‘we have a picture which gives the ideal of a college—the golden staircase—whence each should go forth into the great world carrying some beautiful instrument with which to utter the music which is in her heart.’—d. beale, guild address, 1894.
miss beale’s circle of influence definitely widened beyond the college itself in 1880 when the first number of the magazine appeared. it opened with a characteristic introduction from the lady principal, who up to her death remained the editor.
the magazine was started, said miss beale, in order that past and present members of the college might enrich each other by interchange of thoughts. mere information concerning the temporary doings of one’s friends was a secondary consideration, the value of which was, however, fortunately seen by sub-editors and others. a column of births, deaths, and marriages became established in the magazine as early as the second number. this naturally in time developed in interest. the obituary column came to include all who had the slightest connection with the college; newspaper accounts of those who were in any way distinguished were also added.
in 1887 the first chronicle of passing events belonging to the college and its old members was inserted, though the space for it was grudgingly afforded by the[204] editor, who could not bear to limit her space for the budding ideas she loved to foster. soon, however, she came to value what was practically a contemporary history of the college, and as her pride in her old pupils increased with years, it became a great pleasure to notice all their doings in varied walks of life. engaged in philanthropic work, in literature, in art or society, they were all of interest to her, and not among the least dear were those whose homes lay in foreign parts, those closely connected with the diplomatic service and the growth of the british empire.[55] the chronicle was a portion of the magazine sure of finding readers, but there was no page more welcome to all than the brief but pithy preface in which the editor named the chief contents, touched on some matter of note to the readers, or urged forward the lagging subscriber.
as the college interest widened with the ever-increasing number of old pupils, the chronicle became too limited a record to stand alone. when the magazine was about seventeen years old ‘parerga’ appeared for the first time, telling of activities which lay outside the immediate scope of college work, yet were due in part to the influence of the alma mater, to ‘the spiritual force, the higher volition and action.’ miss beale, who found in the magazine a strong link with her large scattered family, also in later years freely printed letters she received from various members abroad. she did not care much for articles on travel, writing on one occasion that she received too many descriptions, and would like in their place to have more records of observation in the fields of[205] natural history and other sciences. but she treasured letters, and showed them widely. indeed, it was sometimes startling for the writer of a private letter to miss beale to find whole extracts published in the magazine for all the world to see.
almost from the beginning there were reviews of books. these were generally written by the editor. there were also notices of books by old pupils. of these miss beale was proud, and she never failed to mention them, often reprinting portions of reviews by the press; but she would not review them herself, saying, ‘books by old pupils claim our notice; we must leave criticism to those less interested in the writers.’
fortunately miss beale was not content with merely reviewing and editing. many a number of the magazine contained a long contribution from herself, such as an article reprinted from another periodical, an address given at a gathering of old pupils, or at some more general meeting. the first two editions of the history of the college were also printed here. of her articles which were not of special college interest, the most notable were those upon browning. one of these, written in spring 1890, shortly after the poet’s death, contains a brief clear statement of the value of his philosophy. the other writers of the magazine have been chiefly old pupils, some of whose names, as, for example, those of jane harrison, beatrice harraden, bertha synge, may sinclair, are known in wider fields of literature. but any who made a sincere effort were welcomed, encouraged, and—edited. present pupils have rarely written, but of late an attempt has been made to secure more contributions from these. members of the council, and others connected with the college by the ties of friendship or work, frequently helped the magazine with papers or[206] verses. for years every number was enriched with a poem or article from the pen of mrs. james owen, that friend whose keen intellectual interests and strong sympathy were put so largely at miss beale’s service when this literary venture was first made.
