“WE WORK IN HOPE.”
“It never yet did hurt
To lay down likelihoods and forms of hope.”
With the success of this first public meeting, it was hoped that the
tide had turned. On February 15, 1871, a drawing-room meeting at the
house of Mr. E. C. Robins gave still further encouragement. I had
prepared a paper, entitled “Pearl and Sea-foam,” contrasting the solid
work of the education given to boys with the evanescent glitter of that
thought to be sufficient for girls, and giving an account of Miss Buss’
work and aims.
A good discussion followed, in which many persons interested in
education took part. The immediate result was the active adhesion of Mr.
John Neate, who undertook to interest some of the City Companies. This
was a real advance. Hitherto there had been a general agreement that
“something ought to be done,” and that “somebody ought to do it;” but it
was also generally agreed that “somebody else” was responsible for
action in the matter, and we had not yet found this very essential
personage. The discovery was now made that in the City Companies, which
had done so much for boys, we should without doubt find all that could
be desired.
The prospect did indeed seem hopeful. We had already on our own
governing body a member of the Merchant Taylors’ Company in Mr. W.
Timbrell Elliott. Our new friends, Mr. Robins and Mr. Neate, belonged to
the Dyers’ and the Clothworkers’ Companies, and all three gentlemen
became, within a short time, the Masters of their respective Companies.
We had, however, to wait quite till the end of the year before the first
large donation of £100 from the Fishmongers’ Company set the example,
afterwards followed by the Brewers’ and the Clothworkers’ Companies in
the gift of the school-buildings.
Mr. Robins printed the first copies of “Pearl and Sea-foam,” which were
found useful in our next effort to secure £500 in £5 donations, for the
barely necessary furniture in the two schools. Miss Buss had left the
greater part of her furniture in Camden Street, and had gone to an empty
building at 202, Camden Road; but about this time she writes—
“If we could raise £500 in addition to what we have, I think we
might, for the present, let the North London Collegiate School
go on alone.
“The first thing next term will be to apply to City Companies
for the _Camden_ School.
“I am very busy, as you can guess, and you will not mind this
work.
“I could send such a statement to some people, I think. But I
would suggest that the whole trouble should fall on you, by your
giving your name and address as Hon. Sec., or receiver, or
anything you like. Any names I obtained I would send to you.”
“March 23.
“What a very nice woman that Australian lady must be! Somehow I
have been in a depressed or out-of-tune condition all day, and
now—faithless that I am—your note comes to cheer me up and give
me fresh hope. How wonderful is the all-prevailing law of
compensation! Sunshine and shade vary our days.”
“March 27.
“The City people are not to be moved to do anything that is not
in the City. Honour and glory follow there, so there they will
work.
“Mr. Rogers is about to open his school, and when it is done, it
will be published, with a flourish of trumpets, ‘See what the
City does! It inaugurates a new era,’ etc. But, after all, what
matters it if the work is done?
“Mr. Rogers has already been attacked, I assure you. I went
straight off to Mr. Jowett, some time since, to strengthen him,
if necessary, by arguments in behalf of girls.
“Miss Davies helps me as much as she can, but her energies,
interests, hopes are all centred in the _College_. She cannot
well beg for two different things at one time, and it is for
this reason that she is not one of our trustees.
“There are three City men who have in their hands a capital sum
of £30,000—half of this is to be spent on _a_ girls’ school in
the City.
“Nothing but an organized opposition through the Charity
Commission will make them do anything else. £15,000 on _one_
school, and that in the City, where it is not wanted, especially
if Mr. Rogers’ school be opened! I mean to try and get a grant
out of them—they have given three grants, each of a thousand, to
Mr. Rogers—but, you will see, they will give another thousand to
him for his girls’ school, and they will give nothing to us,
because we are _not_ in the City.
“Here we begin with nothing—in the Camden School, at all events.
We must work on and get publicity, then we may get money.”
“March 27, 1871.
