eminent victorians-第27章

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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　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