<SPAN name="startofbook"></SPAN>
<h1>ELSIE INGLIS</h1>
<p class="center"><SPAN name="gs004.jpg" id="gs004.jpg"></SPAN><ANTIMG src="images/gs004.jpg" width-obs='432' height-obs='700' alt="ELSIE INGLIS AFTER HER RETURN FROM SERBIA IN 1916 Frontispiece" /></p>
<blockquote><p class='right'><i>Photo by Bassano</i></p>
<h4>ELSIE INGLIS</h4>
<h5>AFTER HER RETURN FROM SERBIA IN 1916</h5></blockquote>
<hr />
<h3>PIONEERS OF PROGRESS</h3>
<h4>WOMEN</h4>
<hr />
<h4><span class="smcap">Edited by</span> ETHEL M. BARTON</h4>
<hr class='smler' />
<p class='tbrk'> </p>
<h1>ELSIE INGLIS</h1>
<h3>THE WOMAN WITH THE TORCH</h3>
<h4>BY</h4>
<h2>EVA SHAW McLAREN</h2>
<p class='tbrk'> </p>
<h4>WITH A PREFACE BY</h4>
<h3>LENA ASHWELL</h3>
<hr class='smler' />
<h4>LONDON<br/>SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING<br/>
CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE<br/>NEW YORK: THE MACMILLAN COMPANY<br/>1920</h4>
<hr />
<p class='tbrk'> </p>
<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
<div><i>Great souls who sailed uncharted seas,</i></div>
<div><i>Battling with hostile winds and tide,</i></div>
<div><i>Strong hands that forged forbidden keys,</i></div>
<div><i>And left the door behind them, wide</i>.</div>
</div><div class="stanza">
<div><i>Diggers for gold where most had failed,</i></div>
<div><i>Smiling at deeds that brought them Fame,—</i></div>
<div><i>Lighters of Lamps that have not failed,—</i></div>
<div><i>Lend us your oil and share your flame.</i></div>
</div></div>
<p class='tbrk'> </p>
<hr />
<p class='tbrk'> </p>
<h4>TO</h4>
<h3>AMY SIMSON</h3>
<p class='tbrk'> </p>
<hr />
<h2>SYLLABUS OF CHAPTERS</h2>
<div class="index">
<ul>
<li><SPAN href="#PREFACE"><span class="smcap">Preface</span></SPAN></li>
<li><SPAN href="#INTRODUCTION"><span class="smcap">Introduction</span></SPAN></li>
<li><SPAN href="#LIST_OF_ILLUSTRATIONS"><span class="smcap">List of Illustrations</span></SPAN></li>
</ul></div>
<h3><SPAN href="#CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I</SPAN></h3>
<h4>ELSIE INGLIS</h4>
<p class='center'>Tributes from various sources—A woman of solved problems</p>
<h3><SPAN href="#CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II</SPAN></h3>
<h4>THE ROCK FROM WHICH SHE WAS HEWN</h4>
<p class='center'>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</p>
<h3><SPAN href="#CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III</SPAN></h3>
<h4>1864-1894</h4>
<p class='center'>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</p>
<h3><SPAN href="#CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV</SPAN></h3>
<h4>HER MEDICAL CAREER</h4>
<p class='center'>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</p>
<h3><SPAN href="#CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V</SPAN></h3>
<h4>THE SOLVED PROBLEMS</h4>
<p class='center'>The problems of the unmarried woman—Dr. Inglis's unpublished
novel, <i>The Story of a Modern Woman</i>—Quotations from the
novel—Many parts of novel evidently autobiographical—Heroine
in novel solves the problem of "the lonely woman"</p>
<h3><SPAN href="#CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI</SPAN></h3>
<h4>"HER CHILDREN"</h4>
<p class='center'>Dr. Inglis a child-lover—Her writings full of the descriptions of
children—Quotations from the novel</p>
<h3><SPAN href="#CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII</SPAN></h3>
<h4>THE HOSPICE</h4>
<p class='center'>Founded 1901—Description of premises in the High Street
amongst the poor of Edinburgh—Dr. Inglis's love for The Hospice</p>
<h3><SPAN href="#CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII</SPAN></h3>
<h4>THE SUFFRAGE CAMPAIGN</h4>
<p class='center'>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</p>
<h3><SPAN href="#CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX</SPAN></h3>
<h4>SCOTTISH WOMEN'S HOSPITALS</h4>
<p class='center'>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</p>
<h3><SPAN href="#CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X</SPAN></h3>
<h4>SERBIA</h4>
<p class='center'>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</p>
<h3><SPAN href="#CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI</SPAN></h3>
<h4>RUSSIA</h4>
<p class='center'>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</p>
<h3><SPAN href="#CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII</SPAN></h3>
<h4>"IF YOU WANT US HOME, GET <i>THEM</i> OUT"</h4>
<p class='center'>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</p>
<h3><SPAN href="#CHAPTER_XIII">CHAPTER XIII</SPAN></h3>
<h4>"THE NEW WORK" AND MEMORIES</h4>
<p class='center'>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</p>
<div class="index">
<ul>
<li><SPAN href="#BIBLIOGRAPHY"><span class="smcap">Bibliography</span></SPAN></li>
