eminent victorians-第42章

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these　horrible　twenty　years；　I　have　been　supported　by　the　belief

that　I　was　working　with　Thee　who　would　bring　everyone；　even　our

poor　nurses；　to　perfection'and　yet；　after　all；　what　was　the

result？　Had　not　even　she　been　an　unprofitable　servant？　One　night；

waking　suddenly；　she　saw；　in　the　dim　light　of　the　night…lamp；

tenebrous　shapes　upon　the　wall。　The　past　rushed　back　upon　her。

'Am　I　she　who　once　stood　on　that　Crimean　height？'　she　wildly

asked　〃The　Lady　with　a　lamp　shall　stand　。　。　。The　lamp　shows　me

only　my　utter　shipwreck。'



She　sought　consolation　in　the　writings　of　the　Mystics　and　in　a

correspondence　with　Mr。　Jowett。　For　many　years　the　Master　of

Balliol　acted　as　her　spiritual　adviser。　He　discussed　with　her　in

a　series　of　enormous　letters　the　problems　of　religion　and

philosophy；　he　criticised　her　writings　on　those　subjects　with　the

tactful　sympathy　of　a　cleric　who　was　also　a　man　of　the　world；　and

he　even　ventured　to　attempt　at　times　to　instil　into　her

rebellious　nature　some　of　his　own　peculiar　suavity。　'I　sometimes

think；'　he　told　her；　'that　you　ought　seriously　to　consider　how

your　work　may　be　carried　on；　not　with　less　energy；　but　in　a

calmer　spirit。　I　am　not　blaming　the　past。。。　　But　I　want　the　peace

of　God　to　settle　on　the　future。'　He　recommended　her　to　spend　her

time　no　longer　in　'conflicts　with　Government　offices'；　and　to

take　up　some　literary　work。　He　urged　her　to　'work　out　her　notion

of　Divine　Perfection'；　in　a　series　of　essays　for　Frazer's

Magazine。　She　did　so；　and　the　result　was　submitted　to　Mr。　Froude；

who　pronounced　the　second　essay　to　be　'even　more　pregnant　than

the　first。　I　cannot　tell；'　he　said；　'how　sanitary；　with

disordered　intellects；　the　effects　of　such　papers　will　be。'



Mr。　Carlyle；　indeed；　used　different　language；　and　some　remarks　of

his　about　a　lost　lamb　bleating　on　the　mountains；　having　been

unfortunately　repeated　to　Miss　Nightingale；　required　all　Mr。

Jowett's　suavity　to　keep　the　peace。　In　a　letter　of　fourteen

sheets；　he　turned　her　attention　from　this　painful　topic　towards　a

discussion　of　Quietism。　'I　don't　see　why；'　said　the　Master　of

Balliol；　'active　life　might　not　become　a　sort　of　passive　life

too。'　And　then；　he　added；　'I　sometimes　fancy　there　are

possibilities　of　human　character　much　greater　than　have　been

realised。'　She　found　such　sentiments　helpful；　underlining　them　in

blue　pencil；　and；　in　return；　she　assisted　her　friend　with　a　long

series　of　elaborate　comments　upon　the　Dialogues　of　Plato；　most　of

which　he　embodied　in　the　second　edition　of　his　translation。

Gradually　her　interest　became　more　personal；　she　told　him　never

to　work　again　after　midnight；　and　he　obeyed　her。　Then　she　helped

him　to　draw　up　a　special　form　of　daily　service　for　the　College

Chapel；　with　selections　from　the　Psalms　under　the　heads　of　'God

the　Lord；　God　the　judge；　God　the　Father；　and　God　the　Friend'

though；　indeed；　this　project　was　never　realised；　for　the　Bishop

of　Oxford　disallowed　the　alterations；　exercising　his　legal

powers；　on　the　advice　of　Sir　Travers　Twiss。



Their　relations　became　intimate。　'The　spirit　of　the　Twenty…third　

Psalm　and　the　spirit　of　the　Nineteenth　Psalm　should　be　united　in

our　lives；'　Mr。　Jowett　said。　Eventually；　she　asked　him　to　do　her

a　singular　favour。　Would　he；　knowing　what　he　did　of　her　religious

views；　come　to　London　and　administer　to　her　the　Holy　Sacrament？

He　did　not　hesitate；　and　afterwards　declared　that　he　would　always

regard　the　occasion　as　a　solemn　event　in　his　life。　He　was　devoted

to　her　though　the　precise　nature　of　his　feelings　towards　her

never　quite　transpired。　Her　feelings　towards　him　were　more　mixed。

At　first；　he　was　'that　great　and　good　man''that　true　saint；　Mr。

Jowett'；　but；　as　time　went　on；　some　gall　was　mingled　with　the

balm；　the　acrimony　of　her　nature　asserted　itself。　She　felt　that

she　gave　more　sympathy　than　she　received；　she　was　exhausted；　and

she　was　annoyed　by　his　conversation。　Her　tongue；　one　day；　could

not　refrain　from　shooting　out　at　him：　'He　comes　to　me；　and　he

talks　to　me；'　she　said；　'as　if　I　were　someone　else。'



