‘And, when the day was done, relieved at once.’
Browning, How it strikes a Contemporary.
At the beginning of the year 1905 Miss Beale sought to induce Bishop Ellicott, who had then resigned his see of Gloucester, to continue to visit the Ladies’ College, Cheltenham, as he had done for upwards of thirty years. He declined on the ground of ill-health, saying, ‘Among the many things that I regret being unable to attend to, I regret none more than the addresses to the bright-eyed attentive hearers I always secured at the College. But all things must have an end.’ This was written but a few months before the Bishop’s death.
Miss Beale, happily for her active spirit, was not thus summoned to retire from work owing to age or feeble health. She had expressed more than once the wish that she might die in harness, and her letters since 1900 had frequently breathed the wonder that she should still last on, and up to the summer of 1906 there was nothing to suggest that the end was really drawing near.
The last Christmas holidays were happy. Miss Beale made a round of visits. At Lindfield she stayed with Miss Keyl, an old Gloucestershire friend, in London with Mrs. Tallents, an old pupil. Lastly, having been joined by Miss Alice Andrews, she went for a few days to Miss Wedgwood, whose sister, Lady Farrer, was also staying with her. Miss Beale greatly enjoyed her time with these old friends whom she had first known as pupils at Queen’s College. She was singularly active. ‘I dare say you would like to do just one thing each day,’ said one hostess to her, little realising the vitality which would carry her on through a long series of events such as would tire out most younger people.
The spring passed with little special incident, but for Miss Beale it was saddened by the death of Mrs. Charles Robinson in March.
In the Easter holidays Miss Beale much enjoyed a visit to Miss Mellish, Head-mistress of the Ladies’ College, Guernsey. Here she made many new acquaintances, took drives, saw places of interest, and kept an account of all in her diary. But the draft of a letter to some friend during this visit shows, that in spite of her courageous spirit, she felt her own term of work in this world to be practically over.
‘Guernsey, April 1906.
‘I arrived here yesterday. I am staying with a very nice old girl who is Head-mistress of the College here. I have long wished to see this beautiful island where I have many friends. I have one of our staff with me who is a geologist, and is enjoying rambles. I don’t go about now without some one, a “lady-in-waiting,” to take care of me.
‘The revolutionary changes make one anxious, the Bill to legalise “peaceful persuasion” especially. Perhaps the German conquest may change all. That a contest must come there seems no doubt, but it is better not to prophesy till after the event....