‘After church some nice Miss Stevensons carried us off. They have a beautiful house and a splendid view of the heights,—one is Chairman of the School Board. They are always at work. Then we came back and were visited by various old girls.’
At Glasgow Miss Beale stayed with a married pupil, and found herself in the midst of ‘old girls,’ who made much of her. From Glasgow she wrote a second letter, to be read to the assembled College before the dispersion for the holidays:—
‘April 16, 1902.
‘We are often in spirit in Cheltenham, and I must send a few last words, to wish you all very happy holidays.
‘We are very busy. The first thing we visited was the Queen Margaret Settlement, which is something like our St. Hilda’s. It is a very large place, and a school for invalid children was being held. Miss Bruce came down to the opening. On Monday a large number of distinguished people were invited to meet us, and yesterday afternoon we had a party of about thirty Cheltonians. In the evening we dined with Professor and Mrs. George Adam Smith. I sat next to Professor Henry Jones, who has written a book on Browning, and on the other side was the Rector, Dr. Story. He has kindly promised to take us over the University this morning. There are about three hundred girls studying here,[95] and they have a charming Miss Galloway; she is as fond of Glasgow University as I am of our College. To-morrow we are to go over the Cathedral.
‘I think we shall come back refreshed and with some new ideas.
‘I am glad to hear all is going on well.’
From Mrs. Osborne in Glasgow Miss Beale went on to stay with other old pupils in Scotland, coming afterwards to Newcastle, where she was asked to launch a ship. Her ignorance of use and wont under conditions fairly well known to most people came out when she attired herself for this event in well-looped-up dress and indiarubber shoes. Much as she disliked adventure, she was prepared to march into the Tyne if the glory of the Ladies’ College demanded it. However, she much enjoyed the ceremony that actually took place,—the drive to the docks, the description she received of the vessel, the bouquet of roses presented to her in honour of St. George’s Day. Her diary at this point becomes crowded with facts concerning steamers and dock labourers. From Newcastle Miss Beale went to Durham, where she stayed with the Dean; then to York. Wherever she went there were schools to visit, and perhaps address, ‘old girls’ to see. A night in London ended the wanderings, and she came home well and happy to enter in her diary: ‘Arrived to the hour, exactly three weeks after starting, having spent the night in nine different places, and feeling quite refreshed by meeting with so much kindness, and so many charming old girls.’
The year which had so bright a spring brought but a sorry autumn for Miss Beale. In October 1902 she was—an unheard-of thing—obliged to leave Cheltenham for her health, and went to Bath, accompanied by Miss Berridge, for several weeks. Her sight was a special anxiety, and during this time she was not allowed to write or read. A letter from Miss Berridge to Miss Sturge gives a glimpse of the life at Bath:—
‘October 1902.