eminent victorians-第38章

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Commission　had　been　brought　to　a　victorious　close。　Lord　Panmure

had　given　way　once　more；　he　had　immediately　hurried　to　the　Queen

to　obtain　her　consent；　and　only　then；　when　Her　Majesty's　initials

had　been　irrevocably　affixed　to　the　fatal　document；　did　he　dare

to　tell　Dr。　Andrew　Smith　what　he　had　done。　The　Commission　met；

and　another　immense　load　fell　upon　Miss　Nightingale's　shoulders。

Today　she　would；　of　course；　have　been　one　of　the　Commission

herself；　but　at　that　time　the　idea　of　a　woman　appearing　in　such　a

capacity　was　unheard　of；　and　no　one　even　suggested　the

possibility　of　Miss　Nightingale's　doing　so。　The　result　was　that

she　was　obliged　to　remain　behind　the　scenes　throughout；　to　coach

Sidney　Herbert　in　private　at　every　important　juncture；　and　to

convey　to　him　and　to　her　other　friends　upon　the　Commission　the

vast　funds　of　her　expert　knowledgeso　essential　in　the

examination　of　witnessesby　means　of　innumerable　consultations；

letters；　and　memoranda。　It　was　even　doubtful　whether　the

proprieties　would　admit　of　her　giving　evidence；　and　at　last；　as　a

compromise；　her　modesty　only　allowed　her　to　do　so　in　the　form　of

written　answers　to　written　questions。　At　length；　the　grand　affair

was　finished。　The　Commission's　Report；　embodying　almost　word　for

word　the　suggestions　of　Miss　Nightingale；　was　drawn　up　by　Sidney

Herbert。　Only　one　question　remained　to　be　answeredwould

anything；　after　all；　be　done？　Or　would　the　Royal　Commission；　like

so　many　other　Royal　Commissions　before　and　since；　turn　out　to

have　achieved　nothing　but　the　concoction　of　a　very　fat　bluebook

on　a　very　high　shelf？



And　so　the　last　and　the　deadliest　struggle　with　the　Bison　began。

Six　months　had　been　spent　in　coercing　him　into　granting　the

Commission　effective　powers；　six　more　months　were　occupied　by　the

work　of　the　Commission；　and　now　yet　another　six　were　to　pass　in

extorting　from　him　the　means　whereby　the　recommendations　of　the

Commission　might　be　actually　carried　out。　But；　in　the　end；　the

thing　was　done。　Miss　Nightingale　seemed；　indeed；　during　these

months；　to　be　upon　the　very　brink　of　death。　Accompanied　by　the

faithful　Aunt　Mai；　she　moved　from　place　to　placeto　Hampstead；

to　Highgate；　to　Derbyshire；　to　Malvernin　what　appeared　to　be　a

last　desperate　effort　to　find　health　somewhere；　but　she　carried

that　with　her　which　made　health　impossible。　Her　desire　for　work

could　now　scarcely　be　distinguished　from　mania。　At　one　moment　she

was　writing　a　'last　letter'　to　Sidney　Herbert；　at　the　next　she

was　offering　to　go　out　to　India　to　nurse　the　sufferers　in　the

Mutiny。　When　Dr。　Sutherland　wrote；　imploring　her　to　take　a

holiday；　she　raved。　Rest！'I　am　lying　without　my　head；　without

my　claws；　and　you　all　peck　at　me。　It　is　de　rigueur；　d'obligation；

like　the　saying　something　to　one's　hat；　when　one　goes　into

church；　to　say　to　me　all　that　has　been　said　to　me　110　times　a　day

during　the　last　three　months。　It　is　the　obbligato　on　the　violin；

and　the　twelve　violins　all　practise　it　together；　like　the　clocks

striking　twelve　o'clock　at　night　all　over　London；　till　I　say　like

Xavier　de　Maistre；　Assez；　je　sais；　je　ne　le　sais　que　trop。　I　am

not　a　penitent；　but　you　are　like　the　R。C。　confessor；　who　says

what　is　de　rigueur。　。。。'



