“The first night there was great dissatisfaction among them, and a strong inclination to strike work. ‘We are not come out to be cooks, housemaids, and washerwomen,’ and they dwelt considerably on Mr. Herbert’s words about equality. They are like troublesome children.”
Though our sympathy goes out to Miss Stanley, it is not impossible that Miss Nightingale’s decision may have saved Scutari from unavoidable confusions of authority which would have been very unseemly, and from more than a possibility of defeat in the experiment she was making, in the eyes of all Europe, as to how far women could be wisely admitted into military hospitals. Such confusion might have arisen, not from any fault in Miss Nightingale or Miss Stanley, but from the special work of reorganization which had to be done at Scutari, and the special code of obedience by which Miss Nightingale’s staff had been prepared for it. She did not want for such work any “troublesome children.”
CHAPTER XV.
The busy nursing hive—M. Soyer and his memories—Miss Nightingale’s complete triumph over prejudice—The memories of Sister Aloysius.
Meanwhile Miss Stanley’s letters give us a very interesting informal glimpse of the work that was going on and of Miss Nightingale herself. Here is one in which she describes her visit to her in the hospital at Scutari:—
“We passed down two or three of these immense corridors, asking our way as we went. At last we came to the guard-room, another corridor, then through a door into a large, busy kitchen, where stood Mrs. Margaret Williams, who seemed much pleased to see me: then a heavy curtain was raised; I went through a door, and there sat dear Flo writing on a small unpainted deal table. I never saw her looking better. She had on her black merino, trimmed with black velvet, clean linen collar and cuffs, apron, white cap with a black handkerchief tied over it; and there was Mrs. Bracebridge, looking so nice, too. I was quite satisfied with my welcome. It was settled at once that I was to sleep here, especially as, being post day, Flo could not attend to me till the afternoon.
“The sofa is covered with newspapers just come in by the post. I have been sitting for an hour here, having some coffee, and writing, Mrs. Clarke coming in to see what I have wanted, in spite of what I could say.
“The work this morning was the sending off General Adams’s remains, and the arrangements consequent upon it.
“A stream of people every minute.