to find contributors miss beale went even beyond the outer circle of the college. ‘we always hope to have some good writing in our magazine, thus to maintain a high standard,’ she had said at the beginning. she liked to gain the notice of those who were eminent in literature or science for this dearly loved literary child, and as occasion brought her in contact with any who were distinguished for the things she appreciated she would send them the magazine, often asking for a paper. letters from people of widely differing thought and position, acknowledging the receipt of the magazine, are now in the college archives. they vary in warmth and interest. the late bishop of gloucester and bristol wrote in 1889: ‘however busy i may be, i always find time to read portions of [the magazine], and i am always thankful to recognise not merely the cultivated, but the wise and—what we men specially value—the womanly tone that characterises it. i read with much interest your article on the sorbonne gathering.’ bishop westcott in 1890 wrote, on receiving the number containing miss beale’s ‘in memoriam’ article on browning: ‘may i confess that when the copy of the ladies’ college magazine came this morning with the letters, my correspondence was at once interrupted? i felt constrained to read your words on browning, just and wise and helpful and suggestive.’ some notes are little more than the acknowledgment of a polite friend who had ‘already cut the pages.’ the request for contributions was not always granted;[207] sometimes it was won by a little importunity. it brought about rather an amusing incident with mr. ruskin, whose letters on the subject and on some of miss beale’s own magazine articles are too characteristic to be omitted.
miss beale sent him the number containing her paper on ‘britomart.’ he replied at once:—
‘march 12, 1887.
‘have you not yet to add to your britomart, at p. 219, due justification of feminine—may we not rather call it disguise—than lie? and, for myself, may i say that i think britomart should have sung to the red knight, not he to britomart.—ever faithfully yours,
j. ruskin.’
five days later he wrote:—
‘but i much more than like your essay on britomart.
‘i am most thankful to have found the head of a girls’ college able to do such a piece of work, and having such convictions and aspirations, and can only assure you how glad i shall be to find myself capable of aiding you in anything.... i trespass no further on you to-day, but have something to say concerning ball-play as a britomartian exercise, before saying which, however, i will inquire of the librarian what ground spaces the college commands, being so limited in its bookshelves.—and believe me, ever your faithful servt.,
john ruskin.’
miss beale replied to this by sending her paper on ‘lear,’ to which came this response:—
‘march 22, 1887.
‘i am entirely glad to hear of the oxford plan, which seems faultless, and am most happy to get the king lear, though i hope you have never learned as much of human life as to be able to read him as you can britomart. what i want to know is whether cordelia was ever so little in love—with any body, except her father.’
two days later came the following:—
‘march 24, 1887.
‘i have been reading your lear with very great interest. it is one of the subtlest and truest pieces of shakespeare criticism i ever saw, but just as i guessed—misses the key note. you[208] never enter on the question what it is that drives lear mad! and throughout you fall into the fault which women nearly always commit if they don’t err on the other side,—of always talking of love as if it had nothing to do with sex.... i am extremely glad to note your interest in and knowledge of music.—ever faithfully and respectfully yours,
j. ruskin.’
after this letter there was a pause in a correspondence which had been kept up pretty briskly on various subjects. in june, however, miss beale wrote again,—the purport of her letter may be gathered from the answer.
‘june 8, 1887.
‘i never have been ill this year; the reports you heard or saw in papers were variously malicious or interested. but i have been busy, in very painful or sorrowful business—at oxford or at home—nor even in the usual tenor of spring occupation could i have answered rightly the different questions you sent me. especially, i could not tell you anything of your paper on lear, because i think women should never write on shakespeare, or homer, or ?schylus, or dante, or any of the greater powers in literature. spenser, or chaucer, or molière, or any of the second and third order of classics—but not the leaders. and you really had missed much more in lear than i should like to tell you.
‘i really thought i had given the college my books—but if i haven’t, i won’t—not even if you set the librarian to ask me; for it does seem to me such a shame that a girl can always give her dentist a guinea for an hour’s work, and her physician for an opinion; and she can’t give me one for what has cost me half my life to learn, and will help her till the end of hers to know.
‘please go on with your book exactly as you like to have it. i have neither mind nor time for reading just now.—ever most truly yrs.,
j. ruskin.’
mr. ruskin permitted the reprint of a few extracts from his own writings in the magazine, on which his criticism as a whole was not very encouraging. one of his letters, indeed, called forth a protest from miss beale, to which he replied thus:—
‘june 15, 1887.
