About this time she drew up her tabular scheme for learning English and World History. Many thought this system would bring a new era in the learning of dates, etc., but it does not seem to have been very generally adopted. In these early days at Cheltenham Dorothea Beale was often distressed by gossip and back-biting. She was always particularly sensitive to this kind of thing, and her actions were at times subject to the criticism even of friends. But she gradually learnt to trouble less about outside adverse opinion, though she would never have been able to tolerate the least suspicion of criticism and disloyalty within the school. On one occasion an untrue rumour of a serious nature was set on foot against one of the boarding-house mistresses. Some in the College had listened to this rumour and the Principal spoke to the teachers on the subject. “Now I have nothing to do to judge them that are without. We must cheerfully bear evil-speaking. But if it comes from within the matter is for that reason a serious one; for this reason I feel it must be traced up to its source.... I feel I can appeal to you as lovers of truth, as those who feel that no advantages of education, of health, or any other, can compensate for the disadvantages which would arise to any children who lived in an atmosphere of evil-speaking, lying, and slandering.” More than most Heads, perhaps, Dorothea Beale had the gift of inspiring loyalty in her staff. As the College grew older the teachers were largely recruited from Old Girls. Some women there now, no longer young, have been at the College since childhood. It would be impossible to mention the number of teachers whose love and devotion to their Principal did much to ease her work and cheer her spirit. Perhaps of these none did more for her than the first Head Teacher whom she herself had trained. This was Miss Belcher, later Head of the great school at Bedford. She was in many ways of the greatest help to Miss Beale, not only in practical things but in her spiritual influence. In addressing the Head Mistresses’ Conference just before her death, Dorothea Beale spoke of some of the Heads of schools who had been trained at Cheltenham. Very affectionately she spoke of Miss Belcher, and told a story of her great loyalty to the College. Miss Belcher and another teacher, at a time when headships were very rare, came to her and told her that they had determined to apply for one. Miss Beale said, “Events are imminent which will shake the College to its very foundations”. They said, “We shall not apply”. Her early days at Cheltenham were very full, so much so that her father wrote in a teasing spirit:--