Part 1 (1/2)

Elsie Inglis

by Eva Shaw McLaren

PREFACE

”To light a path for e 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 utterer 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 neers, 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 e, selflessness, and faith, qualities of ilis 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 woive the prize to those who collect things, but in reality the crown of victory, the laurel wreath, the tribute beyond all ible qualities which are evinced in character

It is wonderful to read holy and surely that character was forh twenty years ofof a Hospice for women and children, run entirely by wo years of dull, arduous work, patient, silent, honest, dedicated unconsciously to the service of others, she laid the foundations which led to her great achieve in power, like Nelson she developed a blind eye, to which she put her telescope in times of bewildere in her way--sex prejudices and mountains of race convictions to beThe Hospice she gave herself first to the woent 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 fro wohts of citizenshi+p for wo the true League of Nations which lies in the will to serve mankind

LENA ASHWELL (MRS HENRY SIMSON)

INTRODUCTION

A lis, written a short tio by the Lady Frances Balfour, has had a wide circulation which has proved the appreciation of the public

This second _Life_ appears at the request of The Society for Proe that I should write a short ress” Series which it is publishi+ng

I undertake the duty with joy

In accordance with the series in which it appears, the _Life_ is a short one, but it has been possible to incorporate in it so is what has been taken frost her papers some time after her death It is called _The Story of a Modern Woman_ It was probably written between the years 1906 and 1914; the outbreak of the war iven in the first chapter of the story is 1904 Very evidently the book expresses Elsie Inglis's views on life Quotations have been ht into her own character and experiences

The endeavour has been made to draw a picture of her as she appeared to those who knew her best She was certainly a fine character, full of life andin new adventure There was no stagnation about Elsie Inglis Independent, strong, keen (if soenerous, froside all the energy and force in her character there were great depths of tenderness ”Nothing like sitting on the floor for half an hour playing with little children to prepare you for a strenuous bit of work,” was one of her sayings

Not to iven such a wealth of love as they gave to Elsie Inglis In innumerable letters received after her death is traceable the idea expressed by one woman: ”In all your sorrow, remember, I loved her too”

Those orked with her point again and again to a characteristic that distinguished her all her life--her coard of the opinion of others about herself personally, while she pursued the course her conscience dictated, and yet she drew to herself the affectionate regard ofthe last three years of her life

What her own countryes of this book, but the touching testiiven here A Serb orderly expressed his devotion in a way that Dr

Inglis used to recall with a smile: ”Missis Doctor, I love you better than my mother, and my wife, and my family Missis Doctor, I will never leave you”

And a soldier frost us as a queen, and respected as a saint”