Chapter I: Preface

The writing of the Life of Florence Nightingale was undertaken with the object of marking the jubilee of the illustrious heroine who left London on October 21st, 1854, with a band of thirty-eight nurses for service in the Crimean War. Her heroic labours on behalf of the sick and wounded soldiers have made her name a household word in every part of the British Empire, and it was a matter for national congratulation that Miss Nightingale lived to celebrate such a memorable anniversary.

A striking proof of the honour in which her name is held by the rising generation was given a short time ago, when the editor of _The Girl’s Realm_ took the votes of his readers as to the most popular heroine in modern history. Fourteen names were submitted, and of the 300,000 votes given, 120,776 were for FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE.

No trouble has been spared to make the book as accurate and complete as possible, and when writing it I spent several months in the vicinity of Miss Nightingale’s early homes, and received much kind assistance from people of all classes acquainted with her. In particular I would thank Lady Herbert of Lea for accepting the dedication of the book and for portraits of herself and Lord Herbert; Sir Edmund Verney for permission to publish the picture of the late Lady Verney and views of Claydon; Pastor Düsselhoff of Kaiserswerth for the portrait of Pastor Fliedner and some recollections of Miss Nightingale’s training in that institution; the late Sister Mary Aloysius, of the Convent of Sisters of Mercy, Kinvara, co. Galway, for memories of her work at Scutari Hospital; and Mr. Crowther, Librarian of the Public Library, Derby, for facilities for studying the collection of material relating to Miss Nightingale presented to the Library by the late Duke of Devonshire.

In the preparation of the revised edition I am indebted to Lady Verney, the late Hon. Frederick Strutt, and Mrs. Dacre Craven for valuable suggestions.

SARAH A. TOOLEY

KENSINGTON.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

_BIRTH AND ANCESTRY_

PAGE
Birth at Florence--Shore Ancestry--Peter Nightingale of
Lea--Florence Nightingale’s Parents 1

CHAPTER II

_EARLIEST ASSOCIATIONS_

Lea Hall first English Home--Neighbourhood of Babington
Plot--Dethick Church 8

CHAPTER III

_LEA HURST_

Removal to Lea Hurst--Description of the House--Florence
Nightingale’s Crimean Carriage preserved there 15

CHAPTER IV

_THE DAYS OF CHILDHOOD_

Romantic Journeys from Lea Hurst to Embley Park--George
Eliot Associations--First Patient--Love of Animals and
Flowers--Early Education 22

CHAPTER V

_THE SQUIRE’S DAUGHTER_

An Accomplished Girl--An Angel in the Homes of the
Poor--Children’s “Feast Day” at Lea Hurst--Her Bible-Class
for Girls--Interests at Embley--Society Life--Longing
for a Vocation--Meets Elizabeth Fry--Studies Hospital
Nursing--Decides to go to Kaiserswerth 38

CHAPTER VI

_FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE’S ALMA MATER AND ITS FOUNDER_

Enrolled a Deaconess at Kaiserswerth--Paster Fliedner--His
Early Life--Becomes Pastor at Kaiserswerth--Interest in
Prison Reform--Starts a Small Penitentiary for Discharged
Female Prisoners--Founds a School and the Deaconess
Hospital--Rules for Deaconesses--Marvellous Extension of
his Work--His Death--Miss Nightingale’s Tribute 54

CHAPTER VII

_ENTERS KAISERSWERTH: A PLEA FOR DEACONESSES_

An Interesting Letter--Description of Miss Nightingale
when she entered Kaiserswerth--Testimonies to her
Popularity--Impressive Farewell to Pastor Fliedner 68

CHAPTER VIII

_A PERIOD OF WAITING_

Visits the Sisters of St. Vincent de Paul in
Paris--Illness--Resumes Old Life at Lea Hurst
and Embley--Interest in John Smedley’s System
of Hydropathy--Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Herbert’s
Philanthropies--Work at Harley Street Home for Sick
Governesses--Illness and Return Home 80

CHAPTER IX

_SIDNEY, LORD HERBERT OF LEA_

Gladstone on Lord Herbert--Early Life of Lord Herbert--His
Mother--College Career--Enters Public Life--As
Secretary for War--Benevolent Work at Salisbury--Lady
Herbert--Friendship with Florence Nightingale--Again
Secretary for War 87

CHAPTER X

_THE CRIMEAN WAR AND CALL TO SERVICE_

Tribute to Florence Nightingale by the Countess of
Lovelace--Outbreak of the Crimean War--Distressing
Condition of the Sick and Wounded--Mr. W. H. Russell’s
Letters to _The Times_--Call for Women Nurses--Mr. Sidney
Herbert’s Letter to Miss Nightingale--She offers her
Services 94

