eminent victorians-第36节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



objects。　Her　work　upon　hospital　reform　assumed　enormous

proportions；　she　was　able　to　improve　the　conditions　in

infirmaries　and　workhouses；　and　one　of　her　most　remarkable　papers

forestalls　the　recommendations　of　the　Poor　Law　Commission　of

1909。　Her　training；　school　for　nurses；　with　all　that　it　involved

in　initiative；　control；　responsibillity；　and　combat；　would　have

been　enough　in　itself　to　have　absorbed　the　whole　efforts　of　at

least　two　lives　of　ordinary　vigour。　And　at　the　same　time　her　work

in　connection　with　India；　which　had　begun　with　the　Sanitary

Commission　on　the　Indian　Army；　spread　and　ramified　in　a　multitude

of　directions。　Her　tentacles　reached　the　India　Office　and

succeeded　in　establishing　a　hold　even　upon　those　slippery　high

places。　For　many　years　it　was　de　rigueur　for　the　newly　appointed

Viceroy；　before　he　left　England；　to　pay　a　visit　to　Miss

Nightingale。



After　much　hesitation；　she　had　settled　down　in　a　small　house　in

South　Street；　where　she　remained　for　the　rest　of　her　life。　That

life　was　a　very　long　one；　the　dying　woman　reached　her　ninety…

first　year。　Her　ill　health　gradually　diminished；　the　crises　of

extreme　danger　became　less　frequent；　and　at　last　altogether

ceased；　she　remained　an　invalid；　but　an　invalid　of　a　curious

characteran　invalid　who　was　too　weak　to　walk　downstairs　and　who

worked　far　harder　than　most　Cabinet　Ministers。　Her　illness；

whatever　it　may　have　been；　was　certainly　not　inconvenient。　It

involved　seclusion；　and　an　extraordinary；　an　unparalleled

seclusion　was；　it　might　almost　have　been　said；　the　mainspring　of

Miss　Nightingale's　life。　Lying　on　her　sofa　in　the　little　upper

room　in　South　Street；　she　combined　the　intense　vitality　of　a

dominating　woman　of　the　world　with　the　mysterious　and　romantic

quality　of　a　myth。　She　was　a　legend　in　her　lifetime；　and　she　knew

it。　She　tasted　the　joys　of　power；　like　those　Eastern　Emperors

whose　autocratic　rule　was　based　upon　invisibility；　with　the

mingled　satisfactions　of　obscurity　and　fame。



And　she　found　the　machinery　of　illness　hardly　less　effective　as　a

barrier　against　the　eyes　of　men　than　the　ceremonial　of　a　palace。

Great　statesmen　and　renowned　generals　were　obliged　to　beg　for

audiences；　admiring　princesses　from　foreign　countries　found　that

they　must　see　her　at　her　own　time；　or　not　at　all；　and　the

ordinary　mortal　had　no　hope　of　ever　getting　beyond　the　downstairs

sitting…room　and　Dr。　Sutherland。　For　that　indefatigable　disciple

did；　indeed；　never　desert　her。　He　might　be　impatient；　he　might　be

restless；　but　he　remained。　His　'incurable　looseness　of　thought'；

for　so　she　termed　it；　continued　at　her　service　to　the　end。　Once；

it　is　true；　he　had　actually　ventured　to　take　a　holiday；　but　he

was　recalled；　and　he　did　not　repeat　the　experiment。　He　was　wanted

downstairs。　There　he　sat；　transacting　business　answering

correspondence；　interviewing　callers；　and　exchanging　innumerable

notes　with　the　unseen　power　above。　Sometimes　word　came　down　that

Miss　Nightingale　was　just　well　enough　to　see　one　of　her　visitors。

The　fortunate　man　was　led　up；　was　ushered；　trembling；　into　the

shaded　chamber；　and；　of　course；　could　never　afterwards　forget　the

interview。　Very　rarely；　indeed；　once　or　twice　a　year；　perhaps；

but　nobody　could　be　quite　certain；　in　deadly　secrecy；　Miss

Nightingale　went　out　for　a　drive　in　the　Park。　Unrecognised；　the

living　legend　flitted　for　a　moment　before　the　common　gaze。　And

the　precaution　was　necessary；　for　there　were　times　when；　at　some

public　function；　the　rumour　of　her　presence　was　spread　abroad；

and　ladies；　mistaken　by　the　crowd　for　Miss　Nightingale；　were

followed；　pressed　upon；　vehemently　supplicated　'Let　me　touch　your

shawl'；　'Let　me　stroke　your　arm'；　such　was　the　strange　adoration

in　the　hearts　of　the　people。　That　vast　reserve　of　force　lay　there

behind　her；　she　could　use　it；　if　she　could。　But　she　preferred

never　to　use　it。　On　occasions；　she　might　hint　or　threaten；　she

might　balance　the　sword　of　Damocles　over　the　head　of　the　Bison；

she　might；　by　a　word；　by　a　glance；　remind　some　refractory

Minister；　some　unpersuadable　Viceroy；　sitting　in　audience　with

her　in　the　little　upper　room；　that　she　was　something　more　than　a

mere　sick　woman；　that　she　had　only；　so　to　speak；　to　go　to　the

window　and　wave　her　handkerchief；　for　。。。　dreadful　things　to

follow。　But　that　was　enough；　they　understood；　the　myth　was　there…

…obvious；　portentous；　impalpable；　and　so　it　remained　to　the　last。



