The Hardy Boys Mystery Stories 22 страница

Sir Christopher Wren

Sir Christopher Wren was a designer, astronomer, geometer, and one of the greatest English architects of his time.

Christopher Wren was born into a rich family in 1632 . He was a weak and sickly child and was taught at home by private tutors and his father. Wren’s schooling is a mystery: there are no documents about whether he attended school or not. However, there is a written evidence that he entered Oxford University in 1650 to study science and mathematics.

On graduating from university, Wren was appointed Professor of Astronomy at Gresham College, London. He was required to give weekly lectures in both Latin and English to all who wished to attend; admission was free. His lectures and the following discussions led to establishing the Royal Society, England’s first scientific organization.

Later, Christopher Wren taught at Oxford University. His scientific work included astronomy, optics, mechanics, medicine and meteorology. He invented and improved lots of things. He experimented with submarine design, road paving, and design of telescopes. It was also around these times that his attention turned to architecture.

In Wren's time, the profession of an architect did not exist. In the past, buildings had been constructed to the requirements of the patron and the suggestions of building professionals, such as master carpenters or master bricklayers. Since the early years of the 17^th century, it was not unusual for the well-educated gentleman to take up architecture as a hobby. Wren designed 51 London churches, including St Paul’s Cathedral, and several buildings after the Great Fire in 1666. Each church was different, though all were classical in style. He insisted on the finest materials and only skillful workers were hired for the job. Christopher Wren became a knight in 1673.

Actually, St Paul’s Cathedral is still Wren's masterpiece. The architectural style of St Paul’s Cathedral is a beautiful mix of the Medieval, Classical, and Baroque. The inside of St Paul’s Cathedral is gorgeous. The foundation stone of the Cathedral was laid in 1675 when Wren was 43 years old, and the last stone was put in place by his son, 35 years later.

Nowadays, St Paul’s Cathedral is the largest working Protestant church in England. Services are held regularly. Important events at the Cathedral have included the funerals of Lord Nelson and Sir Winston Churchill, Jubilee celebrations of Queen Victoria, peace services marking the end of the First and the Second World Wars and, most recently, the thanksgiving services for both the Golden Jubilee and 80th birthday of Her Majesty the Queen.

Wren died on 25^th February 1723. His gravestone in St Paul’s Cathedral features a Latin inscription which translates as: 'If you seek his memorial, look about you.'

Florence Nightingale

Florence Nightingale was a celebrated English nurse and writer. According to a survey, British people consider her to be one of the most famous British persons along with outstanding scientists, writers and politicians.

She was born into a rich, upper-class family in 1820, in Italy. She got her name Florence after the city of her birth, as there was a tradition in her family to name the children in honour of the city they were born in. She got an all-round education and according to the family’s status Florence was expected to become a faithful wife and attentive mother.

However, in 1844 Florence decided to become a nurse, despite the intense anger and distress of her mother and sister. At that time nursing was seen as a job that needed neither education nor special medical skills.

In 1854 the Crimean War broke out and Florence Nightingale offered her services to the War Office and soon left for the Crimea with thirty-eight volunteer nurses. They began their work in the main British camp, in the hospital. Very soon Florence found out that hygiene was neglected, and fatal infections were common. There was no equipment to cook proper food for the patients. Florence decided to change the situation.

Nightingale managed to found a vast kitchen and a laundry. In addition to her nursing work, she tried to organize reading and recreation rooms for the wounded soldiers. She was on her feet for twenty hours a day and so were the other nurses. Florence was called ‘The Lady with the Lamp’ for her habit of making rounds round the hospital at night. She checked on her helpless patients.

Florence remained in the Crimea until 1856, then she returned to England.

In London Florence Nightingale visited Queen Victoria and persuaded the Queen of the need to create a military hospital system. Soon Florence Nightingale set up a training school for nurses, the first nursing school in the world. It is now called The Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery and is part of King's College in London. The annual International Nurses Day is celebrated around the world on Florence’s birthday, the 12^th of May.

In the Crimea camp, Nightingale got ‘Crimean fever’ and never fully recovered. By the time she was 38 years old, she was seriously ill. She left her house very rarely and had to stay in bed most of the time. Nevertheless, Florence continued her work from her bed. Shewrote many books, some of them became the base of the curriculum at the Nightingale School and other British nursing schools.

Florence Nightingale died in London in 1910, at the age of ninety. The government offered to bury Florence in Westminster Abbey, but her relatives did not agree. However, the memorial service took place in St. Paul's Cathedral.

Florence Nightingale received a lot of honorable awards. Several books were written about the life of ‘The Lady with the Lamp’ and a few films were shot about her.

A Christmas Story

It happened a few days before Christmas. John and Alice were on their way home from visiting their daughter at college. The drive was long and exhausting. Alice was thinking about the money they had given for their daughter’s last semester. It was a big sum for their family. Alice realized that they had no money for the next semester fee. She was in despair.

On their way home they stopped at a small town market. Alice got out of the car to walk a little. Suddenly an old woman approached her. She asked Alice to buy an old brass teapot*. Alice took the heavy teapot and gave the woman the money that she had asked for.

Alice, got into the car and placed the teapot on the back seat. She didn’t need the teapot, but she could not refuse the old woman. The car set off and the rest of the way John and Alice argued about the money. John was angry with Alice because of her last purchase.

John’s arguments were powerful. The family’s budget was not at all promising. They had a lot of electric and gas bills to pay. What’s more, they had recently bought a new refrigerator. And the college fee ate up a good part of their budget. Alice kept silent.

When they arrived home, Alice decided to make tea. She found out that their electric tea kettle was broken and put the new brass teapot on the stove. When the tea was getting ready, they heard a door bell. It was Mr. Ramson, their neighbour. The old man lived alone and there were no relatives and friends to support him in town.

Alice invited Mr. Ramson in for some tea. At the table Mr. Ramson asked Alice and John if they could lend him some money. His only granddaughter, whom he loved dearly, lived far away and he wanted to visit her for the coming Christmas. Alice sighed but John, suddenly, nodded his head in agreement. Mr. Ransom thanked John and went home happy.

Alice was alone in the kitchen washing up after tea. She was thinking how to cut down their expenses if they gave the money to the old man. Suddenly she heard a sound of something dropping into the teapot. Alice took the teapot and, to her great surprise, she found two £50 notes inside. She called John to ask if he had by mistake dropped them into the teapot. John looked at her in surprise but answered that he had not.

At that moment Alice knew what to do. She removed the banknotes from the teapot and ran to Mr. Ramson.

When she came home, John smiled and gave her a warm kiss. The same dropping sound repeated. It came from the teapot. When Alice opened the top, she found a banknote inside. Christmas Magic! They could not understand how it worked, but the teapot produced some banknotes every time they were kind to each other and helped people around.

They put the brass teapot on the shelf in the kitchen and never used it for making tea. When their daughter came for Christmas, she could hardly recognize the house. The furniture was the same, but the house looked warmer and cozier than before. Her parents did not argue about money any more.

When she asked where the money for her education had come from, they said it was a Christmas present from old Mr. Ramson.

*A brass teapot – медный чайник