eminent victorians-第35章

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during　the　greater　part　of　that　long　period；　all　the　energy　and

all　the　devotion　of　her　extraordinary　nature　were　working　at

their　highest　pitch。　What　she　accomplished　in　those　years　of

unknown　labour　could；　indeed；　hardly　have　been　more　glorious　than

her　Crimean　triumphs；　but　it　was　certainly　more　important。　The

true　history　was　far　stranger　even　than　the　myth。　In　Miss

Nightingale's　own　eyes　the　adventure　of　the　Crimea　was　a　mere

incident　scarcely　more　than　a　useful　stepping…stone　in　her

career。　It　was　the　fulcrum　with　which　she　hoped　to　move　the

world；　but　it　was　only　the　fulcrum。　For　more　than　a　generation

she　was　to　sit　in　secret；　working　her　lever：　and　her　real　〃life〃

began　at　the　very　moment　when；　in　the　popular　imagination；　it　had

ended。



She　arrived　in　England　in　a　shattered　state　of　health。　The

hardships　and　the　ceaseless　effort　of　the　last　two　years　had

undermined　her　nervous　system；　her　heart　was　pronounced　to　be

affected；　she　suffered　constantly　from　fainting…fits　and　terrible

attacks　of　utter　physical　prostration。　The　doctors　declared　that

one　thing　alone　would　save　her　a　complete　and　prolonged　rest。

But　that　was　also　the　one　thing　with　which　she　would　have　nothing

to　do。　She　had　never　been　in　the　habit　of　resting；　why　should　she

begin　now？　Now；　when　her　opportunity　had　come　at　last；　now；　when

the　iron　was　hot；　and　it　was　time　to　strike？　No；　she　had　work　to

do；　and；　come　what　might；　she　would　do　it。　The　doctors　protested

in　vain；　in　vain　her　family　lamented　and　entreated；　in　vain　her

friends　pointed　out　to　her　the　madness　of　such　a　course。　Madness？

Madpossessedperhaps　she　was。　A　demoniac　frenzy　had　seized

upon　her。　As　she　lay　upon　her　sofa；　gasping；　she　devoured　blue…

books；　dictated　letters；　and；　in　the　intervals　of　her

palpitations；　cracked　her　febrile　jokes。　For　months　at　a　stretch

she　never　left　her　bed。　For　years　she　was　in　daily　expectation　of

death。　But　she　would　not　rest。　At　this　rate；　the　doctors　assured

her；　even　if　she　did　not　die；　she　would；　become　an　invalid　for

life。　She　could　not　help　that；　there　was　the　work　to　be　done；

and；　as　for　rest；　very　likely　she　might　rest　。。。　when　she　had

done　it。



Wherever　she　went；　in　London　or　in　the　country；　in　the　hills　of

Derbyshire；　or　among　the　rhododendrons　at　Embley；　she　was　haunted

by　a　ghost。　It　was　the　spectre　of　Scutari　the　hideous　vision　of

the　organisation　of　a　military　hospital。　She　would　lay　that

phantom；　or　she　would　perish。　The　whole　system　of　the　Army

Medical　Department；　the　education　of　the　Medical　Officer；　the

regulations　of　hospital　procedure　。。。　REST？　How　could　she　rest

while　these　things　were　as　they　were；　while；　if　the　like

necessity　were　to　arise　again；　the　like　results　would　follow？

And；　even　in　peace　and　at　home；　what　was　the　sanitary　condition

of　the　Army？　The　mortality　in　the　barracks　was；　she　found；　nearly

double　the　mortality　in　civil　life。　'You　might　as　well　take　1；100

men　every　year　out　upon　Salisbury　Plain　and　shoot　them；'　she

said。　After　inspecting　the　hospitals　at　Chatham；　she　smiled

grimly。　'Yes；　this　is　one　more　symptom　of　the　system　which；　in

the　Crimea；　put　to　death　16；000　men。'　Scutari　had　given　her

knowledge；　and　it　had　given　her　power　too：　her　enormous

reputation　was　at　her　back　an　incalculable　force。　Other　work；

other　duties；　might　lie　before　her；　but　the　most　urgent；　the　most

obvious　of　all；　was　to　look　to　the　health　of　the　Army。



One　of　her　very　first　steps　was　to　take　advantage　of　the

invitation　which　Queen　Victoria　had　sent　her　to　the　Crimea；

together　with　the　commemorative　brooch。　Within　a　few　weeks　of　her

return　she　visited　Balmoral；　and　had　several　interviews　with　both

the　Queen　and　the　Prince；　Consort。　'She　put　before　us；'　wrote　the

Prince　in　his　diary；　'all　the　defects　of　our　present　military

hospital　system；　and　the　reforms　that　are　needed。'　She　related

'the　whole　story'　of　her　experiences　in　the　East；　and；　in

addition；　she　managed　to　have　some　long　and　confidential　talks

with　His　Royal　Highness　on　metaphysics　and　religion。　The

impression　which　she　created　was　excellent。　'Sie　gefallt　uns

sehr；'　noted　the　Prince；　'ist　sehr　bescheiden。'　Her　Majesty's

comment　was　different'Such　a　HEAD！　I　wish　we　had　her　at　the　War

Office。'



