THE STUDY OF HISTORY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 228, 25 September 1940, Page 6

THE STUDY OF HISTORY.

The word sceptic is defined fey my dictionary as: "One that doubts of all tiling-?, especially Divine truth"; "an infidel." "Infidel" is defined a≤ "One tliat denies the Scriptures and Christianity"; "an Mr. James Flanagan places in this catcg*»rv of sceptic the name of one of the noblest women of history—Florence Nightingale. I wish to show forth a few facts of lier life to disprove thU ungra<-:.<m-cliargo. Florence Nightingale was Ixmi near Florence. Italy, on May 12. IS2^. I and at six year* of age began privatv education under her father's eneoura •_■<■- ment. She learned at least five languages beside mathematics, niti-ic and drawing-, etc. At Lea Hurst, i" the Valley of Dervvent. she often ac-compnn-c.i the local vicar on tours of vwtinjr the «ick and needy in the surrounding villages. She also held Bi'n> classes for young women. Her next contact \rith Christians and their work was. the Quakeress Elizabeth Fry, in prison work; then the studied tliomethods of the sisters of St. Vincent de Paul at Paris, the work of the nuns at Bruges and at equipping herself for the Christian work she was to become famous for. The Crimean War revolutionioed and gnve the wounded hope. She often % quoted Scriptural words of comfort io her wounded patients, besides earning the title of "Lady of the Lamp." When peace was proclaimed she had a. white marble crose erected overlooking the t?ea at Scutari: on the ba>«e was inscribed in Russian and Ensrlish. "Lord, liav mercy upon ue." J. E. HEAGREX.