eminent victorians-第37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！



ineptitudes　of　marriage；　the　emptinesses　of　convention；　in　the

spirit　of　an　Ibsen　or　a　Samuel　Butler。　Her　fierce　pen；　shaking

with　intimate　anger；　depicts　in　biting　sentences　the　fearful　fate

of　an　unmarried　girl　in　a　wealthy　household。　It　is　a　cri　du

coeur；　and　then；　as　suddenly；　she　returns　once　more　to　instruct

the　artisans　upon　the　nature　ofOmnipotent　Righteousness。



Her　mind　was；　indeed；　better　qualified　to　dissect　the　concrete

and　distasteful　fruits　of　actual　life　than　to　construct　a

coherent　system　of　abstract　philosophy。　In　spite　of　her　respect

for　Law；　she　was　never　at　home　with　a　generalisation。　Thus；

though　the　great　achievement　of　her　life　lay　in　the　immense

impetus　which　she　gave　to　the　scientific　treatment　of　sickness；　a

true　comprehension　of　the　scientific　method　itself　was　alien　to

her　spirit。　Like　most　great　men　of　actionperhaps　like　allshe

was　simply　an　empiricist。　She　believed　in　what　she　saw；　and　she

acted　accordingly；　beyond　that　she　would　not　go。　She　had　found　in

Scutari　that　fresh　air　and　light　played　an　effective　part　in　the

prevention　of　the　maladies　with　which　she　had　to　deal；　and　that

was　enough　for　her；　she　would　not　inquire　further；　what　were　the

general　principles　underlying　that　factor　even　whether　there

were　anyshe　refused　to　consider。　Years　after　the　discoveries　of

Pasteur　and　Lister；　she　laughed　at　what　she　called　the　'germ…

fetish'。　There　was　no　such　thing　as　'infection'；　she　had　never

seen　it；　therefore　it　did　not　exist。　But　she　had　seen　the　good

effects　of　fresh　air；　therefore；　there　could　be　no　doubt　about

them；　and　therefore；　it　was　essential　that　the　bedrooms　of

patients　should　be　well　ventilated。　Such　was　her　doctrine；　and　in

those　days　of　hermetically　scaled　windows　it　was　a　very　valuable

one。　But　it　was　a　purely　empirical　doctrine；　and　thus　it　led　to

some　unfortunate　results。　When；　for　instance；　her　influence　in

India　was　at　its　height；　she　issued　orders　that　all　hospital

windows　should　be　invariably　kept　open。　The　authorities；　who　knew

what　an　open　window　in　the　hot　weather　meant；　protested；　but　in

vain；　Miss　Nightingale　was　incredulous。　She　knew　nothing　of　the

hot　weather；　but　she　did　know　the　value　of　fresh　airfrom

personal　experience；　the　authorities　were　talking　nonsense；　and

the　windows　must　be　kept　open　all　the　year　round。　There　was　a

great　outcry　from　all　the　doctors　in　India；　but　she　was　firm；　and

for　a　moment　it　seemed　possible　that　her　terrible　commands　would

have　to　be　put　into　execution。　Lord　Lawrence；　however；　was

Viceroy；　and　he　was　able　to　intimate　to　Miss　Nightingale；　with

sufficient　authority；　that　himself　had　decided　upon　the　question；

and　that　his　decision　must　stand；　even　against　her　own。　Upon　that

she　gave　way；　but　reluctantly　and　quite　unconvinced；　she　was　only

puzzled　by　the　unexpected　weakness　of　Lord　Lawrence。　No　doubt；　if

she　had　lived　today；　and　if　her　experience　had　lain；　not　among

cholera　cases　at　Scutari；　but　among　yellow…fever　cases　in　Panama；

she　would　have　declared　fresh　air　a　fetish；　and　would　have

maintained　to　her　dying　day　that　the　only　really　effective　way　of

dealing　with　disease　was　by　the　destruction　of　mosquitoes。



Yet　her　mind；　so　positive；　so　realistic；　so　ultra…practical；　had

its　singular　revulsions；　its　mysterious　moods　of　mysticism　and　of

doubt。　At　times；　lying　sleepless　in　the　early　hours；　she　fell

into　long；　strange；　agonised　meditations；　and　then；　seizing　a

pencil；　she　would　commit　to　paper　the　confessions　of　her　soul。

The　morbid　longings　of　her　pre…Crimean　days　came　over　her　once

more；　she　filled　page　after　page　with　self…examination；　self…

criticism；　self…surrender。　'Oh　Father；'　she　wrote；　'I　submit；　I

resign　myself；　I　accept　with　all　my　heart；　thisstretching　out　of

Thy　hand　to　save　me。　。。。　0h　how　vain　it　is；　the　vanity　of

vanities；　to　live　in　men's　thoughts　instead　of　God's！'



She　was　lonely；　she　was　miserable。　'Thou　knowest　that　through　all

these　horrible　twenty　years；　I　have　been　supported　by　the　belief

that　I　was　working　with　Thee　who　would　bring　everyone；　even　our

poor　nurses；　to　perfection'and　yet；　after　all；　what　was　the

result？　Had　not　even　she　been　an　unprofitable　servant？　One　night；

waking　suddenly；　she　saw；　in　the　dim　light　of　the　night…lamp；

tenebrous　shapes　upon　the　wall。　The　past　rushed　back　upon　her。

'Am　I　she　who　once　stood　on　that　Crimean　height？'　she　wildly

asked　〃The　Lady　with　a　lamp　shall　stand　。　。　。The　lamp　shows　me

only　my　utter　shipwreck。'