Her　wits　began　to　turn；　and　there　was　no　holding　her。　She　worked

like　a　slave　in　a　mine。　She　began　to　believe；　as　she　had　begun　to

believe　at　Scutari；　that　none　of　her　fellow…workers　had　their

hearts　in　the　business；　if　they　had；　why　did　they　not　work　as　she

did？　She　could　only　see　slackness　and　stupidity　around　her。　Dr。

Sutherland；　of　course；　was　grotesquely　muddle…headed；　and　Arthur

Clough　incurably　lazy。　Even　Sidney　Herbert　。。。　oh　yes；　he　had

simplicity　and　candour　and　quickness　of　perception；　no　doubt；　but

he　was　an　eclectic；　and　what　could　one　hope　for　from　a　man　who

went　away　to　fish　in　Ireland　just　when　the　Bison　most　needed

bullying？　As　for　the　Bison　himself；　he　had　fled　to　Scotland　where

he　remained　buried　for　many　months。　The　fate　of　the　vital

recommendation　in　the　Commission's　Reportthe　appointment　of

four　Sub…Commissions　charged　with　the　duty　of　determining　upon

the　details　of　the　proposed　reforms　and　of　putting　them　into

executionstill　hung　in　the　balance。　The　Bison　consented　to

everything；　and　then；　on　a　flying　visit　to　London；　withdrew　his

consent　and　hastily　returned　to　Scotland。　Then　for　many　weeks　all

business　was　suspended；　he　had　goutgout　in　the　hands　so　that

he　could　not　write。　'His　gout　was　always　handy；'　remarked　Miss

Nightingale。　But　eventually　it　was　clear　even　to　the　Bison　that

the　game　was　up；　and　the　inevitable　surrender　came。



There　was；　however；　one　point　in　which　he　triumphed　over　Miss

Nightingale：　the　building　of　Netley　Hospital　had　been　begun　under

his　orders；　before　her　return　to　England。　Soon　after　her　arrival

she　examined　the　plans；　and　found　that　they　reproduced　all　the

worst　faults　of　an　out…of…date　and　mischievous　system　of　hospital

construction。　She　therefore　urged　that　the　matter　should　be

reconsidered；　and　in　the　meantime　the　building　stopped。　But　the

Bison　was　obdurate；　it　would　be　very　expensive；　and　in　any　case

it　was　too　late。　Unable　to　make　any　impression　on　him；　and

convinced　of　the　extreme　importance　of　the　question；　she

determined　to　appeal　to　a　higher　authority。　Lord　Palmerston　was

Prime　Minister；　she　had　known　him　from　her　childhood；　he　was　a

near　neighbour　of　her　father's　in　the　New　Forest。　She　went　down

to　the　New　Forest；　armed　with　the　plan　of　the　proposed　hospital

and　all　the　relevant　information；　stayed　the　night　at　Lord

Palmerston's　house；　and　convinced　him　of　the　necessity　of

rebuilding　Netley。　'It　seems　to　me；'　Lord　Palmerston　wrote　to

Lord　Panmure；　'that　at　Netley　all　consideration　of　what　would

best　tend　to　the　comfort　and　recovery　of　the　patients　has　been

sacrificed　to　the　vanity　of　the　architect；　whose　sole　object　has

been　to　make　a　building　which　should　cut　a　dash　when　looked　at

from　the　Southampton　river。。。　　Pray；　therefore；　stop　all　further

progress　in　the　work　until　the　matter　can　be　duly　considered。'

But　the　Bison　was　not　to　be　moved　by　one　peremptory　letter；　even

if　it　was　from　the　Prime　Minister。　He　put　forth　all　his　powers　of

procrastination；　Lord　Palmerston　lost　interest　in　the　subject；

and　so　the　chief　military　hospital　in　England　was　triumphantly

completed　on　insanitary　principles；　with　unventilated　rooms；　and

with　all　the　patients'　windows　facing　northeast。



But　now　the　time　had　come　when　the　Bison　was　to　trouble　and　to　be

troubled　no　more。　A　vote　in　the　House　of　Commons　brought　about

the　fall　of　Lord　Palmerston's　Government；　and；　Lord　Panmure　found

himself　at　liberty　to　devote　the　rest　of　his　life　to　the　Free

Church　of　Scotland。　After　a　brief　interval；　Sidney　Herbert　became

Secretary　of　State　for　War。　Great　was　the　jubilation　in　the

Nightingale　Cabinet：　the　day　of　achievement　had　dawned　at　last。

The　next　two　and　a　half　years　（1859…61）　saw　the　introduction　of

the　whole　system　of　reforms　for　which　Miss　Nightingale　had　been

struggling　so　fiercelyreforms　which　make　Sidney　Herbert's

tenure　of　power　at　the　War　Office　an　important　epoch　in　the

history　of　the　British　Army。　The　four　Sub…Commissions；　firmly

established　under　the　immediate　control　of　the　Minister；　and

urged　forward　by　the　relentless　perseverance　of　Miss　Nightingale；

set　to　work　with　a　will。　The　barracks　and　the　hospitals　were

remodelled；　they　were　properly　ventilated　and　warmed　and　lighted

for　the　first　time；　they　were　given　a　water　supply　which　actually

supplied　water；　and　kitchens　where；　strange　to　say；　it　was

possible　to　cook。　Then　the　great　question　of　the　Purveyorthat

portentous　functionary　whose　powers　and　whose　lack　of　powers　had

weighed　like　a　nightmare　upon　Scutariwas　taken　in　hand；　and　new

regulations　were　laid　down；　accurately　defining　his

responsibilities　and　his　duties。　One　Sub…Commission　reorganised

the　medical　statistics　of　the　Army；　another　established　in　spite