proceedings at a Public Meeting held in London, on Nov. 29, 1855.... Offices of the Nightingale Fund, 5 Parliament Street._ Pamphlet, in yellow wrappers, pp. 36 + 16 + 24.