登陆注册
4711700000046

第46章

Three more years passed, and then at last the pressure of time told; her family seemed to realise that she was old enough and strong enough to have her way; and she became the superintendent of a charitable nursing home in Harley Street. She had gained her independence, though it was in a meagre sphere enough; and her mother was still not quite resigned: surely Florence might at least spend the summer in the country. At times, indeed, among her intimates, Mrs. Nightingale almost wept. 'We are ducks,' she said with tears in her eyes, 'who have hatched a wild swan.' But the poor lady was wrong; it was not a swan that they had hatched, it was an eagle.

II

Miss NIGHTINGALE had been a year in her nursing-home in Harley Street, when Fate knocked at the door. The Crimean War broke out; the battle of the Alma was fought; and the terrible condition of our military hospitals at Scutari began to be known in England.

It sometimes happens that the plans of Providence are a little difficult to follow, but on this occasion all was plain; there was a perfect coordination of events. For years Miss Nightingale had been getting ready; at last she was prepared-- experienced, free, mature, yet still young (she was thirty-four)-- desirous to serve, accustomed to command: at that precise moment the desperate need of a great nation came, and she was there to satisfy it. If the war had fallen a few years earlier, she would have lacked the knowledge, perhaps even the power, for such a work; a few years later and she would, no doubt, have been fixed in the routine of some absorbing task, and moreover, she would have been growing old.

Nor was it only the coincidence of time that was remarkable. It so fell out that Sidney Herbert was at the War Office and in the Cabinet; and Sidney Herbert was an intimate friend of Miss Nightingale's, convinced, from personal experience in charitable work, of her supreme capacity. After such premises, it seems hardly more than a matter of course that her letter, in which she offered her services for the East, and Sidney Herbert's letter, in which he asked for them, should actually have crossed in the post. Thus it all happened, without a hitch. The appointment was made and even Mrs. Nightingale, overawed by the magnitude of the venture, could only approve. A pair of faithful friends offered themselves as personal attendants; thirty-eight nurses were collected; and within a week of the crossing of the letters Miss Nightingale, amid a great burst of popular enthusiasm, left for Constantinople.

Among the numerous letters which she received on her departure was one from Dr. Manning, who at that time was working in comparative obscurity as a Catholic priest in Bayswater. 'God will keep you,' he wrote, 'and my prayer for you will be that your one object of worship, Pattern of Imitation, and source of consolation and strength, may be the Sacred Heart of our Divine Lord.'

To what extent Dr. Manning's prayer was answered must remain a matter of doubt; but this much is certain: that if ever a prayer was needed, it was needed then for Florence Nightingale. For dark as had been the picture of the state of affairs at Scutari, revealed to the English public in the dispatches of "The Times Correspondent", and in a multitude of private letters, yet the reality turned out to be darker still. What had occurred was, in brief, the complete breakdown of our medical arrangements at the seat of war. The origins of this awful failure were complex and manifold; they stretched back through long years of peace and carelessness in England; they could be traced through endless ramifications of administrative incapacity-- from the inherent faults of confused systems, to the petty bunglings of minor officials, from the inevitable ignorance of Cabinet Ministers, to the fatal exactitudes of narrow routine.

In the inquiries which followed, it was clearly shown that the evil was in reality that worst of all evils-- one which has been caused by nothing in particular and for which no one in particular is to blame. The whole organisation of the war machine was incompetent and out of date. The old Duke had sat for a generation at the Horse Guards repressing innovations with an iron hand. There was an extraordinary overlapping of authorities and an almost incredible shifting of responsibilities to and fro.

As for such a notion as the creation and the maintenance of a really adequate medical service for the army-- in that atmosphere of aged chaos, how could it have entered anybody's head? Before the war, the easygoing officials at Westminster were naturally persuaded that all was well-- or at least as well as could be expected; when someone, for instance, actually had the temerity to suggest the formation of a corps of Army nurses, he was at once laughed out of court. When the war had begun, the gallant British officers in control of affairs had other things to think about than the petty details of medical organisation. Who had bothered with such trifles in the Peninsula? And surely, on that occasion, we had done pretty well. Thus, the most obvious precautions were neglected, and the most necessary preparations were put off from day to day. The principal medical officer of the Army, Dr. Hall, was summoned from India at a moment's notice, and was unable to visit England before taking up his duties at the front. And it was not until after the battle of the Alma, when we had been at war for many months, that we acquired hospital accommodations at Scutari for more than a thousand men.