But　Miss　Nightingale　was　not　at　the　War　Office；　and　for　a　very

simple　reason：　she　was　a　woman。　Lord　Panmure；　however；　was

（though　indeed　the　reason　for　that　was　not　quite　so　simple）；　and

it　was　upon　Lord　Panmure　that　the　issue　of　Miss　Nightingale's

efforts　for　reform　must　primarily　depend。　That　burly　Scottish

nobleman　had　not；　in　spite　of　his　most　earnest　endeavours；　had　a

very　easy　time　of　it　as　Secretary　of　State　for　War。　He　had　come

into　office　in　the　middle　of　the　SebastopolCampaign；　and　had　felt

himself　very　well　fitted　for　the　position；　since　he　had　acquired

in　former　days　an　inside　knowledge　of　the　Armyas　a　Captain　of

Hussars。　It　was　this　inside　knowledge　which　had　enabled　him　to

inform　Miss　Nightingale　with　such　authority　that　'the　British

soldier　is　not　a　remitting　animal'。　And　perhaps　it　was　this　same

consciousness　of　a　command　of　his　subject　which　had　impelled　him

to　write　a　dispatch　to　Lord　Raglan；　blandly　informing　the

Commander…in…Chief　in　the　Field　just　how　he　was　neglecting　his

duties；　and　pointing　out　to　him　that　if　he　would　only　try　he

really　might　do　a　little　better　next　time。



Lord　Raglan's　reply；　calculated　as　it　was　to　make　its　recipient

sink　into　the　earth；　did　not　quite　have　that　effect　upon　Lord

Panmure；　who；　whatever　might　have　been　his　faults；　had　never　been

accused　of　being　supersensitive。　However；　he　allowed　the　matter

to　drop；　and　a　little　later　Lord　Raglan　diedworn　out；　some

people　said；　by　work　and　anxiety。　He　was　succeeded　by　an

excellent　red…nosed　old　gentleman；　General　Simpson；　whom　nobody

has　ever　heard　of；　and　who　took　Sebastopol。　But　Lord　Panmure's

relations　with　him　were　hardly　more　satisfactory　than　his

relations　with　Lord　Raglan；　for；　while　Lord　Raglan　had　been　too

independent；　poor　General　Simpson　erred　in　the　opposite

direction；　perpetually　asked　advice；　suffered　from　lumbago；

doubted　（his　nose　growingredder　and　redder　daily）　whether　he　was

fit　for　his　post；　and；　by　alternate　mails；　sent　in　and　withdrew

his　resignation。　Then；　too；　both　the　General　and　the　Minister

suffered　acutely　from　that　distressingly　useful　new　invention；

the　electric　telegraph。　On　one　occasion　General　Simpson　felt

obliged　actually　to　expostulate。　'I　think；　my　Lord；'　he　wrote；

'that　some　telegraphic　messages　reach　us　that　cannot　be　sent

under　due　authority；　and　are　perhaps　unknown　to　you；　although

under　the　protection　of　your　Lordship's　name。



For　instance；　I　was　called　up　last　night；　a　dragoon　having　come

express　with　a　telegraphic　message　in　these　words；　〃Lord　Panmure

to　General　SimpsonCaptain　Jarvis　has　been　bitten　by　a

centipede。　How　is　he　now？〃'　General　Simpson　might　have　put　up

with　this；　though　to　be　sure　it　did　seem　'rather　too　trifling　an

affair　to　call　for　a　dragoon　to　ride　a　couple　of　miles　in　the

dark　that　he　may　knock　up　the　Commander　of　the　Army　out　of　the

very　small　allowance　of　sleep　permitted；　but　what　was　really　more

than　he　could　bear　was　to　find　'upon　sending　in　the　morning

another　mounted　dragoon　to　inquire　after　Captain　Jarvis；　four

miles　off；　that　he　never　has　been　bitten　at　all；　but　has　had　a

boil；　from　which　he　is　fast　recovering'。　But　Lord　Panmure　had

troubles　of　his　own。　His　favourite　nephew；　Captain　Dowbiggin；　was

at　the　front；　and　to　one　of　his　telegrams　to　the　Commander…in…

Chief　the　Minister　had　taken　occasion　to　append　the　following

carefully　qualified　sentence'I　recommend　Dowbiggin　to　your

notice；　should　you　have　a　vacancy；　and　if　he　is　fit'。

Unfortunately；　in　those　early　days；　it　was　left　to　the　discretion

of　the　telegraphist　to　compress　the　messages　which　passed　through

his　hands；　so　that　the　result　was　that　Lord　Panmure's　delicate

appeal　reached　its　destination