“And for this to be possible, the air, the earth, and the water that they grow up in and have around them must be clean. Fresh air, not bad air; clean earth, not foul earth; pure water, not dirty water; and the first teachings and impressions that they have at home must all be pure, and gentle, and firm. It is home that teaches the child, after all, more than any other schooling. A child learns before it is three whether it shall obey its mother or not; and before it is seven, wise men tell us that its character is formed. “There is, too, another thing—orderliness. We know your daily toil and love. May not the busiest and hardest life be somewhat lightened, the day mapped out, so that each duty has the same hours?... “Think what enormous extra trouble it entails on mothers when there is sickness. It is worth while to try to keep the family in health, to prevent the sorrow, the anxiety, the trouble of illness in the house, of which so much can be prevented. “When a child has lost its health, how often the mother says, ‘Oh, if I had only known! but there was no one to tell me. And after all, it is health and not sickness that is our natural state—the state that God intends for us. There are more people to pick us up when we fall than to enable us to stand upon our feet. God did not intend all mothers to be accompanied by doctors, but He meant all children to be cared for by mothers. God bless your work and labour of love.” [Illustration: Letter from Miss FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE. Dec 16/96 10 South Street Park Lane W Dear Duke of Westminster Good speed to your noble effort in favour of District Nurses for town “& Country”; and in Commemoration of our Queen who cares for all. We look upon the District Nurse, if she is what she should be, & if we give her the training she should have, as the great civilizer of the poor, training as well as nursing them out of ill health into good health (Health Missioness), out of drink into self control but all without preaching, without patronizing—as friends in sympathy. But let them hold the standard high as Nurses. Pray be sure I will try to help all I can, tho’ that be small, here I will with your leave let you know. Pray believe me your Grace’s faithful servant Florence Nightingale] Or in a widely different field, in that fight against one of the most important causes of consumption, in which she was so far ahead of her time, what could be more clear and convincing, both in knowledge and in reasoning, than the following analysis with regard to army barracks:—