“Mrs. Grey’s letter came to-day. You will see that her paper may
help us a little, but not very much. I have no idea as to an
‘advocate.’ Dr. Hodgson is at Bournemouth—Mr. Cooke Taylor I
know nothing of—Mr. Lee is the only person I can think of now,
and there are several reasons against asking him. Between now
and the 31st could we not get some one to pay us a visit and
speak up for us?
“I will send Mrs. Grey your paper, but I rather think she had a
copy.
“My holiday trip was delightful....
“Will you tell me when we meet whether you would consent to
become one of ‘_my_’ trustees?”
“May 9, 1871.
“How brave and earnest you are! It is such a comfort to me! You
can have no idea of what work and worry I have to face, and
almost single-handed.
“Please accept my proposal to become a trustee. Your help will
be invaluable to me and to the Cause, and, as a trustee, you can
say and do much more for us.
“Let me know if you accept.”
“May 23, 1871.
“I want to see you very much. You were unanimously elected a
member of our Board yesterday, and were also, at _my_ request,
put on the Memorial Committee, which is to deal with the
question of applications for money from Companies, etc.
“I have written to ever so many people, but have no more names.
We have got a list of the Companies, of their clerks, of their
styles, ‘Worshipful,’ etc.
“The £5 collection was well received yesterday when I mentioned
it at our meeting, and the list has gone to the printer. I am
really quite hopeful about it.
“There are 112 girls in the Camden Schools now, and I want you
to write, if you can, to Irwin Cocks, Esq. (or Cox?), editor of
the _Queen_, 346, Strand, stating what we are doing, how we have
started this school, etc. He would probably insert it, and then
a friend, Miss Chessar, would write a short leader about it. It
seems rather too bad to trouble you, but I really am too
overdone with the inner work of the two schools to be able to do
much in the outer work.
“Mrs. Laing will put our papers into Mrs. Craik’s hands,
_to-morrow_—D. M. Muloch, I mean.
“Can you tell me for certain what is Sir John Bowring’s Company?
We must begin with that.”
Lady Bowring had gone over the schools with me, and, like all who saw
them, was charmed with her visit. She had promised to secure Sir John
Bowring’s interest with his own Company and with the Gilchrist Trust.
From the latter help came in scholarships.
But of the uses of “Pearl and Sea-foam” none gave me so much
satisfaction as this letter from Mrs. S. C. Hall—
“April 6, 1871.
“MY DEAR ANNIE,
“If it please God to prolong my days and my ability to
work, _after_ I have been able, by my exertions, to add a small
additional ward to the Great Northern Hospital, my _present_
impression is that I should like to help the educational plan of
Miss Buss. But I never could devote my heart to two things at
once, and that Great Northern Hospital is what I shall work and
beg for—and nothing else—during the next year. I hate bazaars,
but there is no other way that I know of to get the necessary
funds—except a concert—and, at present, I can only grope my way.
“Mr. Ruskin has not been here since Christmas, but I can say
anything to him, now that I know him so well; and, _after_ I
have had some hospital talk with him, I will give him your
‘Foam,’ and ask him to see Miss Buss’ schools.
“He is most charming. It always does my heart good to see him
playing with the dogs on the hearthrug. Oxford takes up a good
deal of his time. Miss Hill looks after his cottages. Dear
little Joan Agnew is to be married this month. I am so glad she
is to live at Denmark Hill. She is such a lovely darling.
“I am very glad Mr. Hall suggested that art work to you; only
don’t make yourself ill over it.
“With warm regards to all,
“Your affectionate friend,
“A. M. H.”
After Mrs. S. C. Hall’s first letter I had met at her house both Mrs.
Laing and the Rev. T. Pelham Dale, friends of Miss Buss, who warmly took
her part. After much effort, Mrs. Hall and Miss Buss met at last, being
mutually attracted.
Some extracts from Miss Buss’ letters at this time show how very busy
she was—
“Mrs. S. C. Hall and I have not converted each other yet. Why?
Because she was not well, and I did not go!”
And later—
“Mrs. Hall asked me yesterday to go to lunch with her to-morrow.
