The Life of Florence Nightingale, vol. 1 of 2Cook, Edward Tyas, Sir
History
The Life of Florence Nightingale, vol. 1 of 2
Cook, Edward Tyas, Sir
Nightingale, Florence, 1820-1910
In reply to yours of Jan. 10--I have the pleasure to inform you
that I have just seen Thomas Whybron, 12th Lancers, and that he has
promised me that he will not only write to his wife, but transmit
money to her through me after 1st of next month, when he will
receive his pay. I trust he will keep his word. She had better also
write to him herself, and send her letter through me. He tells me
that he has had _one_ letter from her. However he is well, but he
has been in debt. However he sends his wife a kind message of love,
which he begs me to give her through you, and to beg that she will
not come out here. I am myself of this opinion. Independently of
the fact that, at this moment, I could not possibly receive any
more nurses, there are many reasons against bringing out more
soldiers' wives here, which you will readily apprehend. With regard
to the Regiment, I consider the 12th Lancers the most "respectable"
Regiment we have. They send home more money and put it to better
uses than all the other Regiments here put together. And I hope
that Whybron will improve in it.
In January 1912 Lieutenant-Colonel Clifton Brown, commanding the 12th
Royal Lancers, then quartered at Potchefstroom in the Transvaal, bought
the original of this letter, "beautifully written, not a blot or a
scratch in it," framed it with glass on both sides, and presented it to
his regiment. Thus may an echo of Miss Nightingale's care for the
British soldier and pride in his good name roll from soul to soul, and
grow for ever and for ever.
III
Then Miss Nightingale set herself to establish and equip reading-rooms
and class-rooms. She took measures to let her schemes be made known in
England, and the popularity of the heroine led to a speedy and generous
response from all classes--from the Royal Family to the humblest
printer's boy. Miss Nightingale's relations at home received, and
transmitted to her, the gifts. Her cousin, Mr. Henry Bonham Carter, was
especially useful. "Harry Carter," she wrote (Jan. 6, 1856), "must be a
man of business; for I can assure you that the boxes he sent me are the
only ones which have not lost me hours of unnecessary labour, because he
has given me invoices of the contents of each box and bills of lading."
Her sister was receiver-general, and from Lady Verney's letters we
obtain a lively account of the work:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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