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PREFACE
"To light a path for men to come" is the
privilege of the pioneer; and the life of a pioneer, the hewer of a new
path, is always encouraging, whether he who goes before to open the way
be a voyager to the Poles or the uttermost parts of the earth, in
imminent danger of physical death, or whether he be an adventurer,
cutting a path to a new race consciousness, revealing the power of
service in new vocations, evoking new powers, and living in hourly
danger of mental suffocation by prejudices and inhibitions of race
tradition.
The women's irresistible movement, which has
so suddenly flooded all departments of work previously considered the
monopoly of men, required from the leaders indomitable courage,
selflessness, and faith, qualities of imperishable splendour; and to
read the life of Elsie Inglis is to recognize instantly that she was one
of these ruthless adventurers, hewing her way through all perils and
difficulties to bring to pass the dreams of thousands of women. The
world's standard of success may appear to give the prize to those who
collect things, but in reality the crown of victory, the laurel wreath,
the tribute beyond all material value, is always reserved for those
invisible, intangible qualities which are evinced in character.
It is wonderful to read how slowly and
surely that character was formed through twenty years of monotonous
routine. The establishing of a Hospice for women and children, run
entirely by women, was not a popular movement, and through long years of
dull, arduous work, patient, silent, honest, dedicated unconsciously to
the service of others, she laid the foundations which led to her great
achievement, and so, full of courage and growing in power, like Nelson
she developed a blind eye, to which she put her
telescope in times of bewilderment; she could never see the difficulties
which loomed large in her way—sex prejudices and mountains of race
convictions to be moved—and so she moved them!
In founding The Hospice she gave herself
first to the women and children round her; later, in the urgent call of
the Suffrage movement, she devoted herself whole-heartedly to the
service of the women of the country, and so she was ready when the war
came. Her own country refused her services; but Providence has a strange
way of turning what appears to be evil into great good. The refusal of
the British Government to accept the services of medically trained women
caused them to offer their services elsewhere; and so she went first to
help the French, and then to encourage and serve Serbia in her dire
need.
And so from the first she was a pioneer: in
doing medical work among women and children; in achieving the rights of
citizenship for women; and in the further great adventure of
establishing the true League of Nations which lies in the will to serve
mankind.
LENA ASHWELL
(Mrs. Henry Simson)
Contents
Introduction
Chapter I - Elsie Inglis
Tributes from various sources—A woman of solved problems
Chapter II - The Rock from which She was
Hewin
Elsie Inglis the central figure on the stage—Men and women of the past,
the people of her race, crowd round her—Their influence on her—Their
spirit seen in hers
Chapter III - 1864-1894
Childhood in India—Friendship with her father—Schooldays in
Edinburgh—Death of her mother—Study of Medicine—Death of her
father—Practice started in Edinburgh in 1894—Twenty years of
professional life: interests, friendships—Varied Descriptions of Dr.
Inglis by Miss S. E. S. Mair and Dr. Beatrice Russell
Chapter IV - Her Medical Career
Fellow-students' and doctors' reminiscences—The New School of Medicine
for Women in Edinburgh—The growth of her practice—Her sympathy with her
poor patients—The founding of The Hospice—Some characteristics
Chapter V - The Solved Problems
The problems of the unmarried woman—Dr. Inglis's unpublished novel, The
Story of a Modern Woman—Quotations from the novel—Many parts of novel
evidently autobiographical—Heroine in novel solves the problem of "the
lonely woman"
Chapter VI - "Her Children"
Dr. Inglis a child-lover—Her writings full of the descriptions of
children—Quotations from the novel
Chapter VII - The Hospice
Founded 1901—Description of premises in the High Street amongst the poor
of Edinburgh—Dr. Inglis's love for The Hospice
Chapter VIII - The Suffrage Campaign
Justice of claim appealed to Dr. Inglis—Worked from constitutional point
of view—Founding of Scottish Federation of Suffrage Societies—Dr.
Inglis's activities for the cause—Tributes from women who worked with
her—Description of meeting addressed by her
Chapter IX - Scottish Women's Hospitals
Dr. Inglis at the outbreak of war: Full of vigour and enthusiasm—Idea
mooted at Federation Committee Meeting—Rapid growth—Hospitals in the
field in December
Chapter X - Serbia
Dreadful condition of country—Arrival of Dr. Soltau and Dr. Hutchison
and Unit—Dr. Inglis's arrival in May, 1915—Fountain at Mladanovatz—Letter
from officer who designed fountain—Dr. Inglis and her Unit taken
prisoners in November—Account of work at Krushevatz—Release in February,
1916—Tributes from Miss Christitch and Lieut.-Colonel Popovitch
Chapter XI - Russia
Dr. Inglis's start for Russia in August, 1916—Unit attached to Serb
Division near Odessa—Three weeks' work at Medjidia—Retreat to
Braila—Order of three retreats—Work at Reni—Description of Dr. Inglis by
one of her Unit—Account of her last Communion
Chapter XII - "If You want us Home, Get them
Out"
Serb Division in unenviable position—Dr. Inglis's determination to save
them from wholesale slaughter—Hard work through summer months to achieve
their safety—Efforts crowned with success—Left for England in October,
bringing her Unit and the Division with her
Chapter XIII - "The New Work" and Memories
Landed at Newcastle on November 23, 1917—Illness on voyage—Dr. Ethel
Williams's testimony to her fearlessness in facing death—Triumph in
passing—Scenes at funeral in Edinburgh—Memories |