‘dear miss beale,—i am grieved very deeply to have[209] written what i did of your dear friend’s verses. if you knew how full my own life has been of sorrow, how every day of it begins with a death-knell, you would bear with me in what i will yet venture to say to you as the head of a noble school of woman’s thought, that no personal feelings should ever be allowed to influence you in what you permit your scholars either to read or to publish.’
and again a few days later:—
‘brantwood, coniston, lancashire, june 19, 1887.
‘dear miss beale,—so many thanks, and again and again i ask your pardon for the pain i gave you. i had no idea of the kind of person you were, i thought you were merely clever and proud.
‘these substituted verses are lovely.—ever gratefully (1) yrs.,
‘j. r.
‘(1) i mean, for the way you have borne with my letters. you will not think it was because i did not like my own work to have the other with it that i spoke as i did.’
mr. shorthouse also once contributed to the magazine, sending a little story called ‘an apologue.’
the work entailed by the magazine was, on the whole, pleasant and interesting to its editor. but she was grieved sometimes if she thought old pupils did not appreciate it, or if contributions fell short. it was not always easy to get enough articles of the kind she desired, and the difficulty was increased by the severe censorship she exercised. ‘about one hour wasted in fretting over magazine,’ runs the diary of april 2, 1891.
the magazine was not without its faults. ‘how bad the best of us!’ says punch, according to ruskin. but it had the conspicuous merit of offering encouragement to young writers, of promoting a spirit of unity, and fostering sympathetic interest among those whose lives were necessarily far apart. ‘we hope,’ miss beale had said in her first preface, ‘that the papers on work may[210] be helpful in suggesting ways of usefulness.’[56] this hope was practically realised. how far the young writers profited by each other’s thoughts can be less easily gauged; but doubtless some learned at least one lesson the magazine was meant to teach, that if they intended to work, they ‘must not shrink from the hardest and most fruitful work, i.e. thinking.’[57]
miss beale’s influence was again extended in manifold and ever-developing ways when, in 1883, the first meeting of former pupils was held in the college.
at this date the number of regular pupils was five hundred. only six years before a proposal had been made to limit the numbers to three hundred, but each year saw an increase, and a consequent addition to the ranks of those who carried the influence of the college into the larger world outside.
it had been felt for some time by the principal and others to whom the college was dear, that an association of old pupils should be formed, but of what nature and name could not be determined without a representative meeting. a suitable occasion for this presented itself in 1883, which was a sort of jubilee year for the college, miss beale having then been its principal for twenty-five years. many old pupils expressed a wish to mark the great occasion by a personal gift to miss beale; she, as was to be expected, asked that it might be given to her ‘husband,’ the college. it was a moment of almost unsullied prosperity, as could be seen by the buildings which were constantly growing more stately and suitable. in the previous year they had been much enlarged, and the whole college life benefited by the addition of the music and art wing. the old music-rooms were little better than cupboards, the[211] new ones contained light, air, and space, as well as the necessary pianoforte. the first drawing-room was but an insufficient classroom, in which a cast of any size could not be placed. the new studio was spacious and properly lighted. both additions at this period spoke of miss beale’s method in educational development, also of the order in which her own full mental life unfolded. first she would have the exact, the severe, the discipline of grammar and rule, then the expansion of beauty in thought and symbol.
and the gift of the old pupils could not have been better chosen. it took the form of an organ for what was then the largest hall, the first division room. here the daily prayers of the three divisions took place. sir walter parratt settled the specifications for the organ, which was placed above the lady principal’s dais.
the choir, which up to this time had been dependent on the aid of a harmonium, was augmented and improved, and the daily music at the school prayers became a feature of college life in which miss beale took delight. occasionally her directions to the choir were embarrassing. she liked music to be very piano, and required a great deal of expression to bring out the full meaning of the words sung.
