eminent victorians-第39章

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the　medical　statistics　of　the　Army；　another　established　in　spite

of　the　last　convulsive　efforts　of　the　Department　an　Army　Medical

School。　Finally；　the　Army　Medical　Department　itself　was

completely　reorganised；　an　administrative　code　was　drawn　up；　and

the　great　and　novel　principle　was　established　that　it　was　as　much

a　part　of　the　duty　of　the　authorities　to　look　after　the　soldier's

health　as　to　look　after　his　sickness。　Besides　this；　it　was　at

last　officially　admitted　that　he　had　a　moral　and　intellectual

side。　Coffee…rooms　and　reading…rooms；　gymnasiums　and　workshops

were　instituted。　A　new　era　did　in　truth　appear　to　have　begun。

Already　by　1861　the　mortality　in　the　Army　had　decreased　by　one…

half　since　the　days　of　the　Crimea。　It　was　no　wonder　that　even

vaster　possibilities　began　now　to　open　out　before　Miss

Nightingale。　One　thing　was　still　needed　to　complete　and　to　assure

her　triumphs。　The　Army　Medical　Department　was　indeed　reorganised；

but　the　great　central　machine　was　still　untouched。　The　War　Office

itself！　If　she　could　remould　that　nearer　to　her　heart's　desire…

…there　indeed　would　be　a　victory！　And　until　that　final　act　was

accomplished；　how　could　she　be　certain　that　all　the　rest　of　her

achievements　might　not；　by　some　capricious　turn　of　Fortune's

wheela　change　of　Ministry；　perhaps；　replacing　Sidney　Herbert　by

some　puppet　of　the　permanent　official　gang　be　swept　to　limbo　in

a　moment？



Meanwhile；　still　ravenous　for　yet　more　and　more　work；　her

activities　had　branched　out　into　new　directions。　The　Army　in

India　claimed　her　attention。　A　Sanitary　Commission；　appointed　at

her　suggestion；　and　working　under　her　auspices；　did　for　our

troops　there　what　the　four　Sub…Commissions　were　doing　for　those

at　home。　At　the　same　time；　these　very　years　which　saw　her　laying

the　foundations　of　the　whole　modern　system　of　medical　work　in　the

Army；　saw　her　also　beginning　to　bring　her　knowledge；　her

influence；　and　her　activity　into　the　service　of　the　country　at

large。　Her　〃Notes　on　Hospitals〃　（1859）　revolutionised　the　theory

of　hospital　construction　and　hospital　management。　She　was

immediately　recognised　as　the　leading　expert　upon　all　the

questions　involved；　her　advice　flowed　unceasingly　and　in　all

directions；　so　that　there　is　no　great　hospital　today　which　does

not　bear　upon　it　the　impress　of　her　mind。　Nor　was　this　all。　With

the　opening　of　the　Nightingale　Training　School　for　Nurses　at　St。

Thomas's　Hospital　（1860）；　she　became　the　founder　of　modern

nursing。



But　a　terrible　crisis　was　now　fast　approaching。　Sidney　Herbert

had　consented　to　undertake　the　root　and　branch　reform　of　the　War

Office。　He　had　sallied　forth　into　that　tropical　jungle　of　

festooned　obstructiveness；　of　intertwisted　irresponsibilities；　of

crouching　prejudices；　of　abuses　grown　stiff　and　rigid　with

antiquity；　which　for　so　many　years　to　come　was　destined　to　lure

reforming　Ministers　to　their　doom。　'The　War　Office；'　said　Miss

Nightingale；　'is　a　very　slow　office；　an　enormously　expensive

office；　and　one　in　which　the　Minister's　intentions　can　be

entirely　negated　by　all　his　sub…departments；　and　those　of　each　of

the　sub…departments　by　every　other。'　It　was　true；　and　of　course；

at　the；　first　rumour　of　a　change；　the　old　phalanx　of　reaction　was

bristling　with　its　accustomed　spears。　At　its　head　stood　no　longer

Dr。　Andrew　Smith；　who；　some　time　since；　had　followed　the　Bison

into　outer　darkness；　but　a　yet　more　formidable　figure；　the

Permanent　Under…Secretary　himself；　Sir　Benjamin　Hawes　Ben　Hawes

the　Nightingale　Cabinet　irreverently　dubbed　him　〃a　man　remarkable

even　among　civil　servants　for　adroitness　in　baffling　inconvenient

inquiries；　resource　in　raising　false　issues；　and；　in；　short；　a

consummate　command　of　all　the　arts　of　officially　sticking　in　the

mud'。



'Our　scheme　will　probably　result　in　Ben　Hawes's　resignation；'

Miss　Nightingale　said；　'and　that　is　another　of　its　advantages。'

