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eminent victorians-第33章

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services of others would be absolutely indispensable。 Helpers and

servers she must have; and accordingly there was soon formed

about her a little group of devoted disciples upon whose

affections and energies she could implicitly rely。 Devoted;

indeed; these disciples were; in no ordinary sense of the term;

for certainly she was no light taskmistress; and he who set out

to be of use to Miss Nightingale was apt to find; before he had

gone very far; that he was in truth being made use of in good

earnest to the very limit of his endurance and his capacity。

Perhaps; even beyond those limits; why not? Was she asking of

others more than she was giving herself? Let them look at her

lying there pale and breathless on the couch; could it be said

that she spared herself? Why; then; should she spare others? And

it was not for her own sake that she made these claims。 For her

own sake; indeed! No! They all knew it! it was for the sake of

the work。 And so the little band; bound body and soul in that

strange servitude; laboured on ungrudgingly。



Among the most faithful was her 'Aunt Mai'; her father's sister;

who from the earliest days had stood beside her; who had helped

her to escape from the thraldom of family life; who had been with

her at Scutari; and who now acted almost the part of a mother to

her; watching over her with infinite care in all the movements

and uncertainties which her state of health involved。 Another

constant attendant was her brother…in…law; Sir Harry Verney; whom

she found particularly valuable in parliamentary affairs。 Arthur

Clough; the poet; also a connection by marriage; she used in

other ways。 Ever since he had lost his faith at the time of the

Oxford Movement; Clough had passed his life in a condition of

considerable uneasiness; which was increased rather than

diminished by the practice of poetry。 Unable to decide upon the

purpose of an existence whose savour had fled together with his

belief in the Resurrection; his spirits lowered still further by

ill…health; and his income not all that it should be; he had

determined to seek the solution of his difficulties in the United

States of America。 But; even there; the solution was not

forthcoming; and; when; a little later; he was offered a post in

a government department at home; he accepted it; came to live in

London; and immediately fell under the influence of Miss

Nightingale。 Though the purpose of existence might be still

uncertain and its nature still unsavoury; here; at any rate;

under the eye of this inspired woman; was something real;

something earnest: his only doubt was could he be of any use?

Certainly he could。 There were a great number of miscellaneous

little jobs which there was nobody handy to do。 For instance;

when Miss Nightingale was travelling; there were the railway…

tickets to be taken; and there were proof…sheets to be corrected;

and then there were parcels to be done up in brown paper; and

carried to the post。 Certainly he could be useful。 And so; upon

such occupations as these; Arthur Clough was set to work。 'This

that I see; is not all;' he comforted himself by reflecting; 'and

this that I do is but little; nevertheless it is good; though

there is better than it。'As time went on; her 'Cabinet'; as she

called it; grew larger。 Officials with whom her work brought her

into touch and who sympathised with her objects; were pressed

into her service; and old friends of the Crimean days gathered

around her when they returned to England。 Among these the most

indefatigable was Dr。 Sutherland; a sanitary expert; who for more

than thirty years acted as her confidential private secretary;

and surrendered to her purposes literally the whole of his life。

Thus sustained and assisted; thus slaved for and adored; she

prepared to beard the Bison。



Two facts soon emerged; and all that followed turned upon them。

It became clear; in the first place; that that imposing mass was

not immovable; and; in the second; that its movement; when it did

move; would be exceeding slow。 The Bison was no match for the

Lady。 It was in vain that he put down his head and planted his

feet in the earth; he could not withstand her; the white hand

forced him back。 But the process was an extraordinarily gradual

one。 Dr。 Andrew Smith and all his War Office phalanx stood

behind; blocking the way; the poor Bison groaned inwardly; and

cast a wistful eye towards the happy pastures of the Free Church

of Scotland; then slowly; with infinite reluctance; step by step;

he retreated; disputing every inch of the ground。



The first great measure; which; supported as it was by the Queen;

the Cabinet; and the united opinion of the country; it was

impossible to resist; was the appointment of a Royal Commission

to report upon the health of the Army。 The question of the

composition of the Commission then immediately arose; and it was

over this matter that the first hand…to…hand encounter between

Lord Panmure and Miss Nightingale took place。 They met; and Miss

Nightingale was victorious; Sidney Herbert was appointed

Chairman; and; in the end; the only member of the Commission

opposed to her views was Dr。 Andrew Smith。 During the interview;

Miss Nightingale made an important discovery: she found that 'the

Bison was bullyable'the hide was the hide of a Mexican buffalo;

but the spirit was the spirit of an Alderney calf。 And there was

one thing above all others which the huge creature dreadedan

appeal to public opinion。 The faintest hint of such a terrible

eventuality made his heart dissolve within him; he would agree to

anything he would cut short his grouse…shootinghe would make a

speech in the House of Lords; he would even overrule Dr。 Andrew

Smithrather than that。 Miss Nightingale held the fearful threat

in reserveshe would speak out what she knew; she would publish

the truth to the whole world; and let the whole world judge

between them。 With supreme skill; she kept this sword of Damocles



poised above the Bison's head; and more than once she was

actually on the point of really dropping it for his

recalcitrancy grew and grew。



The personnel of the Commission once determined upon; there was a

struggle; which lasted for six months; over the nature of its

powersWas it to be an efficient body; armed with the right of

full inquiry and wide examination; or was it to be a polite

official contrivance for exonerating Dr。 Andrew Smith? The War

Office phalanx closed its ranks; and fought tooth and nail; but

it was defeated: the Bison was bullyable。 'Three months from this

day;' Miss Nightingale had written at last; 'I publish my

experience of the Crimean Campaign; and my suggestions for

improvement; unless there has been a fair and tangible pledge by

that time for reform。' Who could face that?



And; if the need came; she meant to be as good as her word。 For

she had now determined; whatever might be the fate of the

Commission; to draw up her own report upon the questions at

issue。 The labour involved was enormous; her health was almost

desperate; but she did not flinch; and after six months of

incredible industry she had put together and written with her own

hand her Notes affecting the Health; Efficiency; and Hospital

Administration of the British Army。 This extraordinary

composition; filling more than 800 closely printed pages; laying

down vast principles of far…reaching reform; discussing the

minutest details of a multitude of controversial subjects;

containing an enormous mass of information of the most varied

kindsmilitary; statistical; sanitary; architecturalwas never

given to the public; for the need never came; but it formed the

basis of the Report of the Royal Commission; and it remains to

this day the leading authority on the medical administration of

armies。



Before it had been completed; the struggle over the powers of the

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

compr
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