‘To-day the Jairus window comes before me; the thought of the Lord sending away all those who pressed round the maiden, that she might know the advent of Him who is the Lord and Giver of life.’
The following is the last letter Miss Beale wrote to Miss Belcher:—
‘December 5, 1898.
‘My very dear Friend,—I have tried to write several times, but tore up what I wrote. Susan is good in telling me about you, and at times my heart sinks, when I think of all you are suffering, though there do seem to me to be some hopeful signs.... Well, we ought not, I suppose, to wish, we are so sure that “in all our afflictions He is afflicted,” and “the angel of His presence saves us,” and makes our souls strong to bear and our “light affliction is but for a moment.”
‘I dare say this term has seemed to you unending. I think when the strain of thinking about school is taken off, you will feel stronger. I hope to go to Kilburn from January 5 to the 9th; there we shall think much about you. I am just writing about St. Hilda’s East.... Things seem going on well, I think I shall stay there after the Retreat, and try to get more into touch.’
Enclosed in this letter were some verses from Ken’s ‘Midnight Hymn,’ with the words, ‘I thought you might like this if awake at night.’
After Miss Belcher’s death on December 15, 1898, Miss Beale wrote to Miss Strong: ‘Three of my noble-hearted friends gone so lately—Miss Buss, Miss Clarke, and Marian Belcher. The road to the Dark Tower gets lonely, but we look beyond.’
A few letters on general subjects are given. The first of these was written to Miss Susan Wood, in 1897, in reply to an inquiry about women teachers:—
‘I should not like to say I would have none but women teachers. I consider a combination good, better than either men or women only. Still, if a woman is equal in knowledge and ability, I consider she generally teaches better than a man. If all women are ultimately forced to go to the University, the higher teaching will be taken out of their hands, or else women will teach there.’
The following extract, from a letter to Miss Sturge in October 1902, deals with the developments of the College:—