But, most unfortunately, I had engaged a railway carriage to
take the girls in my house to Windsor, and cannot possibly send
them without me. I could go to-morrow afternoon, but I have a
meeting of my Dorcas Committee, followed by a teachers’ meeting.
Both these must be given up if I go to Mrs. S. C. Hall’s, and,
as you have already met this Indian gentleman, it seems scarcely
worth while, either for you or me.
“I am glad Mrs. Hall is being led to see that a woman may have
cultivation, and yet be able to mend a glove. _Why_ people
should insist on thinking that the education which should make a
man must be injurious to a woman, is, to me, perplexing.”
Though Mrs. S. C. Hall declined to beg for us herself, she did very good
service in introducing Miss Geraldine Jewsbury, who threw herself heart
and soul into the work, bringing many useful friends, and, above all, by
her own bright, breezy nature, cheering Miss Buss in many an hour when
hope was low.
“Miss Jewsbury has raised again some hope—only I fear she has
not had so much experience as you and I, in asking and failing.
She is quite charming.
“Monday.
“These suggestions of Mr. Robins’ have been carried out, as you
see. By to-morrow night, every _member_ of every _court_ of
every _Company_ will have had an invite to Friday’s meeting, and
a circular of the Camden Schools.
“I have asked Miss Cobbe to help us to publicity, and Mr. Edwin
H. Abbott, of the City of London School, will speak. I will see
about Mr. Bompas.
“Invitations have been sent to every parent in both schools;
have been left at every house in the High Street.
“I have bought twenty-eight prizes, have ordered _labels_ to put
inside, have harangued the Camden girls, have divided all _my_
girls, and have had a dreadful day’s work. But one hopes on, and
I have been for years accustomed to find ‘after many days.’”
At the prize-giving of the Camden School the Lord Mayor (Sir T. Dakin)
took the chair, and there were present the Lady Mayoress, Mrs. Laing,
Mrs. Burbury, Miss Emily Davies, the Rev. Edwin Abbott, Mr. Fitch, Mr.
Joseph Payne, and other friends of Higher Education. Dr. Abbott,
head-master of the City of London School, spoke very strongly on the
duty of the Mayor and Corporation to provide for girls schools similar
to those of their brothers.
On the following day Lord Dartmouth presided over the meeting for the
Upper School, also held at St. George’s Hall, Langham Place, at which
Harvey Lewis, Esq., M.P., and Arthur Roebuck, Esq., M.P., Mrs. Grey,
Miss Jewsbury, Mrs. Henry Kingsley, and many others, were present.
A few days after the meetings, Miss Buss writes—
“We are _agitating_ beautifully. Dr. Storrar read me a private,
but very encouraging note from Lord Lyttelton, saying that we
should have some endowments as soon as they can lay their hands
on any.
“This will probably be very useful to us. As Mr. Robins says,
our school must be the first of a series, encircling the City.
Boys go immense distances to the City schools, showing it would
be better, physically and morally, to have the schools within
reach of the parents. Constant railway travelling is bad for
growing lads, and there is no telling the amount of moral injury
from companions in railway carriages, of whom the parents know
nothing.
“This cannot be tolerated for _girls_!...
“Do you smile inwardly at our getting the start? Whether
successful or not, we are first in the field, anyway, even in
the City. I feel quite lighthearted because—you will not
guess—but Mr. Danson has been at work over the accounts, all day
yesterday and all day to-day. He is so thoroughly business-like,
and so good-natured and patient, that it is a sensible relief to
me. He has time and knowledge, and is willing to devote both as
his share of work.
“I think we shall leave London, by the night mail, on Friday in
time to catch the Hull boat to Gottenburg, which starts at six
a.m. on Saturday.
“As I am always very sea-sick, the rest I so much want will be
got on board by means of being compelled to be still.
“My beginning of that last sentence wants an explanation, I see,
so now you have it. Collapse comes on, in a mild form, after
weeks of work, at the rate of fifteen hours _per diem_. I trust
by the time we reach Gottenburg to have recovered.
