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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 had come for bestowing a public
honour on Florence Nightingale。 She was offered the Order of
Merit。 That Order； whose roll contains； among other distinguished
names； those of Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema and Sir Edward Elgar； is
remarkable chiefly for the fact that； as its title indicates； it
is bestowed because its recipient deserves it； and for no other
reason。 Miss Nightingale's representatives accepted the honour；
and her name； after a lapse of many years； once more appeared in
the Press。 Congratulations from all sides came pouring in。 There
was a universal burst of enthusiasma final revivification of
the ancient myth。 Among her other admirers； the German Emperor
took this opportunity of expressing his feelings towards her。
'His Majesty；' wrote the German Ambassador； 'having just brought
to a close a most enjoyable stay in the beautiful neighbourhood
of your old home near Romsey； has commanded me to present you
with some flowers as a token of his esteem。' Then； by Royal
command； the Order of Merit was brought to South Street； and
there was a little ceremony of presentation。 Sir Douglas Dawson；
after a short speech； stepped forward； and handed the insignia of
the Order to Miss Nightingale。 Propped up by pillows； she dimly
recognised that some compliment was being paid her。 'Too kind
too kind；' she murmured； and she was not ironical。
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sir E。 Cook。 Life of Florence Nightingale。
A。 W。 Kinglake。 The Invasion of the Crimea。
Lord Sidney Godolphin Osborne。 Scutari and its Hospitals。
S。 M。 Mitra。 Life of Sir John Hall。
Lord Stanmore。 Sidney Herbert。
Sir G。 Douglas。 The Panmure Papers。
Sir H。 Maxwell。 Life and Letters of the Fourth Earl of Clarendon。
E。Abbott and L。 Campbell。 Life and Letters of Benjamin Jowett。
A。H。 Clough。 Poems and Memoir。
Dr。 Arnold
IN 1827 the headmastership of Rugby School fell vacant； and it
became necessary for the twelve trustees； noblemen and gentlemen
of Warwickshire； to appoint a successor to the post。 Reform was
in the airpolitical； social； religious； there was even a
feeling abroad that our great public schools were not quite all
that they should be； and that some change or otherno one
precisely knew whatbut some change in the system of their
management； was highly desirable。 Thus it was natural that when
the twelve noblemen and gentlemen； who had determined to be
guided entirely by the merits of the candidates； found among the
testimonials pouring in upon them a letter from Dr。 Hawkins； the
Provost of Oriel； predicting that if they elected Mr。 Thomas
Arnold he would 'change the face of education all through the
public schools of England'； they hesitated no longer； obviously；
Mr。 Thomas Arnold was their man。 He was elected therefore；
received； as was fitting； priest's orders； became； as was no less
fitting； a Doctor of Divinity； and in August； 1828； took up the
duties of his office。
All that was known of the previous life of Dr。 Arnold seemed to
justify the prediction of the Provost of Oriel； and the choice of
the Trustees。 The son of a respectable Collector of Customs； he
had been educated at Winchester and at Oxford； where his industry
and piety had given him a conspicuous place among his fellow
students。 It is true that； as a schoolboy； a certain pompousness
in the style of his letters home suggested to the more clear…
sighted among his relatives the possibility that young Thomas
might grow up into a prig； but； after all； what else could be
expected from a child who； at the age of three； had been
presented by his father； as a reward for proficiency in his
studies； with the twenty…four volumes of Smollett's History of
England？
His career at Oxford had been a distinguished one； winding up
with an Oriel fellowship。 It was at about this time that the
smooth and satisfactory progress of his life was for a moment
interrupted： he began to be troubled by religious doubts。 These
doubts； as we learn from one of his contemporaries； who
afterwards became Mr。 Justice Coleridge； 'were not low nor
rationalistic in their tendency； according to the bad sense of
that term； there was no indisposition in him to believe merely
because the article transcended his reason； he doubted the proof
and the interpretation of the textual authority'。 In his
perturbation； Arnold consulted Keble； who was at that time one of
his closest friends； and a Fellow of the same College。 'The
subject of these distressing thoughts；' Keble wrote to Coleridge；
'is that most awful one； on which all very inquisitive reasoning
minds are； I believe； most liable to such temptationsI mean；
the doctrine of the blessed Trinity。 Do not start； my dear
Coleridge； I do not believe that Arnold has any serious scruples
of the UNDERSTANDING about it； but it is a defect of his mind
that he cannot get rid of a certain feeling of objections。' What
was to be done？ Keble's advice was peremptory。 Arnold was 'bid to
pause in his inquiries； to pray earnestly for help and light from
above； and turn himself more strongly than ever to the practical
duties of a holy life'。 He did so； and the result was all that
could be wished。 He soon found himself blessed with perfect peace
of mind； and a settled conviction。
One other difficulty； and one only； we hear of at this point in
his life。 His dislike of early rising amounted； we are told；
'almost to a constitutional infirmity'。 This weakness too he
overcame； yet not quite so successfully as his doubts upon the
doctrine of the Trinity。 For in afterlife； the Doctor would often
declare 'that early rising continued to be a daily effort to him
and that in this instance he never found the truth of the usual
rule that all things are made easy by custom。
He married young and settled down in the country as a private
tutor for youths preparing for the Universities。 There he
remained for ten yearshappy； busy； and sufficiently prosperous。