Miss Nightingale as an inspirer of reform--Sources of her influence --Favour of the Court--Letter from Queen Victoria: her gifts to the soldiers. II. Miss Nightingale's reports to Sidney Herbert --Character of her letters. III. Her urgent appeals for stores --Dispatch of an executive Sanitary Commission--Miss Nightingale's reforms in the handling of Government stores--Other reforms due to her. IV. Her suggestion for systematic reorganization--Suggested improvements in the medical service. V. Miss Nightingale's demeanour at Scutari--Description by S. G. O.--Range of her influence--The efficacy of "going to Miss Nightingale" 213 CHAPTER VII THE MINISTERING ANGEL Dual position of Miss Nightingale: administrator and nurse. Prodigious power of work--Her attention to the sick and wounded --Her midnight vigils--The famous lamp--The soldiers kissing her shadow--Idolization by the men. II. Correspondence with relatives and friends of the wounded soldiers. III. Strain upon Miss Nightingale's powers--Burden of correspondence--Her helpers--Mr. and Mrs. Bracebridge. IV. Schemes for helping the soldiers--Mr. Augustus Stafford--The Orderlies and Miss Nightingale 233 CHAPTER VIII THE RELIGIOUS DIFFICULTY Nature of the religious difficulty. Rivalry between the churches --Various claims for "representation" among the nursing staff-- "Anti-Puseyite" attacks. II. Miss Nightingale's attitude in the squabble. III. The difficulty increased by the advent of Miss Stanley's party--Charges of proselytism--Lord Panmure's instructions misinterpreted. IV. Aggravation by the religious feuds of the difficulty of obtaining efficient nurses--Worry caused to Miss Nightingale 244 CHAPTER IX TO THE CRIMEA--ILLNESS (MAY-AUGUST 1855) Siege of Sebastopol. The hospitals in the Crimea--Miss Nightingale's authority there not explicitly defined--Her arrival at Balaclava. II. Visit to the front--Sir John McNeill. III. Work in the hospitals--Attacked by "Crimean fever"--Anxiety in England and in the hospitals--Visit from Lord Raglan. IV. Miss Nightingale advised to return to England--Her refusal--Return to Scutari-- Gradual recovery--"The heroic dead" 254 CHAPTER X THE POPULAR HEROINE