mr. ruskin was also momentarily interested by it. he was as suggestive and dogmatic on the subject as on any other that he touched. once he wrote to miss beale, ‘all music properly so called is of the celestial spheres. it aids and gives law to joy, or it ennobles and comforts sorrow.’ on hearing of the organ and ‘girl-organist,’ he hoped ‘to be able to work out some old plans with her,’ and unfolded them thus:—
‘i think you may be willing to help me in the plan chiefly for the last four or five years in my mind, of getting a girls’ choral[212] service well organised in a college chapel. the most beautiful service i have ever heard in any church of any country is that of the convent of the trinità at rome, entirely sung by the sisters, unseen; and quite my primary idea in girl education—peasant or princess, is to get the voice perfectly trained in the simplest music of noblest schools. finding your organist is a girl, and that she is interested in the book on plain chant i sent her, it seems to me my time has come, and i am going to write to miss lefevre at somerville, miss gladstone at newnham, and miss welch at girton, to beg them to consider with you what steps they could take to this end. if you could begin by giving enough time for the training of the younger girls, i think i could, with that foundation, press for a more advanced action in the matter at cambridge and oxford.’
miss beale obviously replied to this with some questions about the training of the choir, for mr. ruskin’s next and rapidly following letter closes thus:—
‘as for the choir, nothing is necessary but a due attention to girls’ singing, as well as their dancing. it ought to be as great a shame for a girl not to be able to sing, up to the faculty of her voice, might i say, as to speak bad grammar. you could never rival the trinità di monte, but could always command the chanting of the psalms with sweetness and clearness, and a graceful te deum and magnificat.’
besides the organ, miss beale’s wedding gifts included the first light of a stained-glass window above the new grand staircase. this was drawn by miss thompson, and executed by clayton and bell. miss beale herself chose the subject for the whole—a series of scenes from her beloved story of ‘britomart.’
over and above the opening of the new buildings, and the installation of the wedding gifts, there was in the early part of the summer term some excitement and much pleasant sense of preparation for the gathering of old pupils fixed for the 6th and 7th of july.
then, into the midst of the glad anticipation, came as[213] with transcendent suddenness mrs. owen’s death on june 19. hers was indeed
‘a spirit that went forth
and left upon the mountain-tops of death
a light that made them lovely.’
but for many the happiness of the coming meeting was marred, most of all for her in whose honour it had been largely arranged. miss beale made no change, but went through all the proceedings as they had been planned, dwelling never for a moment on her sense of bereavement and loss, but speaking calmly even in public of the life that had passed out of sight.
the first meeting, on the evening of july 6, was a conversazione in the upper or second division hall. an unexpectedly large number of old pupils were present, and on the next day at the ordinary college prayers miss beale gave what was practically the first guild address. though made on an occasion of so much personal interest and gratification to herself, this address was remarkable not only for the piercing insight with which she ever penetrated below what was apparent or obvious, but also for what, for want of a better word, must be called its soberness. touched, emotional as the speaker always was, keenly alive to the sense of union and communion with all lives that in the highest sense had come in contact with her own, happy in recognising the college to be a step by which souls might ascend out of mere material interests, marking with joy its noble work in the progress of the ‘higher education’ of women, she chastened all excess of feeling by the calm sincerity with which she could contemplate ‘even in the green, the faded tree.’ ‘schools too,’ she said, ‘like the members of which they are composed, have their period of growth, manhood, and decay.[214] some tell us the first is over for us, and that we, too, have settled down into vigorous manhood. i am not so sure that we have quite done with growth, even in the outside body; but however that may be, i trust there is that among us, which is not even like the most substantial building, not like the outward form, liable to decay and death.’
thus quietly she spoke, marking for all that heard her that there was no commonplace elation or poor ambition in her thoughts and feelings for her school. on this really momentous occasion for the college, when its members as a whole were summoned to catch a glimpse of all it could be of help and blessing in a far larger world than its own, the principal spoke less of work accomplished than of growth, and ‘the silent witness of a beautiful life as a power to bless.’ she said less about the gifts with which the college had been enriched, than of some visible sacraments of nature with which these gifts should bring them into touch. she dwelt specially on the great meanings of music. ‘in the psalm of life each is necessary to the perfection of that glorious music, which we shall hear and understand when the discords of earth have been resolved.’
in conclusion miss beale sketched the possibility of an association of old pupils, such as already existed in some boys’ schools, and was not wholly unknown among girls. ‘when i read of meetings of old etonians, rugbeians, marlburians, and of works undertaken by them in common, and know how strong is the tie of affection which binds many of our old pupils to their alma mater, i have often wished there were some means of uniting us into an association.’ she named also the uses and aims of such an association. it is needless to say that though its members strive to bear in mind the[215] objects their principal and president put before them, rules, precisely to embody them, could not be framed.
