‘Our main difficulty would be to meet the doubts of those who have them, without suggesting doubts to those who have not been called to encounter this trial.
‘It has occurred to me, that perhaps there might be something on the model of the Guild for the Sick, combining the principle of the “Instruction by Correspondence” classes.
‘ ... Perhaps you may think me intruding—my acquaintance with you is so slight—and unpractical, but the need is great and immediate, and I think you will feel this too. I have gained such painful experience, both from within and without, of the misery of those who have once seen and then lost the sight of the invisible; those who have left, especially those who become teachers, often turn to me for help, which I feel so incompetent to give, and which I have not time to do properly. One is writing to me now, who is in a school in which there are sixteen teachers, ten of whom have given up all outward sign of the religious life. I long to be able to refer those who need guidance to some who are able to help them. Every other trial can be borne, but this is utter misery.
‘ ... It is not enough to preach sermons, and print books, as well might we furnish a treatise on Arithmetic to a child whose sum is wrong; we must find out and show why it is wrong. The Church did not make its way by such means at first, at least not without daily discussions “in the school of one Tyrannus.” Of course I do not overlook that some of the difficulties of belief are moral, but these could be met by the means I suggest.
‘I think it is very important that members should be able to enquire anonymously; come “by night” as it were, and should be assured that no one would try to find out the name.’
To Canon Body, who had sent her a letter full of sympathy and interest, she wrote:—
‘I am so glad you wrote thus freely, for it has made me understand better how much you can feel for those in this deepest sorrow, and yet have a sure and certain hope that they will rise out of that Hades. It is, as you say, most cheering to find movements of the same kind in different places. If there is a spiritual tide, the waters can only be lifted by extra mundane force.’
Gradually the plan shaped itself. For a time Miss Beale hoped to be able to arrange at Oxford a Retreat followed by a conference, with lectures and discussions on theological subjects. This proved to be impracticable. Then she sought to carry out the plan at Cheltenham. She was advised to limit herself to two or three days of quiet study and devotion with addresses. She would not, however, relinquish the idea of some kind of conference. The scheme stated in the following extract from a letter was very much what was actually carried out:—
‘I hope the archbishop will be so good as to ask some one to give the addresses in the Quiet Days.... I should be there and a few of my friends, head mistresses, and we should make our subsequent lessons harmonise with the previous instruction, so that there should be unity. I do not mean to give lessons on methods of teaching in the ordinary mechanical sense; but on our vocation and the moral aspects of our work, and then I thought we could get some one to give Bible lessons on the books set by Oxford and Cambridge, some one who knows the difference between dead and living teaching. We must have enough to occupy those who come for the whole month, though I expect only a few of those who come will remain so long. There will, I find, be a large proportion of earnest teachers who will be able to help and strengthen the weak.’