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sufficient　nurse。　Her　sarcasm　searched　the　ranks　of　the　officials

with　the　deadly　and　unsparing　precision　of　a　machine…gun。　Her

nicknames　were　terrible。　She　respected　no　one：　Lord　Stratford；

Lord　Raglan；　Lady　Stratford；　Dr。　Andrew　Smith；　Dr。　Hall；　the

Commissary…General；　the　Purveyorshe　fulminated　against　them

all。　The　intolerable　futility　of　mankind　obsessed　her　like　a

nightmare；　and　she　gnashed　her　teeth　against　it。　'I　do　well　to　be

angry；'　was　the　burden　of　her　cry。　'How　many　just　men　were　there

at　Scutari？　How　many　who　cared　at　all　for　the　sick；　or　had　done

anything　for　their　relief？　Were　there　ten？　Were　there　five？　Was

there　even　one？'　She　could　not　be　sure。



At　one　time；　during　several　weeks；　her　vituperations　descended

upon　the　head　of　Sidney　Herbert　himself。　He　had　misinterpreted

her　wishes；　he　had　traversed　her　positive　instructions；　and　it

was　not　until　he　had　admitted　his　error　and　apologised　in　abject

terms　that　he　was　allowed　again　into　favour。　While　this

misunderstanding　was　at　its　height；　an　aristocratic　young

gentleman　arrived　at　Scutari　with　a　recommendation　from　the

Minister。　He　had　come　out　from　England　filled　with　a　romantic

desire　to　render　homage　to　the　angelic　heroine　of　his　dreams。　He

had；　he　said；　cast　aside　his　life　of　ease　and　luxury；　he　would

devote　his　days　and　nights　to　the　service　of　that　gentle　lady；　he

would　perform　the　most　menial　offices；　he　would　'fag'　for　her；　he

would　be　her　footman　and　feel　requited　by　a　single　smile。　A

single　smile；　indeed；　he　had；　but　it　was　of　an　unexpected　kind。

Miss　Nightingale　at　first　refused　to　see　him；　and　then；　when　she

consented；　believing　that　he　was　an　emissary　sent　by　Sidney

Herbert　to　put　her　in　the　wrong　over　their　dispute；　she　took

notes　of　her　conversation　with　him；　and　insisted　on　his　signing

them　at　the　end　of　it。　The　young　gentleman　returned　to　England　by

the　next　ship。



This　quarrel　with　Sidney　Herbert　was；　however；　an　exceptional

incident。　Alike　by　him；　and　by　Lord　Panmure；　his　successor　at　the

War　Office；　she　was　firmly　supported；　and　the　fact　that　during

the　whole　of　her　stay　at　Scutari　she　had　the　Home　Government　at

her　back；　was　her　trump　card　in　her　dealings　with　the　hospital

authorities。　Nor　was　it　only　the　Government　that　was　behind　her：

public　opinion　in　England　early　recognised　the　high　importance　of

her　mission；　and　its　enthusiastic　appreciation　of　her　work　soon

reached　an　extraordinary　height。　The　Queen　herself　was　deeply

moved。　She　made　repeated　inquiries　as　to　the　welfare　of　Miss

Nightingale；　she　asked　to　see　her　accounts　of　the　wounded；　and

made　her　the　intermediary　between　the　throne　and　the　troops。　'Let

Mrs。　Herbert　know；'　she　wrote　to　the　War　Minister；　'that　I　wish

Miss　Nightingale　and　the　ladies　would　tell　these　poor　noble；

wounded；　and　sick　men　that　NO　ONE　takes　a　warmer　interest　or

feels　MORE　for　their　sufferings　or　admires　their　courage　and

heroism　MORE　than　their　Queen。　Day　and　night　she　thinks　of　her

beloved　troops。　So　does　the　Prince。　Beg　Mrs。　Herbert　to

communicate　these　my　words　to　those　ladies；　as　I　know　that　our

sympathy　is　much　valued　by　these　noble　fellows。'　The　letter　was

read　aloud　in　the　wards　by　the　Chaplain。　'It　is　a　very　feeling

letter；'　said　the　men。



And　so　the　months　passed；　and　that　fell　winter　which　had　begun

with　Inkerman　and　had　dragged　itself　out　through　the　long　agony

of　the　investment　of　Sebastopol；　at　last　was　over。　In　May；　1855；

after　six　months　of　labour；　Miss　Nightingale　could　look　with

something　like　satisfaction　at　the　condition　of　the　Scutari

hospitals。　Had　they　done　nothing　more　than　survive　the　terrible

strain　which　had　been　put　upon　them；　it　would　have　been　a　matter

for　congratulation；　but　they　had　done　much　more　than　that　they

had　marvellously　improved。　The　confusion　and　the　pressure　in　the

wards　had　come　to　an　end；　order　reigned　in　them；　and　cleanliness；

the　supplies　were　bountiful　and　prompt；　important　sanitary　works

had　been　carried　out。　One　simple　comparison　of　figures　was　enough



to　reveal　the　extraordinary　change：　the　rate　of　mortality　among

the　cases　treated　had　fallen　from　forty…two　percent　to　twenty…two

per　1；000。　But　still；　the　indefatigable　lady　was　not　satisfied。

The　main　problem　had　been　solved　the　physical　needs　of　the　men

had　been　provided　for；　their　mental　and　spiritual　needs　remained。

She　set　up　and　furnished　reading…rooms　and　recreation　rooms。　She