With　statesmen　and　governors　at　her　beck　and　call；　with　her　hands

on　a　hundred　strings；　with　mighty　provinces　at　her　feet；　with

foreign　governments　agog　for　her　counsel；　building　hospitals；

training　nurses　she　still　felt　that　she　had　not　enough　to　do。

She　sighed　for　more　worlds　to　conquermore；　and　yet　more。



She　looked　about　herwhat　was　left？　Of　course！　Philosophy！　After

the　world　of　action；　the　world　of　thought。　Having　set　right　the

health　of　the　British　Army；　she　would　now　do　the　same　good

service　for　the　religious　convictions　of　mankind。　She　had　long

noticedwith　regretthe　growing　tendency　towards　free…thinking

among　artisans。　With　regret；　but　not　altogether　with　surprise；

the　current　teaching　of　Christianity　was　sadly　to　seek；　nay；

Christianity　itself　was　not　without　its　defects。　She　would

rectify　these　errors。　She　would　correct　the　mistakes　of　the

Churches；　she　would　point　out　just　where　Christianity　was　wrong；

and　she　would　explain　to　the　artisans　what　the　facts　of　the　case

really　were。　Before　her　departure　for　the　Crimea；　she　had　begun

this　work；　and　now；　in　the　intervals　of　her　other　labours；　she

completed　it。　Her　'Suggestions　for　Thought　to　the　Searchers　After



Truth　Among　the　Artisans　of　England'　（1860）；　unravels；　in　the

course　of　three　portly　volumes；　the　difficulties　hitherto；

curiously　enough；　unsolvedconnected　with　such　matters　as　Belief

in　God；　the　Plan　of　Creation；　the　Origin　of　Evil；　the　Future　

Life；　Necessity　and　Free　Will；　Law；　and　the　Nature　of　Morality。



The　Origin　of　Evil；　in　particular；　held　no　perplexities　for　Miss

Nightingale。　'We　cannot　conceive；'　she　remarks；　'that　Omnipotent

Righteousness　would　find　satisfaction　in　solitary　existence。'

This　being；　so；　the　only　question　remaining　to　be　asked　is：　'What

beings　should　we　then　conceive　that　God　would　create？'　Now；　He

cannot　create　perfect　beings；　'since；　essentially；　perfection　is

one'；　if　He　did　so；　He　would　only　be　adding　to　Himself。　Thus　the

conclusion　is　obvious：　He　must　create　imperfect　ones。　Omnipotent

Righteousness；　faced　by　the　intolerable　impasse　of　a　solitary

existence；　finds　itself　bound　by　the　very　nature　of　the　cause；　to

create　the　hospitals　at　Scutari。　Whether　this　argument　would　have

satisfied　the　artisans　was　never　discovered；　for　only　a　very　few

copies　of　the　book　were　printed　for　private　circulation。　One　copy

was　sent　to　Mr。　Mill；　who　acknowledged　it　in　an　extremely　polite

letter。　He　felt　himself　obliged；　however；　to　confess　that　he　had

not　been　altogether　convinced　by　Miss　Nightingale's　proof　of　the

existence　of　God。　Miss　Nightingale　was　surprised　and　mortified；

she　had　thought　better　of　Mr。　Mill；　for　surely　her　proof　of　the

existence　of　God　could　hardly　be　improved　upon。　'A　law；'　she　had

pointed　out；　'implies　a　lawgiver。'　Now　the　Universe　is　full　of

lawsthe　law　of　gravitation；　the　law　of　the　excluded　middle；　and

many　others；　hence　it　follows　that　the　Universe　has　a　law…giver

and　what　would　Mr。　Mill　be　satisfied　with；　if　he　was　not

satisfied　with　that？



Perhaps　Mr。　Mill　might　have　asked　why　the　argument　had　not　been

pushed　to　its　logical　conclusion。　Clearly；　if　we　are　to　trust　the

analogy　of　human　institutions；　we　must　remember　that　laws　are；　as

a　matter　of　fact；　not　dispensed　by　lawgivers；　but　passed　by　Act

of　Parliament。　Miss　Nightingale；　however；　with　all　her　experience

of　public　life；　never　stopped　to　consider　the　question　whether

God　might　not　be　a　Limited　Monarchy。Yet　her　conception　of　God　was

certainly　not　orthodox。　She　felt　towards　Him　as　she　might　have

felt　towards　a　glorified　sanitary　engineer；　and　in　some　of　her

speculations　she　seems　hardly　to　distinguish　between　the　Deity

and　the　Drains。　As　one　turns　over　these　singular　pages；　one　has

the　impression　that　Miss　Nightingale　has　got　the　Almighty　too

into　her　clutches；　and　that；　if　He　is　not　careful；　she　will　kill

Him　with　overwork。



Then；　suddenly；　in　the　very　midst　of　the　ramifying　generalities

of　her　metaphysical　disquisitions；　there　is　an　unexpected　turn

and　the　reader　is　plunged　all　at　once　into　something　particular；

something　personal；　something　impregnated　with　intense

experience　a　virulent　invective　upon　the　position　of　women　in

the　upper　ranks　of　society。　Forgetful　alike　of　her　high　argument

and　of　the　artisans；　the　bitter　creature　rails　through　a　hundred

pages　of　close　print　at　the　falsities　of　family　life；　the

ineptitudes　of　marriage；　the　emptinesses　of　convention；　in　the

spirit　of　an　Ibsen　or　a　Samuel　Butler。　Her　fierc