Errors, follies, and vices on the part of individuals there doubtless were; but, in the general reckoning, they were of small account-- insignificant symptoms of the deep disease of the body politic-- to the enormous calamity of administrative collapse.

同类推荐
  • 金刚顶瑜伽降三世成就极深密门一卷

    金刚顶瑜伽降三世成就极深密门一卷

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 般若心经略疏

    般若心经略疏

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 方简肃文集

    方简肃文集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 百千印陀罗尼经

    百千印陀罗尼经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 西塍集

    西塍集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 政府形象传播

    政府形象传播

    如何树立政府形象的旗帜,是任何一个现代政府必须回答的时代课题。实施科学的政府形象传播战略,构建起具有中国特色的形象传播理论支撑和实践运行机制,对于各级政府在实现现代化进程中发挥好领导、组织和管理作用具有重要的意义。本书从传播时代的政府形象战略入手,在梳理形象传播理论依据和分析其现实意义的基础上,一方面对政府形象传播构成、传播模式和传播责任进行了学理剖析,以形成系统的理论认识;另一方面,立足于传播实践,在政府形象传播策划、塑造方法、管理和维护机制方面进行了系统研究,并针对政府形象传播的现实困境,提出了破解路径。
  • 穿越之带着全城一起富

    穿越之带着全城一起富

    一个梦想成为警察的女法医,一场无里头的穿越之旅,既然在现代完成不了自己的梦想,那么她誓要在古代建立自己的警队,可是,当梦想照进现实,她当警察,还是做法医呢?这是个问题,最终,带着全城一起富。片段一“你是谁?”雪末疑惑看着面前抠着大脚丫的——某样生物!头上两只角,鼻子上套着大铁环,皮肤黝黑,肌肉隆起,长得极为不像人。“阴间和平管理委员会会长,简称阴长”阴长摸了摸自己嘴边的胡子说道。“咦——”雪末鄙夷的看着他,好恶心,刚刚还在抠脚丫。片段二雪末道:“阿蒂,你怎么在这里?那个小乞丐呢?怎么没有跟你在一起”。阿蒂甩了甩尾巴,道:“放心,我把他拴在马厩了,对了,末末,你说要给我做剁椒鱼头吃的,赶快啊!小爷都饿死了”。雪末桃花眼诡异的看了阿蒂一眼,马厩?貌视那是你待的地方吧,片段三雪末爽快道:“哪有那么多为什么?喜欢你就给你了”,再说了,这里的东西她也要不了啊!君上邪低垂的淡蓝色眼眸翻过惊天巨浪,慢慢恢复平静,抬头看着雪末,定定道:“你的话我记住了”。片段四“做了我的皇后,你便可以母仪天下,荣华富贵享之不尽”,君孜然满脸邪肆的说道。雪末点头,疑问道:“这么好的位置,你自己不做,便宜我,谁信啊!”。片段五雷霆刚毅的脸上满是深情,道:“我宁愿你当时没有捡我回去”。雪末笑了笑道:“小乞丐,我没想捡你的,可是你偏要撞到我的枪口上来”。…雪末仰天大喊:“我绝对是个好人”。众人道:“谁信?”。
  • 我的爱与你无关

    我的爱与你无关

    年轻的辽大心理学女老师沈沉渔,一次在酒吧中,她兴起给同住的小女生雷丝表演勾男术,却不料招惹的男生是辽大新入学的研究生谢超。开学后,沉渔最不想遇见谢超,却偏偏狭路相逢。雷丝的老师温明轩传说为情跳楼自杀,这个举动一下子俘虏了沉渔的心,使她对温明轩未见便已钟情。
  • 吞噬为道