“Mr. Robins asked me to the Swan-hopping dinner; but as it is on
the 7th, I must not give up a week’s holiday for it. So Mr. Lee
is going to advocate our cause privately as opportunity serves.
“Mr. Elliott has invited me to the Merchant Taylors’ dinner, on
Thursday next, in the Crystal Palace. To that I am going; more,
however, from policy than from inclination, as it is very
possible I shall have to sit up best part of the night to pack
for my journey, and put away all other things until my return.”
“Did it ever occur to you that packing, etc., or indeed,
anything peculiarly womanly, is difficult, almost impossible to
a woman who leaves home, day after day, at 8.30, and does not
return, often—well, sometimes till 10.30 at night? That is my
programme lately. But how much I talk of myself....
“I am obliged to break off hastily. I have been waiting at Myra
Lodge for visitors who have not come! _Quel bonheur!_”
“July 24, 1871.
“This morning Mr. Lee and I met Dr. Storrar and Mr. Robins at
the Mansion House. The Lord Mayor spoke most pleasantly to us.
He will give us a note, which Mr. Lee proposes to have
lithographed, and a copy of this will accompany every memorial.
The Lord Mayor was particularly agreeable to me, and
congratulated me warmly; he is very much interested indeed, and
hopes to pay us a visit in working hours early next term. At all
events, the Lady Mayoress will come—we must keep her up to it.
The census shows a _steady decrease_ in residents in the City!”
“July 27, 1871.
“Pray read the attack on us in to-day’s _Times_. The fight has
begun. We are not really in opposition. Any school in the City
opened by Mr. Rogers will not prevent the necessity of a Camden
Town district school.
“I only trust the Lord Mayor will not _back out_!”
Happily, the Lord Mayor stood firm, and wrote a strong letter of appeal
to go out with the memorial to the City Companies.
Miss Buss’ holiday was most profitably spent in Sweden and Denmark,
where she gathered many educational facts and theories, and where she
found the Swedish desk, which she was the first to introduce into
English schools.
The September campaign began with the Lord Mayor’s appeal, but progress
was still very slow. Miss Geraldine Jewsbury’s warm sympathy was still a
great comfort, but her letters show the difficulties encountered.
Speaking of one friend, she says—
“I must neither ask her to subscribe nor to ask her husband; in
fact, I could not rouse her interest in _this_ quarter. She says
she and her husband have embarked so much in the cause of
education that they can do no more. But _it is all for boys_, of
course. However, £5 is £5, and I think more of it than any other
£5 I ever _earned_. I could never have believed in the
difficulty of getting money for such a good purpose if I had not
_tried_.
“Give my love to Miss Buss, and tell her not to lose heart. But
it is trying and uphill work! Only her example strengthens
others in all ways.”
“Selwood Park, Sept. 3, 1871.
“DEAR MISS RIDLEY,
“The enclosed letters will show you that I have not
forgotten that poor Mr. Ruskin was to be my main hope. His
illness has been very serious, and I know not at this moment
where he is. I shall certainly see him when there is any chance
of his being able to take thought of anything. I know how much
interest he would have taken in the schools, and, I hope, will
take in them yet.
“The lady in whom I most trusted to give me money has given me
_just_ nothing, and no promises even, nor expression of
interest, and the aggravating thing is the _reasons_ she gave!
She has anticipated for _two_ years the sum she gives to
charitable objects or social progress to—the Society for
Advancing Female Suffrage!!!
“I have been entirely unsuccessful so far, but am not going to
lose heart nor hope; for success does not depend on whether an
object is supported by many or by few. And I feel that these
schools are just the most important step that has yet been taken
for women, giving a solid foundation of good training, and Miss
Buss has been raised up and trained for the emergency. She is
doing the real needful work without minding the clatter of
nonsense that is being talked about Woman’s Rights, and all the
rest of it. The waste of _money_ is the least part of one’s
regret.
“My counsel and advice is, first, to write to the Lord Mayor and
tell him that his example would be readily followed, and entreat
him to lead the forlorn hope and give a small sum of money. I
would write the letter gladly, only _you_ can do it better, and
are in the midst of the business of the schools.
