NURSE CAVELL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1598, 15 August 1916, Page 4

NURSE CAVELL.

LETTER FROM HER MOTHER

THE NEW SOUTH WALES MEMORIAL. 'When the Edith Cavell memorial was decided upon (says a Sydney paper), Mr V. E. Shaw sent the mother of Nurse Cavell the appeal brochure, with newspaper cuttings and some photographs of Penlee (the home of Mr and Mrs Shaw at Summer Hill, presented by them to the committee as a rest home tor nurses), thinking it would gratify her to know that 'Australia was not unmindful of the sacrifice her daughter had made. He has now received a letter in reply, and it was read at a meeting of the committee at the A.T.N.A. rooms, over which Lady Cullen presided. The letter is as follows; —

“2-1 College road, Norwich, “June 13th, 1916

“My Dear Sir, —I have received to-day your letter, dated April 22nd, which has been a very longtime in reaching me. It was, I see, directed to me at Henley-on-Thames, where I stayed during the winter- with a married daughter, but my home is in Norfolk. “I am profoundly touched by your own and Mrs Shaw’s generosity, and cannot express in words my T warm appreciation of your desire to perpetuate the memory of my beloved daughter by dedicating your beautiful house as a resting home for nurses. It is charming, with its ground, as a picture—what it must really be one can imagine. The dear, tired nurses who find a home there in their time of need will indeed have cause to thank you and Mrs Shaw for your thoughtful c-are for them, and also raise their hearts in gratitude to God for putting the desire to benefit them into vour hearts. No memorial to my’ clear child could be so appropriate, to her. It was always her desire from early 7 childhood to render help and seivie to those who needed it. “May I ask you to convey to all the ladies and gentlemen forming the committee my warmest thanks of appreciation for their untiring efforts to gather the necessary funds to bring the work to a snexcess, and to all those who support - ed the chairman at the meeting, which was convened for the purpose of arranging matters. “I am most grateful for all the kind sympathy I have received from all parts of the world, in my great; sorrow and loss, and for (lie numberless memorials which are being erected, so that my dear child’s name, I trust, may be an incentive to all y’oung people to live a useful life, to stand firm and unflinching when duty’ calls for sacrifice. My 7 heart is fjill of gratitude that so much generosity aipl kind feeling has been the outcome of m.V trial, truly the silver lining to the cloud. I could write further were I able, but I have had such a vast amount, of correspondence that my ey’es have become weakened by the strain, and I forbear for fear of my sight being permanently affected. I am nearing my 81st birthday. “Beliey.e me to be .vonrs very sincerely 7, “(Signed) L. S. CAY ELL, “P.S. —The date of my daughter’s deaHi was October 121 h, 1915. I shall treasure all the beautiful views you sent me.’’ It is proposed that the official opening of Penlee as a rest home for mir.*:es shall take place on the anniversary of the death of Nurse Cavell, on October 12)h next, and it is hoped that Lady Helep Mnnro Ferguson may he able to perform the ceremony. The subscriptions total £2,083.