    吞噬为道

    浩瀚的星空,人类、血族、恶魔、天使、魔兽五方各自为战,都想成为整个宇宙的绝对掌控者……一名全身百脉俱无的天生废材少年,无意中被来自天外的一道可以吞噬万物的符篆击中眉心……于是,命运的齿轮就在此刻发生了些微的偏转……
  • 幽灵旗·把你的命交给我

    幽灵旗·把你的命交给我

    四幢经过日军轰炸而奇迹般保存下来的“三层楼”正面临拆除的窘境,记者那多受命对其进行深度报道。那多试图通过新闻舆论将“三层楼”作为历史见证保存下来。上海图书馆一张当年轰炸后的照片使那多疑窦丛生:“三层楼”究竟为何幸免于炮火而完好保留?是得益于传说中其楼顶飘扬的外国旗的庇护,还是当年“三层楼”的主人孙氏兄弟扛出的大旗震慑了日本鬼子的嚣张,还是……知名历史学家,在人生和事业的巅峰,忽然匪夷所思的自杀了。这一切的原因是什么?《晨星报》记者那多,开始对事件进行秘密调查。经过艰苦的调查探索之后,发现这一切都和十几年前的一所精神病院有关。而那个精神病院的所有患者和医生……
  • 把快乐留给自己

    把快乐留给自己

    生活中的每个人,都或多或少缺少一些东西,没有一个人的生命是完整无缺的。但每个人的心灵深处,都希望自己天天快乐,日日开心,于是烦恼和愁苦便常常折磨着本已压力重重的心灵。其实,放下追求圆圆满满的幻想,面对充满挫折与考验的人生才是明智;在漫漫旅程中,把洒脱和快乐留给自己,过的踏实、满足才是真谛。本书收集了生活里许多人生小故事,使您在阅读中品味生活、心胸释然,不要忘记将快乐留给自己,在人生路上轻松前行。
  • 阿尔法星人

    阿尔法星人

    当张皓醒来时,他却身处外太空,在得知自己被无意卷入时空虫洞进入平行世界,这个世界也有地球,在这生存的种族依旧是人类。而张浩却在距这颗地球光年之外的某颗荒废的星球上,顺带还有了一座奇怪的基地……
  • 我最想学的销售心理学

    我最想学的销售心理学

    "本书巧妙地将心理学与推销学融为一体,并综合消费学、人际学、口才学等知识,深入浅出地阐明了读心术、说服术、倾听术、掌控术、暗示术、攻心术、博弈术等各种销售中的心理策略和战术,并结合诸多生动活泼的营销案例和小故事加以说明,旨在帮助每一位推销员掌握销售活动中的心理规律,巧妙利用心理学的技巧在推销中百战百胜。兵法云:“攻心为上,攻城为下”,战争中强调心战为上,对于销售来说也莫不如此。先读顾客心,后学生意经。读懂了顾客的心理需求,天下就没有难做的生意。突破了顾客的心理防线,就能把任何东西卖给客户。"
  • 倾世女帝:笑拥江山美男

    倾世女帝:笑拥江山美男

    【原创作者社团未央宫出品】有没有搞错,路上碰到一个神秘的女人,被霸占了身子,醒来时灵魂居然在一个陌生的国度,令人吃惊的是这里居然是女尊世界,她穿成了尊贵显赫的王爷,只是这王爷生性浪荡、懦弱,名声甚为不好,她该怎么改变别人对自己的看法?王府中美男上千,可以和皇帝的后果媲美了,美男们三天一小吵,五天一大闹的生活,把王府搞得热闹不堪。只是剥茧抽丝之下,却发现表里不一的众位宠夫,身份复杂的自己,一切的一切都成了迷,看似巧合的穿越,真的只是巧合吗?当繁华褪尽,一切回到原点时,孰是孰非,已经无从知晓她不求美男万千,只求愿得一心人,白首不相离
  • 抗日之痞子将军

    抗日之痞子将军

    鬼子说他太阴险,国军说他太叛逆,百姓说这人挺凶的……