CHAPTER XI

_PREPARATION AND DEPARTURE FOR SCUTARI_

Public Curiosity Aroused--Description of Miss Nightingale
in the Press--Criticism--She selects Thirty-Eight
Nurses--Departure of the “Angel Band”--Enthusiasm of
Boulogne Fisherwomen--Arrival at Scutari 110

CHAPTER XII

_THE LADY-IN-CHIEF_

The Barrack Hospital--Overwhelming Numbers of Sick and
Wounded--General Disorder--Florence Nightingale’s
“Commanding Genius”--The Lady with the Brain--The Nurses’
Tower--Influence over Men in Authority 123

CHAPTER XIII

_AT WORK IN THE BARRACK HOSPITAL_

An Appalling Task--Stories of Florence Nightingale’s
Interest in the Soldiers--Lack of Necessaries for
the Wounded--Establishes an Invalids’ Kitchen and a
Laundry--Cares for the Soldiers’ Wives--Religious
Fanatics--Letter from Queen Victoria--Christmas at Scutari
140

CHAPTER XIV

_GRAPPLING WITH CHOLERA AND FEVER_

Florence Nightingale describes the Hardships of the
Soldiers--Arrival of Fifty More Nurses--Memories of Sister
Mary Aloysius--The Cholera Scourge 160

CHAPTER XV

_TIMELY HELP_

Lavish Gifts for the Soldiers--_The Times_ Fund--_The Times_
Commissioner visits Scutari--His Description of Miss
Nightingale--Arrival of M. Soyer, the Famous _Chef_--He
Describes Miss Nightingale 171

CHAPTER XVI

_THE ANGEL OF DEATH_

Death of Seven Surgeons at Scutari--The First of the “Angel
Band” Stricken--Deaths of Miss Smythe, Sister Winifred, and
Sister Mary Elizabeth--Touching Verses by an Orderly 183

CHAPTER XVII

_SAILS FOR THE CRIMEA AND GOES UNDER FIRE_

On Board the _Robert Lowe_--Story of a Sick Soldier--Visit
to the Camp Hospitals--Sees Sebastopol from
the Trenches--Recognised and Cheered by the
Soldiers--Adventurous Ride Back 192

CHAPTER XVIII

_STRICKEN BY FEVER_

Continued Visitation of Hospitals--Sudden Illness--Conveyed to
Sanatorium--Visit of Lord Raglan--Convalescence--Accepts
Offer of Lord Ward’s Yacht--Returns to Scutari--Memorial to
Fallen Heroes 204

CHAPTER XIX

_CLOSE OF THE WAR_

Fall of Sebastopol--The Nightingale Hospital Fund--A Carriage
Accident--Last Months in the Crimea--“The Nightingale
Cross”--Presents from Queen Victoria and the Sultan--Sails
for Home 217

CHAPTER XX

_THE RETURN OF THE HEROINE_

Arrives Secretly at Lea Hurst--The Object of Many
Congratulations--Presentations--Received by Queen
Victoria at Balmoral--Prepares Statement of “Voluntary
Gifts”--Tribute to Lord Raglan 239

CHAPTER XXI

_THE SOLDIER’S FRIEND AT HOME_

Ill Health--Unremitting Toil--Founds Nightingale Training
School at St. Thomas’s Hospital--Army Reform--Death of Lord
Herbert of Lea--Palmerston and Gladstone pay Tributes to
Miss Nightingale--Interesting Letters--Advises in American
War and Franco-German War 252

CHAPTER XXII

_WISDOM FROM THE QUEEN OF NURSES_

Literary Activity--_Notes on Hospitals_--_Notes on
Nursing_--Hints for the Amateur Nurse--Interest in the Army
in India--Writings on Indian Reforms 275

CHAPTER XXIII

_THE NURSING OF THE SICK POOR_

Origin of the Liverpool Home and Training School--Interest in
the Sick Paupers--“Una and the Lion” a Tribute to Sister
Agnes Jones--Letter to Miss Florence Lees--Plea for a
Home for Nurses--On the Question of Paid Nurses--Queen
Victoria’s Jubilee Nursing Institute--Rules for
Probationers 298

CHAPTER XXIV

_LATER YEARS_

The Nightingale Home--Rules for Probationers--Deaths of Mr.
and Mrs. Nightingale--Death of Lady Verney--Continues to
Visit Claydon--Health Crusade--Rural Hygiene--A Letter to
Mothers--Introduces Village Missioners--Village Sanitation
in India--The Diamond Jubilee--Balaclava Dinner 314