Ben　Hawes　himself；　however；　did　not　quite　see　it　in　that　light。

He　set　himself　to　resist　the　wishes　of　the　Minister　by　every

means　in　his　power。　The　struggle　was　long；　and　desperate；　and；　as

it　proceeded；　it　gradually　became　evident　to　Miss　Nightingale

that　something　was　the　matter　with　Sidney　Herbert。　What　was　it？

His　health；　never　very　strong；　was；　he　said；　in　danger　of

collapsing　under　the　strain　of　his　work。　But；　after　all；　what　is

illness；　when　there　is　a　War　Office　to　be　reorganised？　Then　he

began　to　talk　of　retiring　altogether　from　public　life。　The

doctors　were　consulted；　and　declared　that；　above　all　things；　what

was　necessary　was　rest。　Rest！　She　grew　seriously　alarmed。　Was　it

possible　that；　at　the　last　moment；　the　crowning　wreath　of　victory

was　to　be　snatched　from　her　grasp？　She　was　not　to　be　put　aside　by

doctors；　they　were　talking　nonsense；　the　necessary　thing　was　not

rest；　but　the　reform　of　the　War　Office；　and；　besides；　she　knew

very　well　from　her　own　case　what　one　could　do　even　when　one　was

on　the　point　of　death。



She　expostulated　vehemently；　passionately；　the　goal　was　so　near；

so　very　near；　he　could　not　turn　back　now！　At　any　rate；　he　could

not　resist　Miss　Nightingale。　A　compromise　was　arranged。　Very

reluctantly；　he　exchanged　the　turmoil　of　the　House　of　Commons　for

the　dignity　of　the　House　of　Lords；　and　he　remained　at　the　War

Office。　She　was　delighted。　'One　fight　more；　the　best　and　the

last；'　she　said。



For　several　more　months　the　fight　did　indeed　go　on。　But　the

strain　upon　him　was　greater　even　than　she　perhaps　could　realise。

Besides　the　intestine　war　in　his　office；　he　had　to　face　a

constant　battle　in　the　Cabinet　with　Mr。　Gladstonea　more

redoubtable　antagonist　even　than　Ben　Hawesover　the　estimates。

His　health　grew　worse　and　worse。　He　was　attacked　by　faintingfits；

and　there　were　some　days　when　he　could　only　just　keep　himself

going　by　gulps　of　brandy。　Miss　Nightingale　spurred　him　forward

with　her　encouragements　and　her　admonitions；　her　zeal　and　her

example。　But　at　last　his　spirit　began　to　sink　as　well　as　his

body。　He　could　no　longer　hope；　he　could　no　longer　desire；　it　was

useless；　all　useless；　it　was　utterly　impossible。　He　had　failed。

The　dreadful　moment　came　when　the　truth　was　forced　upon　him：　he

would　never　be　able　to　reform　the　War　Office。　But　a　yet　more

dreadful　moment　lay　behind；　he　must　go　to　Miss　Nightingale　and

tell　her　that　he　was　a　failure；　a　beaten　man。



'Blessed　are　the　merciful！'　What　strange　ironic　prescience　had

led　Prince　Albert；　in　the　simplicity　of　his　heart；　to　choose　that

motto　for　the　Crimean　brooch？　The　words　hold　a　double　lesson；

and；　alas！　when　she　brought　herself　to　realise　at　length　what　was

indeed　the　fact　and　what　there　was　no　helping；　it　was　not　in

mercy　that　she　turned　upon　her　old　friend。



'Beaten！'　she　exclaimed。　'Can't　you　see　that　you've　simply　thrown

away　the　game？　And　with　all　the　winning　cards　in　your　hands！　And

so　noble　a　game！　Sidney　Herbert　beaten！　And　beaten　by　Ben　Hawes！

It　is　a　worse　disgrace。。。'　her　full　rage　burst　out　at　last；　'。。。a

worse　disgrace　than　the　hospitals　at　Scutari。'



He　dragged　himself　away　from　her；　dragged　himself　to　Spa；　hoping

vainly　for　a　return　to　health；　and　then；　despairing；　back　again

to　England；　to　Wilton；　to　the　majestic　house　standing　there

resplendent　in　the　summer　sunshine；　among　the　great　cedars　which

had　lent　their　shade　to　Sir　Philip　Sidney；　and　all　those

familiar；　darling　haunts　of　beauty　which　he　loved；　each　one　of

them；　'as　if　they　were　persons'；　and　at；　Wilton　he　died。　After

having　received　the　Eucharist；　he　had　become　perfectly　calm；

then；　almost　unconscious；　his　lips　were　seen　to　be　moving。　Those

about　him　bent　down。　'Poor　Florence！　Poor　Florence！'　they　just

caught。　'。。。Our　joint　work　。。。　unfinished　。。。　tried　to　do　。。。'

and　they　could　hear　no　more。



When　the　onward　rush　of　a　powerful　spirit　sweeps　a　weaker　one　to

its　destruction；　the　commonplaces　of　the　moral　judgment　are

better　left　unmade。　If　Miss　Nightingale　had　been　less　ruthless；

Sidney　Her