‘members should consider themselves united together to help in sustaining, especially in distant countries, as high an intellectual and social standard as possible, first amongst those of their own class. thus reading societies, mutual improvement societies, libraries, etc., would be helped on by them. they would bear in mind the college motto, “let no man think or maintain that a man can search too far or be too well studied in the book of god’s word, or in the book of god’s works; but rather let men endeavour an endless progress and proficiency in both; only let men beware that they apply both to charity and not to grovelling; to use and not to ostentation.”[58] some articles of their creed would be—(a) that influence radiates from a centre, and hence it is a duty all through life to continue one’s own education; (b) that the nearer we stand in intellectual and social position, the stronger are our ties to any, and the greater are our duties; (c) that the worst thing one can do with any talent one possesses is to bury it. rules would have to be framed concerning admission.’
miss beale added that secretaries to the proposed association had already been appointed: mrs. ashley smith for the general work and organisation, miss flora ker as local secretary. this announcement of her appointment to what proved to be a very strenuous work was the first suggestion that mrs. smith received that she should even undertake it. in an article in the next magazine miss beale unfolded her plan more fully, suggesting a few rules. she proposed further that the badge of the association should be a little brooch engraved with a figure of her beloved britomart.
the idea of a guild of old pupils was eagerly received, and a committee at once formed to deal with its organisation. in all these arrangements miss beale showed great strength of mind and self-control in being able to stand aside and let others work out the details of[216] the scheme, even submitting her own judgment to that of the younger ones, whom she thought called upon to do the work. yet she was in a true sense president of the guild, guiding and directing where she would not command. indeed, this ever-growing society which multiplied interests for her was largely her own inception, at a time when her special work, the college, was also increasing rapidly. the power of mind which could keep the right hold on both is certainly rare.
the first committee consisted of associates of the college and a few other old pupils. meetings were held to draw up the organisation of the new society, and this was made known at large in a delightful article by mrs. ashley smith in the magazine for spring 1884. in this the writer adventured far enough into the future to be able to suggest the possibility, at no very distant date, of some corporate work, ‘such as is done by many boys’ schools,’ but in 1884 the time for this had not arrived for cheltenham girls.
the lower hall, ladies’ college cheltenham
from a photograph by miss bertha synge.
the second large gathering of old pupils, which took place on july 8 and 9, 1884, is always reckoned as the first meeting of the guild, the association being on that occasion formally founded under the name of ‘the guild of the cheltenham ladies’ college.’ it is interesting to note that what then seemed a large gathering really included less than eighty former pupils of the college; ten years later, at the fourth guild meeting, there were nearly five hundred, and the number has increased ever since. the daisy was chosen as an emblem for the guild: its choice and its significance were explained by the president in her address on saturday, july 9. in a second address at this time, given after the candidates for guild membership had received their ‘masonic sign,’ miss beale dwelt chiefly on the practical questions arising[217] out of the existence of the new association. she spoke of the difficulty of decision among the many opinions which must necessarily exist in a large college; she hoped that ‘whatever decision might finally be arrived at, all would cheerfully submit to it, and if their own individual tastes were not in every case gratified, would find their satisfaction in giving up their own wishes for the sake of the majority. she herself had had to submit, she hoped cheerfully, to an adverse vote.’ the rules were then read. of these it is sufficient to say here that they made it difficult for any one whose life was spent in a mere pleasure-seeking spirit to be a member of the guild. the rules were accepted for two years, and two courses of study were suggested for junior members.
