The use she made of individuals is well illustrated by Miss Burke. She was ‘found’ by Dr. Inglis in the office of the London Society, and sent forth to speak and fill the Treasury chest of the S.W.H. It is written in the records of that work how wonderfully Miss Burke influenced her countrymen in America, and how nobly, through her efforts, they have aided ‘the great adventure.’

‘U.S.M.S. St. Paul,
‘Saturday, February 9th.

‘Dear Lady Frances,—Certainly I am one of Dr. Elsie’s children. It was largely due to her intuition and clear judgment of character that my feet were placed in the path which led to my reaching my maximum efficiency as a hospital worker and a member of the Scottish Women’s Hospitals. I first met Dr. Elsie after I had been the Secretary of the London Committee for about a month. There was no question of meeting a “stranger”; her kindly eyes smiled straight into mine.

‘Was I young and rather shy? Well, the best way to encourage me was to give me responsibility.

‘“Do you speak French?”

‘“Yes.”

‘“Very well, go and write me a letter to General de Torcy, telling him we accept the building he has offered at Troyes.”

‘Some one hazarded the suggestion that the letter should be passed on.

‘“Nonsense,” replied Dr. Elsie, “I know the type. That girl probably speaks six languages. If she says she speaks French, she does.”

‘She practically signed the letter I wrote her without reading it. Doubtless all the time I was with her I was under her keen scrutiny, and when finally, after arranging a meeting for her at Oxford, which she found impossible to take, owing to her sudden decision to leave for Serbia, she had already judged me, and without hesitation she told me to go to Oxford and speak myself. I have wondered often whether any one else would have sent a young and unknown speaker—it needed Dr. Elsie’s knowledge of human character and rapid energetic method of making decisions.

‘It would be difficult for we young ones of the Scottish Women’s Hospitals to analyse our feelings towards Dr. Elsie. A wave of her hand in passing meant much to us.’

Space utterly forbids our following the fortunes of the Scottish Women’s Hospitals as they went forth one by one to France, to Belgium, to Serbia, to Corsica, and Russia. That history will have some day to be written. It is only possible in this memoir to speak of their work in relation to their founder and leader. ‘Not I, but my unit,’ was her dying watchword, and when the work of her unit is reviewed, it is obvious how they carried with them, as an oriflamme, the inspiration of unselfish devotion set them by Dr. Inglis.

Besides going into all the detailed work of the hospital equipment, Dr. Inglis found time to continue her work of speaking for the cause of the hospitals. We find her addressing her old friends:

‘I have the happiest recollection of Dr. I. addressing a small meeting of the W. L. Association here. It was one of her first meetings to raise money. She told us how she wanted to go to Serbia. She was so convincing, but with all my faith in her, I never thought she would get there! That, and much more she did—a lesson in faith.

‘She looked round the little gathering in the Good Templar Hall and said, “I suppose nobody here could lend me a yacht?” She did get her ship there.’

To one of her workers in this time, she said, ‘My dear, we shall live all our lives in the shadow of war.’ The one to whom she spoke says, ‘A cold chill struck my heart. Did she feel it, and know that never again would things be as they were?’

At the close of 1914 Dr. Inglis went to France to see the Scottish Women’s Hospital established and working under the French Red Cross at Royaumont. It was probably on her way back that she went to Paris on business connected with Royaumont. She went into Notre Dame, and chose a seat in a part of the cathedral where she could feel alone. She there had an experience which she afterwards told to Mrs. M‘Laren. As she sat there she had a strong feeling that some one was behind her. She resisted the impulse to turn round, thinking it was some one who like herself wanted to be quiet! The feeling grew so strong at last, that she involuntarily turned round. There was no one near her, but for the first time she realised she was sitting in front of a statue of Joan of Arc. To her it appeared as if the statue was instinct with life. She added: ‘Wasn’t it curious?’ Then later she said, ‘I would like to know what Joan was wanting to say to me!’ I often think of the natural way which she told me of the experience, and the practical conclusion of wishing to know what Joan wanted. Once again she referred to the incident, before going to Russia. I see her expression now, just for a moment forgetting everything else, keen, concentrated, and her humorous smile, as she said, ‘You know I would like awfully to know what Joan was trying to say to me.’

Elsie Inglis was not the first, nor will she be the last woman who has found help in the story of the Maid of Orleans, when the causes dear to the hearts of nations are at stake. It is easy to hear the words that would pass between these two leaders in the time of their country’s warfare. The graven figure of Joan was instinct with life, from the undying love of race and country, which flowed back to her from the woman who was as ready to dedicate to her country her self-forgetting devotion, as Jeanne d’Arc had been in her day. Both, in their day and generation, had heard—

‘The quick alarming drum—

Saying, Come,