She　sought　consolation　in　the　writings　of　the　Mystics　and　in　a

correspondence　with　Mr。　Jowett。　For　many　years　the　Master　of

Balliol　acted　as　her　spiritual　adviser。　He　discussed　with　her　in

a　series　of　enormous　letters　the　problems　of　religion　and

philosophy；　he　criticised　her　writings　on　those　subjects　with　the

tactful　sympathy　of　a　cleric　who　was　also　a　man　of　the　world；　and

he　even　ventured　to　attempt　at　times　to　instil　into　her

rebellious　nature　some　of　his　own　peculiar　suavity。　'I　sometimes

think；'　he　told　her；　'that　you　ought　seriously　to　consider　how

your　work　may　be　carried　on；　not　with　less　energy；　but　in　a

calmer　spirit。　I　am　not　blaming　the　past。。。　　But　I　want　the　peace

of　God　to　settle　on　the　future。'　He　recommended　her　to　spend　her

time　no　longer　in　'conflicts　with　Government　offices'；　and　to

take　up　some　literary　work。　He　urged　her　to　'work　out　her　notion

of　Divine　Perfection'；　in　a　series　of　essays　for　Frazer's

Magazine。　She　did　so；　and　the　result　was　submitted　to　Mr。　Froude；

who　pronounced　the　second　essay　to　be　'even　more　pregnant　than

the　first。　I　cannot　tell；'　he　said；　'how　sanitary；　with

disordered　intellects；　the　effects　of　such　papers　will　be。'



Mr。　Carlyle；　indeed；　used　different　language；　and　some　remarks　of

his　about　a　lost　lamb　bleating　on　the　mountains；　having　been

unfortunately　repeated　to　Miss　Nightingale；　required　all　Mr。

Jowett's　suavity　to　keep　the　peace。　In　a　letter　of　fourteen

sheets；　he　turned　her　attention　from　this　painful　topic　towards　a

discussion　of　Quietism。　'I　don't　see　why；'　said　the　Master　of

Balliol；　'active　life　might　not　become　a　sort　of　passive　life

too。'　And　then；　he　added；　'I　sometimes　fancy　there　are

possibilities　of　human　character　much　greater　than　have　been

realised。'　She　found　such　sentiments　helpful；　underlining　them　in

blue　pencil；　and；　in　return；　she　assisted　her　friend　with　a　long

series　of　elaborate　comments　upon　the　Dialogues　of　Plato；　most　of

which　he　embodied　in　the　second　edition　of　his　translation。

Gradually　her　interest　became　more　personal；　she　told　him　never

to　work　again　after　midnight；　and　he　obeyed　her。　Then　she　helped

him　to　draw　up　a　special　form　of　daily　service　for　the　College

Chapel；　with　selections　from　the　Psalms　under　the　heads　of　'God

the　Lord；　God　the　judge；　God　the　Father；　and　God　the　Friend'

though；　indeed；　this　project　was　never　realised；　for　the　Bishop

of　Oxford　disallowed　the　alterations；　exercising　his　legal

powers；　on　the　advice　of　Sir　Travers　Twiss。



Their　relations　became　intimate。　'The　spirit　of　the　Twenty…third　

Psalm　and　the　spirit　of　the　Nineteenth　Psalm　should　be　united　in

our　lives；'　Mr。　Jowett　said。　Eventually；　she　asked　him　to　do　her

a　singular　favour。　Would　he；　knowing　what　he　did　of　her　religious

views；　come　to　London　and　administer　to　her　the　Holy　Sacrament？

He　did　not　hesitate；　and　afterwards　declared　that　he　would　always

regard　the　occasion　as　a　solemn　event　in　his　life。　He　was　devoted

to　her　though　the　precise　nature　of　his　feelings　towards　her

never　quite　transpired。　Her　feelings　towards　him　were　more　mixed。

At　first；　he　was　'that　great　and　good　man''that　true　saint；　Mr。

Jowett'；　but；　as　time　went　on；　some　gall　was　mingled　with　the

balm；　the　acrimony　of　her　nature　asserted　itself。　She　felt　that

she　gave　more　sympathy　than　she　received；　she　was　exhausted；　and

she　was　annoyed　by　his　conversation。　Her　tongue；　one　day；　could

not　refrain　from　shooting　out　at　him：　'He　comes　to　me；　and　he

talks　to　me；'　she　said；　'as　if　I　were　someone　else。'



V



AT　one　time　she　had　almost　decided　to　end　her　life　in　retirement

as　a　patient　at　St。　Thomas's　Hospital。　But　partly　owing　to　the

persuasions　of　Mr。　Jowett；　she　changed　her　mind；　for　forty…five

years　she　remained　in　South　Street；　and　in　South　Street　she　died。

As　old　age　approached；　though　her　influence　with　the　official

world　gradually　diminished；　her　activities　seemed　to　remain　as

intense　and　widespread　as　before。　When　hospitals　were　to　be

built；　when　schemes　of　sanitary　reform　were　in　agitation；　when

wars　broke　out；　she　was　still　the　adviser　of　all　Europe。　Still；

with　a　characteristic　self…assurance；　she　watched　from　her

Mayfair　bedroom　over　the　welfare　of　India。　Still；　with　an

indefatigable　enthusiasm；　she　pushed　forward　the　work；　which；

perhaps；　was　nearer　to　her　heart；　more　completely　her　own；　than

all　the　rest　the　training　of　nurses。　　In　her　moments　of　deepest

depression；　when　her　greatest　achievements　s