in the year following these meetings, mrs. ashley smith wrote an article for the magazine on the reports received from various members and on the general working of the guild, which by the end of 1885 numbered nearly two hundred members. this is now an old story, nor is there anything specially remarkable in the many details of work in sunday-schools and coffee-clubs. yet even at the time when the guild, compared with its present self, looked little more than ‘seven maids with seven mops,’ the tale of individual work done shows that already much quiet persistent effort was being made by miss beale’s old girls. this association, founded on principles rather than rules, was indicative of its origin in a mind which habitually dwelt rather on being than doing. the small beginning, the gradual steady growth, the outcome of ideals and thoughts, were consistent with the whole of the college history. and to re-read the story of the foundation of the guild is to remember once more how many quiet, unobtrusive, untiring workers have helped to make that history. in especial,[218] the immense work and patience of the secretaries can perhaps never be adequately recognised: the labour of merely reading and tabulating the reports was considerable.
‘the general secretary,’ wrote mrs. ashley smith on one occasion, ‘on receiving the reports enters under more than sixty different headings the occupations of all the guild members. it will be easily understood that the task of reducing to order and collating a chaotic mass of miscellaneous information on all subjects, from the keeping of poultry to the study of hebrew, from making the beds to organising institutes, is not a very simple affair, and that therefore an immense saving of time and trouble is effected when the proper form is used, and it does not become necessary to wade through a letter full of apologies and exculpatory remarks, before one can arrive at the gist of the report.’
on another occasion, after enumerating the different charitable and self-improving societies to which guild members belonged, she said:
‘it almost gives one a headache to read this long list of occupations; and when at the end, hoping for a little breathing space, we come to an “odd minute society,” it puts the finishing touch to the bewildering sensation of restless activity, and one begins to wish for a “sit-down-in-peace-and-calm-yourself society.”’
the reports, a matter of obligation to the junior members of the guild, were often looked over by the president, who would surprise the secretaries by her detailed knowledge of the home surroundings and characters of girls whom she hardly knew by sight. ‘what is so-and-so doing now?’ she would ask, and on being told, would say, ‘she ought to be doing more,’ or ‘less,’ and perhaps make some other criticism. not less surprising was her memory of former discussions. ‘she never forgot,’ writes mrs. griffith, ‘what had been said. sometimes she began again, continuing the conversation just where we left off, after a three months’ interval.’
the secretaries were also impressed by the way in[219] which the president held herself bound by its smallest rules. miss helen mugliston, who succeeded mrs. griffith as general secretary in 1898, said miss beale was ‘perfect to work under. having given you the task, she gave also her absolute trust and support throughout the whole of it.’
the second meeting of the guild was held in june 1886, lasting from a friday evening to the following tuesday morning. the president’s opening address dealt with work and duty. this year, for the first time, the guild was also addressed by an outside speaker, the dean of gloucester. mrs. ashley smith, in summing up her impressions of the gatherings of this year, rejoiced in the interest the members took in the proceedings. ‘we cannot,’ she added, ‘certainly be accused of a servile unanimity in opinions or in the expression of them; but i hope we are united in underlying principles.’
it was not until two years later that the sense of fellowship was strengthened, and the individual desires to help others directed by the resolve to organise a corporate work, a work in which not only all guild members might help according to their opportunities, but in which also all old pupils and others connected with the college might be invited to join. this was formally proposed at the guild meeting of 1888, and an idea as to what shape it might take was thrown out in a paper then read, which told for the first time something of what miss beale had done by means of the loan fund.
to say that miss beale wished the corporate work to be of such a nature as to carry on that which she had long been doing for impecunious students, but feebly expresses what was really an earnest desire and hope. the claim she had upon the guild, the importance that[220] must attach to her lightest wish, was recognised; and yet,—yet, many felt that there were stronger reasons still why another kind of work should be chosen. consequently no decision could be made at once, and those who had heard and discussed the paper parted after merely voting that the guild ‘should undertake some corporate work.’ among so many workers there were necessarily many ideas; the question was too important to be hastily decided, and it was resolved to give time for suggestions to be made and considered before anything final was done. the committee appointed to consider these reduced them to three schemes of work, on which all members were asked to vote. these were:—
1. a scheme for educating at college a few pupils who were worthy of education, but unable to pay the fees.
2. a scheme for taking over an elementary school in order to work it through teachers who had been trained in college.
