Volume I Part 11 (1/2)

Convalescence was rapid On July 13 she returned to London, and a ale went into residence in her first ”situation” The place in question, already briefly described in one of her letters to Madame Mohl, was that of Superintendent of an ”Establish Illness” This institution had been founded a few years before, at 8 Chandos Street, Cavendish Square, to give overnesses and other gentlewoed by a Council, which in its turn appointed a ”Committee of Ladies” and a ”Committee of Gentlemen”

We need not trouble ourselves with the relations between the two coale; but it is characteristic of the ideas of the tientleements,” as also ”the selection of lake devoted several pages of his most elaborate satire to a comparison of the male pretensions and the female performances in their respective spheres in the hospitals of the Criale found the ladies uished in Chandos Street She was called in to give it new life Suitable new premises had been found at No 1 Upper Harley Street, and there Miss Nightingale lived, with a few brief intervals, until October 1854 She had also a _pied-a-terre_ in sos taken for her by her aunt in Pall Mall, where she occasionally saw her friends, and whither she resorted on Sunday s, in order not to scandalize the patients in Harley Street by being known not to go to church She had stipulated for extensive powers of control, and she was not one to let any agreed powers suffer diminution from desuetude The ladies on the Council and the Co already le, Lady Caroline Murray, and others well known in the worlds of society and philanthropy Miss Nightingale had her special friends and allies alis, and Mrs Sidney Herbert presently joined the Co in Roale had seendistance of Eale had assisted at the birth of one of Mrs Herbert's children; and a to this period is a ”Syllabus of Religious Teaching for a Girls' School,” which they had adapted froirls Mrs Herbert norote froht soht be there ould set up their backs; and if so, I should like to have ain: ”I hope you rite to me, dearest Flo, should any little difficulties arise whilst we are out of town”

Difficulties did arise in plenty, but Miss Nightingale was sometimes pereentle art ofcomust_ 20 Clarkey dear, I would write, but I can't I have had to prepare this immense house for patients in ten days--without a bit of help but only hindrance frolish societies, I would supply him with such Statistics as would astonish even his, and I've no time I have been ”in service” ten days, and have had to furnish an entirely empty house in that tiot our workmen out yet

My Committee refused ood-ht take in Jews and their Rabbis to attend them So now it is settled, and _in print_, that we are to take in all denominations whatever, and allow them to be visited by their respective priests and Muftis, provided _I_ will receive (in any case _whatsoever_ that is _not_ of the Church of England) the obnoxious animal at the door, take hi with his patient, make myself _responsible_ that he does not speak to, or look at, _any one else_, and bring hiain in a noose, and out into the street And to this I have agreed! And this is in print!

Amen Froland and all other deadly sin--from philanthropy and all the deceits of the Devil, Good Lord, deliver us

In great haste, ever yours overflowingly It will do ain

(_To her Father_) 1 UPPER HARLEY ST, _December_ 3 [1853] DEAR PAPA--You ask for my observations upon _my_ line of statesmanshi+p I have been so very busy that I have scarcelyso now for your benefit, I perceive:--

When I entered into service here, I deter the Coue I propose in private to A, B, or C the resolution I think A, B, or Cin committee, and then leave it to them, and I alin

I am now in the hey-day of my power At the last General Co about it) a resolution that I should have 50 per month to spend for the House, and wrote to the Treasurer to advance it me Whereupon I wrote to the Treasurer to refuse it reatest eneh London And all because I have reduced their expenditure from 1s 10d per head per day to 1s The opinions of others concerning you depend, not at all, or very little, upon what _you_ are, but upon what _they_ are

Praise and bla an indication of what h very precious as the indication of the other's feeling

Last General Committee I executed a series of Resolutions on five subjects, and presented the from the Medical Men:--

1 That the successor to our House Surgeon (resigned) should be a dispenser, and dispense the ist's of 150 per annum

2 A series of House Rules, of which I send you the rough copy

3 A series of resolutions about not _keeping_ patients, of which I send you the foul copy

4 A complete revolution as to Diet, which is shamefully abused at present

5 An advertisement for the Institution, of which I send the foul copy

All these I proposed and carried in Co them that they came from _me_ and not from the Medical Men; and then, and not till then, I showed the _them_ that they were already passed _in committee_

It was a bold stroke, but success is said to make an insurrection into a revolution The Medical Men have had two s upon theht they were their own

And I caue, which of course would ruin me were it known, as there is asthe Medical Men of one another, as ever what's his nah

I have also carried ood, har curate to have spiritual flirtations withladies

And so much for the earthquakes in this little mole-hill of ours

(_To her Father_)I send you some more documentary evidence--the tail of my Quarterly Report My Coed to tell them such obvious truths as are contained in what _I make the Medical Men say_ This place is exactly like the ad of the Poor Law

We have cases of purely lazy fits and cases deserted by their fae a single case _They_ say the Medical Men h the cases, they say, _ap on all occasions