“I will write to Mr. Roebuck, and see if he can rouse any
interest. Do you also write to Mrs. Newmarch. Tell her the
urgency of the matter; write such a letter as she can give her
husband—not too long, but urgent. Write to Miss Cobbe, and beg
her to make an article of appeal in the _Echo_, and at the same
time interesting. Shoot all these arrows _at once_, and some of
them will hit.
“I feel ashamed and disgusted at the tardy and small response
you have met with; but, as nothing really good _ever_ dies out,
I am not cast down, and I feel just the same interest as at
first—I have still one card to play for you, as I have not made
my appeal to Mrs. Huth, and that I will do, both to her and her
husband, sending on your letter. Do not let Miss Buss lose
heart. Give my love to her, and tell her that though I have not
brought in anything yet it has not been for want of talking and
trying. There is always a dead pull in all undertakings to get
them uphill; the wheels seem to stick fast, but, after a while,
if _this pull is continued_, they move. Let me hear from you
again, please, and
“Believe me, yours very truly,
“GERALDINE E. JEWSBURY.”
I wrote to Mr. Ruskin, mentioning Miss Jewsbury’s request, and with
great pleasure received a kind letter in reply, expressing interest in
what I had told him of the school, and of the feeling of the founder.
But, having at least three times more work on his hands than he was able
for just then, he could do nothing till after the Christmas vacation,
when it might be possible for him to come to see what was being done and
what he might be able to do to forward the work.
It was always a regret to us that this visit never came to pass. Miss
Buss and her girls missed what would have been a great delight, and Mr.
Ruskin also missed the sight of healthy and womanly work and play which
could not have failed to please as well as to cheer him in its hope for
the future.
Miss Buss’ letters for the next few months show the effect of the strain
of suspense and of hope deferred—
“Myra Lodge, 10 p.m., Sept. 27, 1871.
“Not ten minutes’ leisure till now, dear Miss Ridley. Teaching
in the morning, a large Dorcas meeting in the afternoon, and an
overwhelming mass of business correspondence—not nearly gone
through yet, however.
“First, an answer from the Goldsmiths has come. You do not need
to be told what that answer is.
“An idea has struck me that it might be well for us to ask those
who have subscribed so far whether they give to one school more
than another? If not, let us divide the subscriptions, and so
hand over to Camden Street some of our money. This is _between
us_—just now, at least....
“I do not think we must, in any way, appear adverse to the City
movement under Mr. Rogers.
“I feel we have forced him into action, and, as our motive is to
help women generally, and not the women of Camden Town only, to
have driven him to act is one result, and a great one, of our
organization.
“Why I think of the division of subscriptions is that no doubt
some of the people would prefer to help the poorer school. If
so, I should prefer their subscriptions going in the way they
wanted. I am sure that my old pupils help their own old school,
and do not care for the new and unknown one....
“I have written to the Lady Mayoress, and will write to Miss
Cobbe, asking her to let me _call_. Of course I shall give her
your note. What a dear, bright, ever young heart Miss Jewsbury
has! If you had done nothing but interest her, your work would
have been _great_. She has saved me almost from despair at least
on two occasions.
“I don’t mind our Board meetings, and really have never but once
been like what we suppose a caged lion to be.
“It is now the amount of the work, and the sort of unsettled
state we are in, that overdo me. But Mr. Danson is helping to
reduce money matters to order, and to be relieved of the
management of that would be really a comfort.
“We have now 190 girls in the Camden School; one father has come
to live in the neighbourhood on purpose to send four girls. I
scarcely know what to do for teachers, and am in correspondence
with all sorts of people. Old pupils do not seem available, or
they are not mature enough.
“We must have some more furniture too, as there is not enough in
Camden Street for the present number. The ventilation in the
Camden Road is not nearly good enough; but I am compelled to
_act_, and so must risk observations from the Board. We ought to
be thinking of building for the Camden School; but money, money,
where is it to come from?