3. the third scheme, which was carried, was submitted to the guild in these words: ‘that the corporate fund be devoted to starting and supporting a mission in one of our large towns, the place to be decided by the votes of the guild members.’
it was but natural that president and members should have different ideas on such an occasion. dorothea beale, who had never ceased to hear and obey the call she had received as a girl to help women, and with them the race, by means of improved education, longed to see those she had taught and trained freely sharing with others the very same advantages they had received. the difficulties which beset her own youth were still fresh in her mind. the need for good teachers still existed. she had seen the work she wanted the guild to take up in operation for years, knew that it did not pauperise, that it blessed giver and receiver, and was increasingly fruitful, like good seed in good ground. on the other hand, she had a profound suspicion of much charitable[221] work of the day, thinking that ‘it will quickly perish because it does not aim at developing energy, inward power. to do for others what they ought to do for themselves is to degrade them in the order of creation.’[59] she could far more easily bear to see people suffering from hunger and nakedness than from loss of will power and sense of responsibility. this was partly, perhaps, because she did not know nor in the least realise the miseries and difficulties of extreme poverty.
miss beale’s misgivings about the east end work were probably never quite set at rest. writing to mrs. charles robinson in 1899, she said: ‘i shall perhaps sleep two nights at st. hilda’s east. i feel the whole question of settlements most difficult. it was undertaken against my judgment, and yet the guidance all the way seems to point to its being right. sisters and deaconesses are much better for this work, yet there are some whom we can enlist who will never join and could not join “orders.”’
the guild members who had been trained by their head not always acquiescingly to ‘do the next thing,’ but to think out questions, to plan carefully for the best if hardest, belonged to a new generation and had received another call. they saw how greatly educated women were needed to deal with charity organisation, with labour problems, with the children of the poor in schools and workhouses. many of them were already at work for these. they felt, too, that they should take their part in helping to rouse others to study and work for the poor. on the other hand, they saw the need for cheap, good girls’ education to be one which was lessening every year. they had never felt it themselves, had had no struggle for training under pressure of adverse circumstances.[222] finally, they must have known that it was work which miss beale would not fail to carry on, meeting every necessity which was brought to her personal notice.
on may 6, 1889, a general meeting of the guild was held in london to consider further the lines on which the adopted scheme should be carried out. it was decided that the guild settlement should be made in london, in the parish of st. john’s, bethnal green, described by its vicar, the rev. g. bromby, who warmly welcomed the cheltenham workers, as a ‘typical east end parish of the better sort.’
at this meeting the president introduced the subject by saying:
‘i trust we shall be able to try to win harmony out of notes not altogether concordant. some of us come with a feeling of disappointment that the scheme we desired has been rejected;—i am one of these. i not only accept my defeat, i feel sure that you have sought guidance of that inward oracle which must ever be our supreme ruler, you have done what conscience bade, and so it is right. as regards my own scheme, i only allude to it to say, that having now to continue it single-handed, i cannot help you as much as i could wish, and i just refer to it to-day in the hope that you will remember it when i am no longer here.’
in these few words only did miss beale at the time announce her own disappointment and anxiety. there was much more she might have said, which she did in effect say in an early draft of her speech, which she fortunately did not destroy. here her misgivings show themselves plainly. they were due to her foresight and judgment, yet it is likely that in some ways the untried workers, whom she feared were lightly taking upon themselves responsibilities to which they might prove unequal, really knew more than herself of the scope and details of the actual task before them.
this is what miss beale wrote but did not say:—
[223]
‘it is no use concealing from you, for i could not, that i am greatly disappointed. but when i have said that, i have done; i accept the defeat. others whose schemes have equally been rejected are suffering, thinking, perhaps, it is hard they have been met with so little sympathy. if they do not think well to join in this, no one will blame them, i hope, but will believe that they refuse because they ought not to give except as conscience requires, but let them give or spend in the best way they can all they would have bestowed on the guild scheme of their heart’s choice.
