CHAPTER IX

OLD AGE. DEATH (1894-1910)

The spirit of Rabbi Ben Ezra. The latter years to be the best--Miss Nightingale's letters in this sense--Her own fullness of work. II. Continual interest in India--Lord Elgin's village sanitary inspection. III. Interest in army affairs--Letter to the Duke of Cambridge (1895)--The Hongkong barracks (1896)--Indian cantonments (1896-97)--The Victorian Era Exhibition (1897): Crimean "relics"--Note on Waterloo Day (1898)--The South African War (1899). IV. Interest in nursing--The "Nurses' Battle" again--The true "angels"--Correspondence with the Grand Duchess of Baden and Mr. Rathbone--Death of old friends and fellow-workers. V. Gradual failure of Miss Nightingale's powers--Loss of sight--Her companions--Her favourite reading--Visitors. VI. Honours--The Order of Merit (1907)--Freedom of the City (1908)--Her fame--Renewed cult of "The Popular Heroine." VII. Death and funeral--Memorials 402

CONCLUSION 424

APPENDICES

A. Chronological List of Writings by Miss Nightingale 437

B. List of Some Writings about Miss Nightingale 459

C. List of Portraits 467

INDEX 471

ILLUSTRATIONS FACE PAGE

Florence Nightingale: 1887. (_From the portrait by Sir William Richmond, K.C.B., R.A._) _Frontispiece_

Florence Nightingale in her Room at South Street. (_From a photograph by Miss E. F. Bosanquet, 1906_) 306

Florence Nightingale: 1907. (_From a water-colour drawing by Miss F. Amicia de Biden Footner_) 418

* * * * *

Florence Nightingale's Handwriting: _facsimile_ of part of a letter to John Stuart Mill, August 11, 1867 216