eminent victorians-第30部分

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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

compromise；　her　modesty　only　allowed　her　to　do　so　in　the　form　of

written　answers　to　written　questions。　At　length；　the　grand　affair

was　finished。　The　Commission's　Report；　embodying　almost　word　for

word　the　suggestions　of　Miss　Nightingale；　was　drawn　up　by　Sidney

Herbert。　Only　one　question　remained　to　be　answeredwould

anything；　after　all；　be　done？　Or　would　the　Royal　Commission；　like

so　many　other　Royal　Commissions　before　and　since；　turn　out　to

have　achieved　nothing　but　the　concoction　of　a　very　fat　bluebook

on　a　very　high　shelf？



And　so　the　last　and　the　deadliest　struggle　with　the　Bison　began。

Six　months　had　been　spent　in　coercing　him　into　granting　the

Commission　effective　powers；　six　more　months　were　occupied　by　the

work　of　the　Commission；　and　now　yet　another　six　were　to　pass　in

extorting　from　him　the　means　whereby　the　recommendations　of　the

Commission　might　be　actually　carried　out。　But；　in　the　end；　the

thing　was　done。　Miss　Nightingale　seemed；　indeed；　during　these

months；　to　be　upon　the　very　brink　of　death。　Accompanied　by　the

faithful　Aunt　Mai；　she　moved　from　place　to　placeto　Hampstead；

to　Highgate；　to　Derbyshire；　to　Malvernin　what　appeared　to　be　a

last　desperate　effort　to　find　health　somewhere；　but　she　carried

that　with　her　which　made　health　impossible。　Her　desire　for　work

could　now　scarcely　be　distinguished　from　mania。　At　one　moment　she

was　writing　a　'last　letter'　to　Sidney　Herbert；　at　the　next　she

was　offering　to　go　out　to　India　to　nurse　the　sufferers　in　the

Mutiny。　When　Dr。　Sutherland　wrote；　imploring　her　to　take　a

holiday；　she　raved。　Rest！'I　am　lying　without　my　head；　without

my　claws；　and　you　all　peck　at　me。　It　is　de　rigueur；　d'obligation；

like　the　saying　something　to　one's　hat；　when　one　goes　into

church；　to　say　to　me　all　that　has　been　said　to　me　110　times　a　day

during　the　last　three　months。　It　is　the　obbligato　on　the　violin；

and　the　twelve　violins　all　practise　it　together；　like　the　clocks

striking　twelve　o'clock　at　night　all　over　London；　till　I　say　like

Xavier　de　Maistre；　Assez；　je　sais；　je　ne　le　sais　que　trop。　I　am

not　a　penitent；　but　you　are　like　the　R。C。　confessor；　who　says

what　is　de　rigueur。　。。。'



Her　wits　began　to　turn；　and　there　was　no　holding　her。　She　worked

like　a　slave　in　a　mine。　She　began　to　believe；　as　she　had　begun　to

believe　at　Scutari；　that　none　of　her　fellow…workers　had　their

hearts　in　the　business；　if　they　had；　why　did　they　not　work　as　she

did？　She　could　only　see　slackness　and　stupidity　around　her。　Dr。

Sutherland；　of　course；　was　grotesquely　muddle…headed；　and　Arthur

Clough　incurably　lazy。　Even　Sidney　Herbert　。。。　oh　yes；　he　had

simplicity　and　candour　and　quickness　of　perception；　no　doubt；　but

he　was　an　eclectic；　and　what　could　one　hope　for　from　a　man　who

went　away　to　fish　in　Ireland　just　when　the　Bison　most　needed

bullying？　As　for　the　Bison　himself；　he　had　fled　to　Scotland　where

he　remained　buried　for　many　months。　The　fate　of　the　vital

recomme