Elsie Inglis | Page 2

It is called The Story of a Modern Woman. 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.
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.
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.
Not to many women, perhaps, have other women given 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 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.
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."
And a soldier from Russia said of her: "She was loved amongst us as a queen, and respected as a saint."
"In her Life you want the testimony of those who saw her. 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 the quality of the woman of which that work was the final expression."
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.
EVA SHAW McLAREN

SYLLABUS OF CHAPTERS
PAGES PREFACE vii
INTRODUCTION ix
CHAPTER I
ELSIE INGLIS
Tributes from various sources--A woman of solved problems 1-2
CHAPTER II
THE ROCK FROM WHICH SHE WAS HEWN
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 3-6
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 7-12
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 13-19
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" 20-24
CHAPTER VI
"HER CHILDREN"
Dr. Inglis a child-lover--Her writings full of the descriptions of children--Quotations from the novel 25-27
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 28-31
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 32-41
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 42-44
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 45-58
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