started　classes　and　lectures。　Officers　were　amazed　to　see　her

treating　their　men　as　if　they　were　human　beings；　and　assured　her

that　she　would　only　end　by　'spoiling　the　brutes'。　But　that　was

not　Miss　Nightingale's　opinion；　and　she　was　justified。　The

private　soldier　began　to　drink　less　and　even　though　that　seemed

impossible　to　save　his　pay。　Miss　Nightingale　became　a　banker

for　the　Army；　receiving　and　sending　home　large　sums　of　money

every　month。　At　last；　reluctantly；　the　Government　followed　suit；

and　established　machinery　of　its　own　for　the　remission　of

money。Lord　Panmure；　however；　remained　sceptical；　'it　will　do　no

good；'　he　pronounced；　'the　British　soldier　is　not　a　remitting

animal。'　But；　in　fact　during　the　next　six　months　￡71；000　was　sent

home。



Amid　all　these　activities；　Miss　Nightingale　took　up　the　further

task　of　inspecting　the　hospitals　in　the　Crimea　itself。　The　labour

was　extreme；　and　the　conditions　of　life　were　almost　intolerable。

She　spent　whole　days　in　the　saddle；　or　was　driven　over　those

bleak　and　rocky　heights　in　a　baggage　cart。　Sometimes　she　stood

for　hours　in　the　heavily　failing　snow；　and　would　only　reach　her

hut　at　dead　of　night　after　walking　for　miles　through　perilous

ravines。　Her　powers　of　resistance　seemed　incredible；　but　at　last

they　were　exhausted。　She　was　attacked　by　fever；　and　for　a　moment

came　very　near　to　death。　Yet　she　worked　on；　if　she　could　not

move；　she　could　at　least　write；　and　write　she　did　until　her　mind

had　left　her；　and　after　it　had　left　her；　in　what　seemed　the

delirious　trance　of　death　itself；　she　still　wrote。　When；　after

many　weeks；　she　was　strong　enough　to　travel；　she　was　implored　to

return　to　England；　but　she　utterly　refused。　She　would　not　go

back；　she　said；　before　the　last　of　the　soldiers　had　left　Scutari。



This　happy　moment　had　almost　arrived；　when　suddenly　the

smouldering　hostilities　of　the　medical　authorities　burst　out　into

a　flame。　Dr。　Hall's　labours　had　been　rewarded　by　a　K。C。B

letters　which；　as　Miss　Nightingale　told　Sidney　Herbert；　she　could

only　suppose　to　mean　'Knight　of　the　Crimean　Burial…Grounds'　and

the　honour　had　turned　his　head。　He　was　Sir　John；　and　he　would　be

thwarted　no　longer。　Disputes　had　lately　arisen　between　Miss

Nightingale　and　some　of　the　nurses　in　the　Crimean　hospitals。　The

situation　had　been　embittered　by　rumours　of　religious

dissensions；　while　the　Crimean　nurses　were　Roman　Catholics；　many

of　those　at　Scutari　were　suspected　of　a　regrettable　propensity

towards　the　tenets　of　Dr。　Pusey。　Miss　Nightingale　was　by　no　means

disturbed　by　these　sectarian　differences；　but　any　suggestion　that

her　supreme　authority　over　all　the　nurses　with　the　Army　was；　no

doubt；　enough　to　rouse　her　to　fury；　and　it　appeared　that　Mrs。

Bridgeman；　the　Reverend　Mother　in　the　Crimea；　had　ventured　to

call　that　authority　in　question。　Sir　John　Hall　thought　that　his

opportunity　had　come；　and　strongly　supported　Mrs。　Bridgeman　or；

as　Miss　Nightingale　preferred　to　call　her；　the　'Reverend

Brickbat'。



There　was　a　violent　struggle；　Miss　Nightingale's　rage　was

terrible。　Dr。　Hall；　she　declared；　was　doing　his　best　to　'root　her

out　of　the　Crimea'。　She　would　bear　it　no　longer；　the　War　Office

was　playing　her　false；　there　was　only　one　thing　to　be　done

Sidney　Herbert　must　move　for　the　production　of　papers　in　the

House　of　Commons；　so　that　the　public　might　be　able　to　judge

between　her　and　her　enemies。　Sidney　Herbert；　with　great

difficulty；　calmed　her　down。　Orders　were　immediately　dispatched

putting　her　supremacy　beyond　doubt；　and　the　Reverend　Brickbat

withdrew　from　the　scene。　Sir　John；　however；　was　more　tenacious。　A

few　weeks　later；　Miss　Nightingale　and　her　nurses　visited　the

Crimea　for　the　last　time；　and　the　brilliant　idea　occurred　to　him

that　he　could　crush　her　by　a　very　simple　expedient　he　would

starve　her　into　submission；　and　he　actually　ordered　that　no

rations　of　any　kind　should　be　supplied　to　her。　He　had　already

tried　this　plan　with　great　effect　upon　an　unfortunate　medical　man

whose　presence　in　the　Crimea　he　had　considered　an　intrusion；　but

he　was　now　to　learn　that　such　tricks　were　thrown　away　upon　Miss

Nightingale。　With　extraordinary　foresight；　she　had　brought　with

her　a　great　supply　of　food；　she　succeeded　in　obtaining　more　at

her　own　expense　and　by　her　own　exertions；　and　thus　for　ten　days；

in　that　inhospitable　country；　she　was　able　to　feed　herself　and

twenty…four　nurses。　Eventually；　the　military　authorities

intervened　in　her　favour；　and　Sir　John　had　to　confess　that　he　was

beaten。