贝壳电子书 > 英文原著电子书 > eminent victorians >

第36章

eminent victorians-第36章

小说: eminent victorians 字数: 每页4000字

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!




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

appeal reached its destination in the laconic form of 'Look after

Dowb'。 The Headquarters Staff were at first extremely puzzled;

they were at last extremely amused。 The story spread; and 'Look

after Dowb' remained for many years the familiar formula for

describing official hints in favour of deserving nephews。



And now that all this was over; now that Sebastopol had been;

somehow or another; taken; now that peace was; somehow or

another; made; now that the troubles of office might surely be

expected to be at an end at last here was Miss Nightingale

breaking in upon the scene with her talk about the state of the

hospitals and the necessity for sanitary reform。 It was most

irksome; and Lord Panmure almost began to wish that he was

engaged upon some more congenial occupationdiscussing; perhaps;

the constitution of the Free Church of Scotlanda question in

which he was profoundly interested。 But no; duty was paramount;

and he set himself; with a sigh of resignation; to the task of

doing as little of it as he possibly could。



'The Bison' his friends called him; and the name fitted both his

physical demeanour and his habit of mind。 That large low head

seemed to have been created for butting rather than for anything

else。 There he stood; four…square and menacing in the doorway of

reform; and it remained to be seen whether; the bulky mass; upon

whose solid hide even the barbed arrows of Lord Raglan's scorn

had made no mark; would prove amenable to the pressure of Miss

Nightingale。 Nor was he alone in the doorway。 There loomed behind

him the whole phalanx of professional conservatism; the stubborn

supporters of the out…of…date; the worshippers and the victims of

War Office routine。 Among these it was only natural that Dr。

Andrew Smith; the head of the Army Medical Department; should

have been pre…eminentDr。 Andrew Smith; who had assured Miss

Nightingale before she left England that 'nothing was wanted at

Scutari'。 Such were her opponents; but she too was not without

allies。 She had gained the ear of Royaltywhich was something;

at any moment that she pleased she could gain the ear of the

publicwhich was a great deal。 She had a host of admirers and

friends; andto say nothing of her personal qualitiesher

knowledge; her tenacity; her tactshe possessed; too; one

advantage which then; far more even than now; carried an immense

weight she belonged to the highest circle of society。 She moved

naturally among Peers and Cabinet Ministersshe was one of their

own set; and in those days their set was a very narrow one。 What

kind of attention would such persons have paid to some middle…

class woman with whom they were not acquainted; who possessed

great experience of Army nursing and had decided views upon

hospital reform? They would have politely ignored her; but it was

impossible to ignore Flo Nightingale。 When she spoke; they were

obliged to listen; and; when they had once begun to do that

what might not follow? She knew her power; and she used it。 She

supported her weightiest minutes with familiar witty little

notes。 The Bison began to look grave。 It might be difficultit

might be damned difficultto put down one's head against the

white hand of a lady。。。



Of Miss Nightingale's friends; the most important was Sidney

Herbert。 He was a man upon whom the good fairies seemed to have

showered; as he lay in his cradle; all their most enviable goods。

Well born; handsome; rich; the master of Wiltonone of those

great country…houses; clothed with the glamour of a historic

past; which are the peculiar glory of Englandhe possessed

besides all these advantages: so charming; so lively; so gentle a

disposition that no one who had once come near him could ever be

his enemy。



He was; in fact; a man of whom it was difficult not to say that

he was a perfect English gentleman。 For his virtues were equal

even to his good fortune。 He was religious; deeply religious。 'I

am more and more convinced every day;' he wrote; when he had been

for some years a Cabinet Minister; 'that in politics; as in

everything else; nothing can be right which is not in accordance

with the spirit of the Gospel。' No one was more unselfish; he was

charitable and benevolent to a remarkable degree; and he devoted 

the whole of his life; with an unwavering conscientiousness; to

the public service。 With such a character; with such

opportunities; what high hopes must have danced before him; what

radiant visions of accomplished duties; of ever…increasing

usefulness; of beneficent power; of the consciousness of

disinterested success! Some of those hopes and visions were;

indeed; realised; but; in the end; the career of Sidney Herbert

seemed to show that; with all their generosity; there was some

gift or other what was it?some essential giftwhich the good

fairies had withheld; and that even the qualities of a perfect

English gentleman may be no safeguard against anguish;

humiliation; and defeat。



That career would certainly have been very different if he had

never known Miss Nightingale。 The alliance between them which had

begun with her appointment to Scutari; which had grown closer and

closer while the war lasted; developed; after her return; into

one of the most extraordinary friendships。 It was the friendship

of a man and a woman intimately bound together by their devotion

to a public cause; mutual affection; of course; played a part in

it; but it was an incidental part; the whole soul of the

relationship was a community of work。 Perhaps out of England such

an intimacy could hardly have existedan intimacy so utterly

untinctured not only by passion itself but by the suspicion of

it。 For years Sidney Herbert saw Miss Nightingale almost daily;

for long hours together; corresponding with her incessantly when

they were apart; and the tongue of scandal was silent; and one of

the most devoted of her admirers was his wife。 But what made the

connection still more remarkable was the way in which the parts

that were played in it were divided between the two。 The man who

acts; decides; and achieves; the woman who encourages; applauds;

andfrom a distanceinspires: the combination is common enough;

but Miss Nightingale was neither an Aspasia nor an Egeria。 In her

case it is almost true to say that the roles were reversed; the

qualities of pliancy and sympathy fell to the man; those of

command and initiative to the woman。



There was one thing only which Miss Nightingale lacked in her

equipment for public life; she had not she never could have

the public power and authority which belonged to the successful

politician。 That power and authority Sidney Herbert possessed;

that fact was obvious; and the conclusions no less so: it was

through the man that the woman must work her will。 She took hold

of him; taught him; shaped him; absorbed him; dominated him

through and through。 He did not resisthe did not wish to

resist; his natural inclination lay along the same path as hers;

only that terrific personality swept him forward at her own

fierce pace and with her own relentless stride。 Swept himwhere

to? Ah! Why had he ever known Miss Nightingale?  If Lord Panmure

was a bison; Sidney Herbert; no doubt; was a stag a comely;

gallant creature springing through the forest; but the forest is

a dangerous place。 One has the image of those wide eyes

fascinated suddenly by something feline; something strong; there

is a pause; and then the tigress has her claws in the quivering

haunches; and then!



Besides Sidney Herbert; she had other friends who; in a more

restricted sphere; were hardly less essential to her。 If; in her

condition of bodily collapse; she were to accomplish what she was

determined that she should accomplish; the attentions and the

services of others would be absolutely indispensable。 Helpers and

servers she must have; and accordingly there was soon formed

about he

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的