Importance of the Nightingale Training School--Early history of the "Nightingale Fund"--Accumulation of the money during Miss Nightingale's absorption in other work--Appointment of a working committee (1859)--Decision to found a Training School in connexion with St. Thomas's Hospital--Character of Mrs. Wardroper, matron of the hospital. II. Essential principles of Miss Nightingale's scheme: (1) technical, a Training School; lectures, examinations, reports, etc.; (2) moral, a home. III. Miss Nightingale's supervision--Favourable start of the school. IV. Further application of the Nightingale Fund to the training of midwives. V. Wide influence of the Nightingale School--Novelty of the experiment--Medical opposition at the start--From paradox to commonplace 456 CHAPTER V THE RELIGIOUS SANCTION: "SUGGESTIONS FOR THOUGHT" (1860) The religious sanction behind Miss Nightingale's life of work-- Resumption of her theological speculations--Printing of her _Suggestions for Thought_--General character of the book. II. Miss Nightingale and John Stuart Mill--Her introduction to Benjamin Jowett--The book submitted to them--Mill's advice that it should be published, Jowett's that it should not--Literary imperfections--Her impatience of literary revision. III. Scope of the book--Vehemence of style--Explanation of Mill's and Jowett's contrary advice. IV. Origin of the book--Sketch of her theological system--Thoughts on Prayer--God as Law--Influence of Quetelet--Doctrine of human perfectibility as explaining the existence of evil--Freewill and Necessity--Belief in a future life--The philosophy of history-- Motive for human conduct. V. Miss Nightingale's attitude to current creeds, Protestant and Catholic. VI. Spiritual intensity with which she held her creed 468 CHAPTER VI MISS NIGHTINGALE AT HOME (1858-1861) Continued ill-health--Serious illness and expectation of early death--Yet constant work--Doctor's opinions--Necessity for husbanding her strength. II. Consequent manner of life--A laborious hermit--Help from her friends--A. H. Clough--Her uncle, Mr. S. Smith, and her private correspondence. III. Her places of residence --Highgate and Hampstead--The Burlington Hotel in London--The Queen's offer of rooms in Kensington Palace: why declined--Her cats. IV. Reading and music--Her Italian sympathies. V. Seclusion from visitors, friends and relations--Miss Nightingale and her father. VI. Correspondence with her friends--Associations of the Burlington Hotel 491 ILLUSTRATIONS