Its reward is in the doing;
And the rapture of pursuing
Is the prize the vanquished gain.”
The Notable Women dealt with must all be British subjects: foreigners will not count. It is not necessary that they should have been born after Queen Victoria came to the throne. All may be included who have lived any part of their lives in the reign of Her Majesty.
They must be distinguished on account of some worthy quality. They may be famous for learning; noted as authors, musicians, or painters; remarkable as philanthropists and public benefactors—in fact, no one will come amiss who can be said to have in any considerable degree attracted attention by either her virtues or her abilities.
The number treated of may be what every competitor finds time and inclination for. The more comprehensive the paper, of course the better chance there will be of a prize or a certificate: in everything, as is well-known, “if little labour little are our gains.” The most important thing, however, is quality, not quantity.
The notice of each notable woman is in no case to exceed one hundred and twenty words, exclusive of the name and the place and date of birth and death.
The arrangement of their papers to be followed by competitors is the order of birth, not the order of death.
What we intend should be sent in will be readily understood, perhaps, by the following examples, in which we have given two characters who, as they are purely imaginary, need not be looked for in any Biographical Dictionary.
Arabella G. Cunningham,