V



AT　one　time　she　had　almost　decided　to　end　her　life　in　retirement

as　a　patient　at　St。　Thomas's　Hospital。　But　partly　owing　to　the

persuasions　of　Mr。　Jowett；　she　changed　her　mind；　for　forty…five

years　she　remained　in　South　Street；　and　in　South　Street　she　died。

As　old　age　approached；　though　her　influence　with　the　official

world　gradually　diminished；　her　activities　seemed　to　remain　as

intense　and　widespread　as　before。　When　hospitals　were　to　be

built；　when　schemes　of　sanitary　reform　were　in　agitation；　when

wars　broke　out；　she　was　still　the　adviser　of　all　Europe。　Still；

with　a　characteristic　self…assurance；　she　watched　from　her

Mayfair　bedroom　over　the　welfare　of　India。　Still；　with　an

indefatigable　enthusiasm；　she　pushed　forward　the　work；　which；

perhaps；　was　nearer　to　her　heart；　more　completely　her　own；　than

all　the　rest　the　training　of　nurses。　　In　her　moments　of　deepest

depression；　when　her　greatest　achievements　seemed　to　lose　their

lustre；　she　thought　of　her　nurses；　and　was　comforted。　The　ways　of

God；　she　found；　were　strange　indeed。　'How　inefficient　I　was　in

the　Crimea；'　she　noted。　'Yet　He　has　raised　up　from　it　trained

nursing。'



At　other　times；　she　was　better　satisfied。　Looking　back；　she　was

amazed　by　the　enormous　change　which；　since　her　early　days；　had

come　over　the　whole　treatment　of　illness；　the　whole　conception　of

public　and　domestic　healtha　change　in　which；　she　knew；　she　had

played　her　part。　One　of　her　Indian　admirers；　the　Aga　Khan；　came

to　visit　her。　She　expatiated　on　the　marvellous　advances　she　had

lived　to　see　in　the　management　of　hospitals　in　drainage；　in

ventilation；　in　sanitary　work　of　every　kind。　There　was　a　pause；

and　then；　'Do　you　think　you　are　improving？'　asked　the　Aga　Khan。

She　was　a　little　taken　aback；　and　said；　'What　do　you　mean　by

〃improving〃？'　He　replied；　'Believing　more　in　God。'　She　saw　that

he　had　a　view　of　God　which　was　different　from　hers。　'A　most

interesting　man；'　she　noted　after　the　interview；　'but　you　could

never　teach　him　sanitation。'



When　old　age　actually　came；　something　curious　happened。　Destiny；

having　waited　very　patiently；　played　a　queer　trick　on　Miss

Nightingale。　The　benevolence　and　public　spirit　of　that　long　life

had　only　been　equalled　by　its　acerbity。　Her　virtue　had　dwelt　in

hardness；　and　she　had　poured　forth　her　unstinted　usefulness　with

a　bitter　smile　upon　her　lips。　And　now　the　sarcastic　years　brought

the　proud　woman　her　punishment。　She　was　not　to　die　as　she　had

lived。　The　sting　was　to　be　taken　out　of　her；　she　was　to　be　made

soft；　she　was　to　be　reduced　to　compliance　and　complacency。　The

change　came　gradually；　but　at　last　it　was　unmistakable。　The

terrible　commander　who　had　driven　Sidney　Herbert　to　his　death；　to

whom　Mr。　Jowett　had　applied　the　words　of　Homer；　amoton　memaniia

raging　insatiably　now　accepted　small　compliments　with

gratitude；　and　indulged　in　sentimental　friendships　with　young

girls。　The　author　of　〃Notes　on　Nursing〃that　classical

compendium　of　the　besetting　sins　of　the　sisterhood；　drawn　up　with

the　detailed　acrimony；　the　vindictive　relish；　of　a　Swiftnow

spent　long　hours　in　composing　sympathetic　Addresses　to

Probationers；　whom　she　petted　and　wept　over　in　turn。　And；　at　the

same　time；　there　appeared　a　corresponding　alteration　in　her

physical　mood。　The　thin；　angular　woman；　with　her　haughty　eye　and

her　acrid　mouth；　had　vanished；　and　in　her　place　was　the　rounded；

bulky　form　of　a　fat　old　lady；　smiling　all　day　long。　Then

something　else　became　visible。　The　brain　which　had　been　steeled

at　Scutari　was　indeed；　literally；　growing　soft。　Senilityan　ever

more　and　more　amiable　senilitydescended。　Towards　the　end；

consciousness　itself　grew　lost　in　a　roseate　haze；　and　melted　into

nothingness。



It　was　just　then；　three　years　before　her　death；　when　she　was

eighty…seven　years　old　（1907）；　that　those　in　authority　bethought

them　that　the　opportune　moment　h