‘this matter has brought before me many things which seem to show that our organisation needs some more distinct ideal. like some “topsy,” it could say in its infancy, “’spects i growed!” but when it undertakes to do something on its own account, then questions of power and how much power it should exercise, the questions of law and liberty which need to be faced, and which we shall, i trust, grow stronger and wiser in facing,—these have come before me with painful strength because as your president i had to face them. i was strongly opposed to the london scheme; i felt we were far too young, both in the age of the majority of our members, and also in the age of our organisation, to undertake such a great scheme. i had the strongest dislike to fashions in philanthropy, and especially is it most undesirable to familiarise the young with lives led in the slums of heathen london. only those whose faith has had years to grow strong seem called to such work.
‘i could not see the head whom i could trust with its management, and such a centre of work could not be ruled by several equal heads, or by a committee with almost no experience and but little individual responsibility. the whole thing seemed to me a mistake, and my heart sank as i thought of myself as president over our guild, working what seemed an impossible scheme. yet it is one of the first principles of education to let children who are not grounded properly make mistakes and so learn where they fail.’
much happened to reconcile miss beale to the settlement scheme. miss catherine newman, as her sister had done ten years before in aid of poor students, volunteered to undertake the management of the work gratuitously, and to pay her own expenses. miss newman was an old college pupil and a member of the guild.[224] she was also a trained nurse, with long experience of work among the poor. miss newman’s offer and the appeal of her old friend, mr. bromby, had weight with miss beale. she felt less anxious about the efforts of her ‘children’ if safe-guarded by the experience of those she knew and trusted. miss newman could also sympathise with miss beale’s own disappointment and anxiety, while she was confident of her large-mindedness in this matter. this may be gathered from a letter she wrote to her in the course of the proceedings at this time:—
‘ ... it is very good of you to set aside your own wishes and to throw yourself into this scheme. i have thought many times since the corporate work was talked about, that the freedom both teachers and old pupils felt in proposing schemes of work spoke volumes for their confidence in your generosity. several members of the guild who felt drawn towards the mission scheme said to me, “if i thought miss beale would wish me to vote for the loan fund because it was her scheme i would do so, but i believe that she would prefer that we should think for ourselves and vote for the scheme which most commends itself to us individually.” this confidence in your generosity and sense of justice struck me greatly; they knew you too well to fear for an instant that you might resent their taking a different line, and i felt sure from all i had ever known or seen of you that their confidence was not misplaced. had you been able to unfold your scheme to them the result might have been very different, but of course it is too late now. if we were to renounce the idea of the home for workers in the east-end, the elementary school would certainly take its place, and i am sure that you have realised ere now that it would be unjust both to the workers and the parish in which the settlement is made to make it a temporary thing. either it must be the corporate work of the guild or it must be given up altogether,—at least so it seems to me. we could not expect enthusiasm either to work or support if it might be withdrawn at any moment. as regards your scheme, dear miss beale, i am truly sorry that it had not really a fair chance from the accident of its not being ripe yet for publicity. two years hence might have been soon enough, yet i need not remind you that the “corporate work” was suggested by yourself. i am not afraid[225] to say, however, that your scheme is sure of support and success, and this i trust while your powers are still unimpaired; but if, unfortunately, your strength should oblige you to limit your useful labour before it is fairly launched, i have every confidence that your friends and “children” would look upon it as a sacred legacy, which it would be their pride and pleasure to inherit from you.’
at the very moment that the cheltenham settlement was about to be opened in bethnal green, the ladies of oxford were prepared to start one in the same district. for the convenience of both, an arrangement was made by which the two sets of workers could live together for a time, under one head, miss newman, until the resources of each, and the work they were called upon to do, were better known. mayfield house, close to st. john’s church, was therefore taken and formally opened as a ladies’ settlement (at that time the second in london), on october 26, 1889. four years later, as suddenly as her sister at jersey house, miss newman died at her post. ‘what can one feel,’ wrote a friend to miss beale, ‘except that her death seems to seal the whole life with the heroism of service.’
this trouble was the first link in a chain of circumstances which led, in the course of three or four years, to the removal of the settlement to shoreditch, where it became an important branch of that work to which miss beale gave the title of st. hilda’s.
