THE BETTER SIDE OF WAR.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 8696, 15 December 1899, Page 4

THE BETTER SIDE OF WAR.

Perhaps no women, says Miss Floronce Nightingale (now in her 81st year), have seen so much of the horrors of war as she has. It can well be believed. The delicately nurtured woman who braved all the dangers of the Crimean campaign, and, by her heroic services, alleviated the sufferings of all who were engaged in that great struggle, saved the lives of many, and earned the blessings of the sick and , wounded as well as the gratitude of the countr3', has seen more of the dreadful tragedy of war than many men, let alone women, have seen. Even war, however, has a blessed side. In an interesting letter from her, which was read at the annual dinner to the survivors of the Balaclava charge, she pointed this out. In a few doft strokes she drew a touching picture of the gallantry of the British soldier : — "See those manly fellows in time of war, men not near the beasts, as sometimes we too sadly see in the time of peace ; see them not one taking a drop too much ; not one gallivanting with the women ; every one devoting, aye, even his life for his comrade, fetching his comrade off the field, without notice or praiae from anyf one, either in words or iv print ; and if i killed in the attempt, his name only goes • down as 'killed in battle'; always dei voted even to the death." And this is the : moral Miss Nightingale draws : " Oh, if ■ such be war, we will not say, ' Let there . always be war !' but blessed be war which t makes such heroes of fellowship out of • war. Sad is the death of our comrades, s But we may say, ' Death conies not vii- ! timely to him who is fit to die. The i briefer life, the earlier immortality !' And i who would keep him back ? Not even his i wife."