“I hear Mr. Mason, of Birmingham, who has just spent £200,000,
or some such sum, on his orphanage, intends to give £30,000 to
education. Mrs. Sheldon Amos went to him about the Working
Women’s College, and got a sort of promise. I always intended to
get at him if I could; so, hearing of her visit, I wrote
straight off to the wife of the Town Clerk of Birmingham, Mrs.
Hayes, to ask for an introduction, saying a visit to Birmingham
would be nothing if there were the least hope of getting help;
even if one only induced him to give part of the money to girls
at Birmingham something would be gained. A visit there is
therefore looming. Mrs. Hayes gives me a warm invitation to her
house. She knows me through an old pupil, who is governess to
her children, and called on me here when in London.
“(Ah, ah, how I wish we could get a fine building for the Camden
Road School! We do want a lecture hall and a gymnasium so much.)
“Two school concerts are on me next week, and a good deal to
think of in connection with them. Musical men are not easygoing:
each one will have the best places for his pupils; each will go
his own way. Most school-mistresses have to deal with one only;
I have three, and also three young women; the latter were fairly
manageable.
“A good second would be a great relief to me, and would enable
me to work at something less than express-train speed—a speed
that cannot be continued for very many years. It would be worth
while to raise the pay of my second, as she became more useful.
I never have time to prepare my lessons, which is almost
indispensable if one wishes to teach well.
“There has been quite an avalanche of storms raised by parents
lately, mainly because I have had to engage a governess _not_
trained in the school. She does not therefore understand our
ways, and causes me much worry; but she is really a good
Christian girl, one who will do well _in time_. But, as I tell
her, I have to suffer during the process of her instruction.
“If the Birmingham invite does not come this week, as I hope it
will not, on Friday I hope to go to Mrs. Hodgson, at
Bournemouth, till Monday night—Monday being our half-term
holiday, and most of my house-girls away. Mrs. H. is the
dearest, sweetest, brightest, most unselfish creature, and I
love her dearly! You will believe me, when I say how much I am
learning to love you. I cannot bear to hear of your being
_tired_. Pray take rest and get well.
“Always your loving
“F. M. B.”
There came at this juncture a very bright ray of encouragement in a
gratifying letter from the Princess of Wales. As the Queen had given her
name to the first College, it was thought that the Princess might do no
less for the first Public School for Girls, and the Memorial Committee
made the request, on the principle of “nothing venture, nothing have.”
The following letter was addressed to the Rev. Charles Lee, as the
chairman of the Memorial Committee:—
“SIR,
“I am directed by the Princess of Wales to acknowledge the
receipt of a letter signed by you, in conjunction with Dr. J.
Storrar, on behalf of the trustees and governors of the
institution established in Camden Town for the promotion of
secondary instruction for girls.
“Her Royal Highness fully recognizes the importance and great
need of improvement in the education of girls of the poorer
middle-class, and believes that the North London Collegiate
School for Girls, with its Lower School, will not only to some
extent meet this want, but that it will also serve as a model to
similar schools, the establishment of which in other parts of
the Metropolis, and in the country generally, it may encourage.
“The Princess of Wales, therefore, has much pleasure in acceding
to the request that her Royal Highness would allow these schools
to be placed under her patronage, and has directed me to forward
to you the enclosed cheque for fifty guineas as her Royal
Highness’ contribution to the funds of the undertaking.
“I have the honour to be, sir,
“Your most obedient servant,
“M. HOLZMANN, Private
Secretary.
“Sandringham, Nov. 15, 1871.”
In response to this cheering bit of news Miss Jewsbury at once wrote
off—
“Manchester, Nov. 26, 1871.
“I _am_ very glad indeed about the Princess. It is the best of
all the many kind things she has done. _How_ did you get at her?
“I will write myself to Mr. Novelli, and am going on Tuesday to
Sir Joseph Whitworth’s, and will see if I can move him to help
us! Give my love to Miss Buss. She will ‘see the fruit of her
doings’ yet; and she does not know how much her patient
endurance has strengthened the hands of the many (of whom she
may never hear) who are wearied and ready to lose heart in their
labours. I can speak of what her example is to myself.”
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