Beale, Dorothea, 1831-1906; Cheltenham Ladies' College -- History; Teachers -- England -- Biography
Mrs. Grey did not decline the task thus sent back to her, so far as she
was able to do it by writing. She was then living abroad in enfeebled
health, but her passionate words touched many in England, and a movement
which received the name of the Women’s League was set on foot in the
usual routine way with committees and meetings. Miss Beale attended one
or two of these, but does not appear to have been quite happy at them.
She was necessarily hampered by the fact that the name of the College
ought not to be associated with this special work. She felt also that
she had not sufficiently studied the subject, nor knew enough about the
organisation of societies other than educational, to be able to make
suggestions before others of wide experience. On one occasion, when a
difference of opinion arose about admission to the League, she felt she
had not spoken as decisively as she should, and she wrote afterwards to
Mrs. Grey: ‘I enclose the two circulars; but please do not question me.
It seemed impertinent to speak when there were four or five Bishops’
wives present, and I doubt my judgment. I have given all my thought to
other forms of organisation, and I live so much out of the world.’ And to
the lady with whom she had specially differed she wrote thus:—
‘I have been trying to think how it was possible for you to
misunderstand me, as I saw you did on Saturday. I thought you
knew me too well to think I _could_ wish any one to conceal
their colours. I was _very_ tired, and I see I did not make
myself clear. May I try now?
‘There are two parties who call themselves Agnostics: there
are those who reject the Christian moral law, and teach a
truly abominable doctrine; with such one could have absolutely
_nothing_ to do; no league _we_ could ever join could include
these, for they are our enemies.
‘There are others, who hold _all_ that Christ has taught us,
who would fully accept the Christian moral law, as the one and
only rule. I know some of these; their whole heart is with us;
they do the work of Christ, for they go into the wilderness and
find those wounded and stripped by thieves, and bring them to
our inn, and bid us take care of them.
‘I am sure our Lord will one day place such on His right hand,
though they may question, “Lord, when saw we Thee?” I would not
separate from them, lest I should be parted from Him Whose love
is certainly working in them, tho’ their “eyes are holden” that
they know Him not.
‘I know still that we cannot join them, _so_ as to do the
_same_ work, and they know it too. They gather in, they go into
the highways and hedges; they leave the inner work to those who
are actually disciples. One I know has just now got the care of
two neglected portionless girls, and sent them to good Church
schools....
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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