Northwestern Bible School - Scroll Yearbook (Minneapolis, MN)

Page 26 text:

FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE 1820-1910 FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE is a burning example of a Christian who knows what God wants her life to be, and, against all obstacles, reaches that posi¬ tion. From childhood Florence longed to be a nurse, and she spent much of her time aiding those who were Ill, and caring lor animals of all kinds. Visitors at her luxurious home in England commented that they had never seen a child who was so thoughtful of the comfort and pleasure of others. As she grew older, the easy, monotonous life which she led began to taunt her. She felt that God would have her to be of some benefit to the world, not to stay at home and crochet. However, when she broached her desire to study nursing, her parents were aghast and replied that she might as well scrub floors. Undaunted, Florence later left for a training school in Germany and endeavored to lift the pro¬ fession of nursing to an exalted position, from the degraded, unsanitary stale it then held. She became the superintendent of a London nursing home, and, in 1854, during the Crimean War, left for the Barrack Hospital at Scutari. This hos¬ pital was rotten with vermin and filth. The sanitation was deplorable and soldiers were dying from disease and wounds. It has been estimated that there were four miles of beds in the hospital She was not kindly received by olficials, but she began a reform that has benefited humanity every since. She became an invalid in later years because ol the superhuman work she forced herself to accomplish while at Scutari. The soldiers worshipped her. Every night Miss Nightingale would kneel at the bedside ol each soldier, pray and read the Bible to him. One ol the soldiers wrote; She would speak to one and another, and nod and smile to many more; but she could not do it to all, you know, for we lay there by hundreds; but we could kiss her shadow as it fell, and lay our heads on our pillows, again content. The world has been blessed by this consecrated life. Miss Nightingale has been honored by many dignitaries and was one of the founders of the Red Cross. However, she felt that it was only by the grace of God that she was able to accomplish anything for humanity. She once said: If I could give you information of my life, it would be to show how a woman of very ordinary ability has been l ed by God in strange and unaccustomed paths to do in His service what He has done in her. God has done all and I nothing. 1 have worked hard, very hard, that is all, and I have never refused God anything.