Bridgeman-- or,
as Miss Nightingale preferred to call her, the 'Reverend
Brickbat'.
There was a violent struggle; Miss Nightingale's rage was
terrible. Dr. Hall, she declared, was doing his best to 'root her
out of the Crimea'. She would bear it no longer; the War Office
was playing her false; there was only one thing to be done--
Sidney Herbert must move for the production of papers in the
House of Commons, so that the public might be able to judge
between her and her enemies. Sidney Herbert, with great
difficulty, calmed her down. Orders were immediately dispatched
putting her supremacy beyond doubt, and the Reverend Brickbat
withdrew from the scene. Sir John, however, was more tenacious. A
few weeks later, Miss Nightingale and her nurses visited the
Crimea for the last time, and the brilliant idea occurred to him
that he could crush her by a very simple expedient-- he would
starve her into submission; and he actually ordered that no
rations of any kind should be supplied to her. He had already
tried this plan with great effect upon an unfortunate medical man
whose presence in the Crimea he had considered an intrusion; but
he was now to learn that such tricks were thrown away upon Miss
Nightingale. With extraordinary foresight, she had brought with
her a great supply of food; she succeeded in obtaining more at
her own expense and by her own exertions; and thus for ten days,
in that inhospitable country, she was able to feed herself and
twenty-four nurses.
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