NIGHTINGALE, Florence (1820-1910). Reformer of nursing.
Good, long Autograph Letter Signed to John Laird Mair Lawrence (1811-1879, first Lord Lawrence), 4½ pages 8vo on black-edged writing-paper, 32 South Street, 26 April 1864. The letter paints a charming picture of the Lawrence's family left behind in England when he went to take up his post as Viceroy of India, as told by her sister Parthe, Lady Verney.

Lawrence had served with Miss Nightingale on the Sanitary Commission for India and was greatly admired by her. She championed his appointment as Viceroy of India to succeed Lord Elgin, and used her influence with Lord Stanley to obtain the post for him. In later years, a photograph of Watt's portrait of Lawrence hung in her room.

'... My sister fell quite in love with her [i.e. Lawrence's elder daughter]. She said her extreme modesty (to use a good old English word), her unconsciousness of self & withall her perfect self-possession, make her quite a remarkable person. (These are the elements of a great "man").
'... The garden was full of boys & girls & children, playing, my sister said, so happily, it was so little like the artificial hot-bed of what London children mostly are now that my sister's eyes were full of tears when she described to me the beautiful scene it was. ...'

Lawrence fathered ten children, four boys and six girls, so a garden full of children is easy to believe.
[No: 19883]