Volume I Part 10 (1/2)

[61] Letter to Sir John McNeill, May 17, 1860

Miss Nightingale's object, in her first expeditions to John Street, had been to discover and discuss the kind of literature affected by the -men The conclusion at which she arrived was that ”the ion at all”[62] She set to work, accordingly, to find a new religion for the she took much counsel with one of her aunts This was ”Aunt Mai,” her father's sister, Mary Shore, e nuious subjects was preserved by Miss Nightingale They show spiritual insight, and a considerable talent in speculative thought The postscript of Miss Nightingale's letter to her father, given above, contains one of the funday--the idea of Perfect Goodness, willing that mankind shall create ested by Aunt Mai when she wrote to her niece: ”The purpose of God is to accoift from Him, but as to be attained for each individual and for the whole race by the right exercise of the capabilities of each”

[62] Letter to Sir John McNeill, May 17, 1860

During 1851 and 1852 aunt and niece corresponded at great length on these high ale had her new religion ready for the criticism of her friends ”Many thanks,” she wrote (Nov 19) to her cousin Hilary, ”for your letter of corrections and annotations, all of which I have adopted I should ular talk with you about the Novel I have not the least idea whether I shall have to reion'

entirely; for I am so sick of it that I lose all discrimination about the ensemble and the form” Her object is explained in a letter of about the same date to another friend:--

(_To R Monckton Milnes_) I a you whether you would look over certain things which I have written for the working-men on the subject of belief in a God All theover to atheisue kind of theism I have read them to one or two, and they have liked them I should have liked to have asked you if you think them likely to be read by more; but you are perhaps not interested in the subject, or you have no tis If you tell me this, it will be no surprise or disappointhton_, vol i p 475

Lord Houghton read the et it

Several years later, when Miss Nightingale was ill, and thought likely to die, he wrote to her suggesting that if she had ements for the preservation and possible publication of her essay, she ht,” he said (March 11, '61), ”of asking you what you meant to do with the papers you have written on social and speculative subjects They surely should not be destroyed; and yet I hardly knohom you will entrust them, ould not misunderstand, misinterpret, and misuse them If you were to leave them in my hands, they would be, at any rate, safe fro or crude exposure, and could be used in any way ht think fit” By that timent of other men of letters; and to that later period further reference to the subject had better be postponed

IV

The forion, whether for the tailors or others, is no short task, and Miss Nightingale's ”Works”otherwise unoccupied hours in 1852 But the ”Works” were only bye-work HerSome vexatious delays and difficulties were still to be encountered, but she faced thee of the struggle wears an aspect edy She had successfully asserted her independence once in going to Kaiserswerth In an iue with her mother, she makes herself say, ”Why, my dear, you don't suppose that with my 'talents' and my 'European reputation' and ling about o and look out for work, to be sure You reat deal more if I had married or been a son Youto part with ht to her parents, Florence had now a valuable ally in her Aunt Mai So of a diplomatist, as well as of a philosopher, ithin the powers of that excellent woman Without any interference which could be resented, by insinuating a word here, suggesting a phrase there, and pouring oil upon troubled waters everywhere, Aunt Mai did a good deal to sle for independence

Like all good diploht first for a basis of compromise She was able to sympathize with both sides She holly favourable to her niece's aspirations and claims But as a mother herself, she could enter into the case of her brother and his wife It was not that they were selfishly obstructive; it was that, finding so much interest and enjoyment themselves in their oay of life, they desired in all love that the daughter should not deprive herself of the saed? Let it be agreed that Florence should spend part of each year in pursuit of what the hter's fancies, and spend another part at hoement which was in fact now in force

The coh for a while, but Florence wanted soain, Aunt Mai's diploic eye, she saw that Mrs Nightingale held the key of the position Mr Nightingale in his heart was at one with Florence He ad that she should go her oay, and was not reluctant to make her some independent allowance, such as would enable her to conduct a mission or an institution But, as he said to his sister, whenever he broached anything of the kind to his wife and elder daughter, he found theale was one of those amiable men who are inclined to take the line of least resistance It was Mrs Nightingale's opposition, therefore, that had to be overcome ”Yourthat you undertake a mission like Mrs Fry or Mrs Chisholm,[64] but she thinks it necessary for your peace and well-being that there should be a Mr Fry or Captain Chisholht to defend you fro which _she thinks_ would be an iood many htingale's side But Aunt Mai, having made her sister-in-law define the position, pressed the advantage in an ingenious way Florence was already thirty-two; and a tiuine ly, that ”at soe”

Florence should be free to do the work of a Mrs Fry or a Mrs Chisholm without the protection of a Mr F or a Captain C There was even soreeht better of such a plan, and contented herself with calling in another witness to the verbal understanding This was the lady--Mrs Bracebridge--o years later was to accoale on a mission more renowned even than that of Mrs Fry or Mrs Chisholained by Aunt Mai's diploical consequence followed Presently, at soe, Florence was to be free to control some philanthropic institution; but ould be the use of being free to do so, unless she were also trained and qualified?

[64] Caroline Jones (1808-77) married Captain Chisholm, 1830; opened orphan schools in Madras, 1832; befriended feale had correspondence with her in 1862

V

Having lived and learnt aale was next deter the Catholic Sisters in France She sought the good offices of Manning, whose acquaintance she had made in Rome five years before, and who had now lately been received into the Ro put himself into communication with his friend, the Abbe Des Genettes, in Paris The Abbe obtained leave frolish lady to study their institutions It had been explained to hi the hospitals in Paris The Abbe accordingly selected a House belonging to the Sisters which would offer every advantage in this respect Her cousin, Miss Hilary Bonham Carter, as intent on the study of art and had been invited to stay with M and Madausta Bruce was also to be of the party It was in the salon of Madausta met her future husband, Dean Stanley

Thus, then, it had been arranged The necessary authorization from the Sisters had been obtained in September The start was to be ale drew back She wrote of the plan, not as soreed upon, but as a new proposition ”I a of some new expedition, perhaps to Paris I cannotat a friend's house in London Her father careatly distressed There was co to Embley, and could Florence have the heart to leave her mother? ”Parthe would be in hysterics” Every one would be in despair

Could she not delay? An aged kinswoman, moreover, was ill, as already related Florence yielded, perhaps more to this last consideration than to the others, and the start was postponed There was a lingering hope that the expedition to Paris estion was o to the Sisters, and Roman Catholic Sisters, too--abroad? Why should she not stay at home, and conduct some small institution on her own account? There was a house available for such a purpose at Croale would provide the necessary funds In this way the best ht be made of both worlds--of theirs, and of hers

Florence was touched, but remained of her own mind:--

(_To her sister_) _January_ 3 Oh, my dearest Pop, I wish I could tell you how I love you and thank you for your kind thoughts as received in your letter to-day If you did but kno genial it is toand that they would speed ht of Cromford seems to say they are ready to do I rite to Mama about Paris and Cromford My Pop, whether at one or the other, my heart will be with thee Now if these see you, have patience with me, my dearest I hope that you and I shall live to prove a true love to each other I cannot, during the year's round, go the hich (for my sake, I know) you have wished There have been tihts which I feel ingrained in my nature

But, if thatbetter shall be If I ask your blessing on a part of my time for my absence, I hope to be all the happier with you for that absence e are together

Miss Nightingale refused Croe House: it was most unsuitable for the purpose; the only e”

at E year, Florence joined the Sisters of Charity in Paris And thus, after les and delays, was she launched upon her true work in the world

CHAPTER X