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wrote； 'I can remember since I was six years old。 A profession； a
trade； a necessary occupation； something to fill and employ all
my faculties； I have always felt essential to me； I have always
longed for。 The first thought I can remember； and the last； was
nursing work； and in the absence of this； education work； but
more the education of the bad than of the young。。。 Everything
has been tried foreign travel； kind friends； everything。 My
God！ What is to become of me？' A desirable young man？ Dust and
ashes！ What was there desirable in such a thing as that？ 'In my
thirty…first year；' she noted in her diary； 'I see nothing
desirable but death。'
Three more years passed； and then at last the pressure of time
told； her family seemed to realise that she was old enough and
strong enough to have her way； and she became the superintendent
of a charitable nursing home in Harley Street。 She had gained her
independence； though it was in a meagre sphere enough； and her
mother was still not quite resigned： surely Florence might at
least spend the summer in the country。 At times； indeed； among
her intimates； Mrs。 Nightingale almost wept。 'We are ducks；' she
said with tears in her eyes； 'who have hatched a wild swan。' But
the poor lady was wrong； it was not a swan that they had hatched；
it was an eagle。
II
Miss NIGHTINGALE had been a year in her nursing…home in Harley
Street； when Fate knocked at the door。 The Crimean War broke out；
the battle of the Alma was fought； and the terrible condition of
our military hospitals at Scutari began to be known in England。
It sometimes happens that the plans of Providence are a little
difficult to follow； but on this occasion all was plain； there
was a perfect coordination of events。 For years Miss Nightingale
had been getting ready； at last she was prepared experienced；
free； mature； yet still young （she was thirty…four） desirous to
serve； accustomed to command： at that precise moment the
desperate need of a great nation came； and she was there to
satisfy it。 If the war had fallen a few years earlier； she would
have lacked the knowledge； perhaps even the power； for such a
work； a few years later and she would； no doubt； have been fixed
in the routine of some absorbing task； and moreover； she would
have been growing old。
Nor was it only the coincidence of time that was remarkable。 It
so fell out that Sidney Herbert was at the War Office and in the
Cabinet； and Sidney Herbert was an intimate friend of Miss
Nightingale's； convinced； from personal experience in charitable
work； of her supreme capacity。 After such premises； it seems
hardly more than a matter of course that her letter； in which she
offered her services for the East； and Sidney Herbert's letter；
in which he asked for them； should actually have crossed in the
post。 Thus it all happened； without a hitch。 The appointment was
made and even Mrs。 Nightingale； overawed by the magnitude of the
venture； could only approve。 A pair of faithful friends offered
themselves as personal attendants； thirty…eight nurses were
collected； and within a week of the crossing of the letters Miss
Nightingale； amid a great burst of popular enthusiasm； left for
Constantinople。
Among the numerous letters which she received on her departure
was one from Dr。 Manning； who at that time was working in
comparative obscurity as a Catholic priest in Bayswater。 'God
will keep you；' he wrote； 'and my prayer for you will be that
your one object of worship； Pattern of Imitation； and source of
consolation and strength； may be the Sacred Heart of our Divine
Lord。'
To what extent Dr。 Manning's prayer was answered must remain a
matter of doubt； but this much is certain： that if ever a prayer
was needed； it was needed then for Florence Nightingale。 For dark
as had been the picture of the state of affairs at Scutari；
revealed to the English public in the dispatches of 〃The Times
Correspondent〃； and in a multitude of private letters； yet the
reality turned out to be darker still。 What had occurred was； in
brief； the complete breakdown of our medical arrangements at the
seat of war。 The origins of this awful failure were complex and
manifold； they stretched back through long years of peace and
carelessness in England； they could be traced through endless
ramifications of administrative incapacity from the inherent
faults of confused systems； to the petty bunglings of minor
officials； from the inevitable ignorance of Cabinet Ministers； to
the fatal exactitudes of narrow routine。
In the inquiries which followed； it was clearly shown that the
evil was in reality that worst of all evils one which has been
caused by nothing in particular and for which no one in
particular is to blame。 The whole organisation of the war machine
was incompetent and out of date。 The old Duke had sat for a
generation at the Horse Guards repressing innovations with an
iron hand。 There was an extraordinary overlapping of authorities
and an almost incredible shifting of responsibilities to and fro。
As for such a notion as the creation and the maintenance of a
really adequate medical service for the army in that atmosphere
of aged chaos； how could it have entered anybody's head？ Before
the war； the easygoing officials at Westminster were naturally
persuaded that all was well or at least as well as could be
expected； when someone； for instance； actually had the temerity
to suggest the formation of a corps of Army nurses； he was at
once laughed out of court。 When the war had begun； the gallant
British officers in control of affairs had other things to think
about than the petty details of medical organisation。 Who had
bothered with such trifles in the Peninsula？ And surely； on that
occasion； we had done pretty well。 Thus； the most obvious
precautions were neglected； and the most necessary preparations
were put off from day to day。 The principal medical officer of
the Army； Dr。 Hall； was summoned from India at a moment's notice；
and was unable to visit England before taking up his duties at
the front。 And it was not until after the battle of the Alma；
when we had been at war for many months； that we acquired
hospital accommodations at Scutari for more than a thousand men。
Errors； follies； and vices on the part of individuals there
doubtless were； but； in the general reckoning； they were of small
account insignificant symptoms of the deep disease of the body
politic to the enormous calamity of administrative collapse。
Miss Nightingale arrived at Scutari a suburb of Constantinople；
on the Asiatic side of the Bosphorus on November 4th； 1854； it
was ten days after the battle of Balaclava； and the day before
the battle of Inkerman。 The organisation of the hospitals； which
had already given way under the stress of the battle of the Alma；
was now to be subjected to the further pressure which these two
desperate and bloody engagements implied。 Great detachments of
woun