</ul></div>
<hr />
<h2><SPAN name="LIST_OF_ILLUSTRATIONS" id="LIST_OF_ILLUSTRATIONS"></SPAN>LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS</h2>
<div class="index">
<ul>
<li><SPAN href="#gs004.jpg">DR. ELSIE INGLIS IN 1916, AFTER HER RETURN FROM SERBIA</SPAN></li>
<li><SPAN href="#gs023.jpg">THE THREE MISS FENDALLS</SPAN>
<ul>
<li class="subitem">From a picture in the possession of Brigadier-General C. Fendall</li>
</ul></li>
<li><SPAN href="#gs028.jpg">ELSIE INGLIS AT THE AGE OF TWO YEARS</SPAN></li>
<li><SPAN href="#gs033.jpg">JOHN FORBES DAVID INGLIS, ELSIE INGLIS'S FATHER</SPAN></li>
<li><SPAN href="#gs053.jpg">THE HOSPICE, HIGH STREET, EDINBURGH</SPAN></li>
<li><SPAN href="#gs072.jpg">ELSIE INGLIS, BY IVAN MESTROVICH</SPAN>
<ul>
<li class="subitem">In the Scottish National Gallery</li>
</ul></li>
<li><SPAN href="#gs087.jpg">ELSIE INGLIS IN AUGUST, 1916, BEFORE LEAVING FOR RUSSIA</SPAN></li>
<li><SPAN href="#gs107.jpg">THE HIGH STREET, LOOKING TOWARDS ST. GILES'S</SPAN></li>
</ul></div>
<hr />
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_vii" id="Page_vii">[Pg vii]</SPAN></span></p>
<h2><SPAN name="PREFACE" id="PREFACE"></SPAN>PREFACE</h2>
<p>"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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_viii" id="Page_viii">[Pg viii]</SPAN></span>
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!</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p class='right'>LENA ASHWELL <br/>
(<span class="smcap">Mrs. Henry Simson</span>)</p>
<hr />
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_ix" id="Page_ix">[Pg ix]</SPAN></span></p>
<h2><SPAN name="INTRODUCTION" id="INTRODUCTION"></SPAN>INTRODUCTION</h2>
<p>A most interesting <i>Life</i> of Elsie Inglis, written a short
time ago by the Lady Frances Balfour, has had a
wide circulation which has proved the appreciation of the
public.</p>
<p>This second <i>Life</i> appears at the request of The Society
for Promoting Christian Knowledge that I should write
a short memoir of my sister, to be included in the
"Pioneers of Progress" Series which it is publishing.
I undertake the duty with joy.</p>
<p>In accordance with the series in which it appears, the
<i>Life</i> is a short one, but it has been possible to incorporate
in it some fresh material. Not the least interesting is
what has been taken from the manuscript of a novel by
Dr. Inglis, found amongst her papers some time after her
death. It is called <i>The Story of a Modern Woman</i>. It
was probably written between the years 1906 and 1914;
the outbreak of the war may have prevented its publication.
The date given in the first chapter of the story is
1904. Very evidently the book expresses Elsie Inglis's
views on life. Quotations have been made from it, as it
gives an insight into her own character and experiences.</p>
<p>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 and movement,
ever growing and developing, ever glorying in new
adventure. There was no stagnation about Elsie Inglis.
Independent, strong, keen (if sometimes impatient), and
generous, from her childhood she was ever a great giver.</p>
<p>Alongside 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.</p>
<p>Not to many women, perhaps, have other women given<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_x" id="Page_x">[Pg x]</SPAN></span>
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."</p>
<p>Those who worked with her point again and again to
a characteristic that distinguished her all her life—her
complete disregard 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 of many who knew her for the first time
during the last three years of her life.</p>
<p>What her own countrymen thought of her will be
found in the pages of this book, but the touching testimony
of a Serb and a Russian may be given 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."</p>
<p>And a soldier from Russia said of her: "She was loved
amongst us as a queen, and respected as a saint."</p>
<p>"In her <i>Life</i> you want the testimony of those who saw
<i>her</i>. Dr. Inglis's work before and during the war will
find its place in any enduring record; what you want to
impress on the minds of the succeeding generation is
<i>the quality of the woman</i> of which that work was the
final expression."</p>
<p>Something of what that quality was appears, it is hoped,
in the pages of this memoir. I am grateful to men and
women of varied outlook, who knew her at different
periods of her life, for memories which have been drawn
upon in this effort to picture Elsie Inglis.</p>
<p class='right'>EVA SHAW McLAREN</p>
<hr />
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</SPAN></span></p>
<h1>ELSIE INGLIS</h1>
<p class='tbrk'> </p>
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