Meantime the “one woman in all England” deemed worthy of this high trust was in the quietude of her country home pondering over the stirring words of Mr. Russell, _The Times_ correspondent: “Are there no devoted women amongst us, able and willing to go forth to minister to the sick and suffering soldiers in the hospitals of Scutari?” Each morning the newspapers revealed fresh sufferings and privations amongst the stricken soldiers, and the cries for help grew more importunate. Florence Nightingale was not the woman to listen in vain, and ere the sun had faded away behind the beech-trees on that memorable 15th of October, she had written to Mr. Sidney Herbert offering her services in the hospitals at Scutari. Her letter crossed that of Mr. Herbert, of which she was in complete ignorance. The unique circumstance gives a rounded completeness to the call of Florence Nightingale which came as the voice of God speaking through her tender woman’s heart. CHAPTER XI _PREPARATION AND DEPARTURE FOR SCUTARI_ Public Curiosity Aroused--Description of Miss Nightingale in the Press--Criticism--She Selects Thirty-Eight Nurses--Departure of the “Angel Band”--Enthusiasm of Boulogne Fisherwomen--Arrival at Scutari. Lo, what gentillesse these women have, If we coude know it for our rudenesse! How busie they be us to keepe and save, Both in hele, and also in sickenesse! And always right sorrie for our distresse, In every manner; thus shew thy routhe, That in hem is al goodnesse and trouthe. CHAUCER. It is characteristic of Miss Nightingale’s method and dispatch that only a week elapsed from the day on which she made her great resolve to go to the help of the wounded soldiers until she had her first contingent of nurses in marching order. She was a “general” who had no parleying by the way, but worked straight for her ultimate object, and she possessed also the rare faculty of inspiring others to follow her lead. Her attention was now concentrated on procuring the right kind of nurses to accompany her to the hospital at Scutari. Her mission was duly proclaimed from the War Office in an official intimation that “Miss Nightingale, a lady with greater practical experience of hospital administration and treatment than any other lady in this country,” had undertaken the noble and arduous work of organising and taking out nurses for the soldiers. _The Times_ also notified that “Miss Nightingale had been appointed by Government to the office of Superintendent of Nurses at Scutari,” and subscriptions for the relief of the soldiers were solicited.