“We are often in spirit in Cheltenham,” wrote she, “and I must send you a few last words to wish you all very happy holidays.... On Monday a large number of distinguished people were invited to meet us, and yesterday afternoon we had a party of about thirty Cheltonians. In the evening we dined with Professor and Mrs. George Adam Smith. I sat next to Professor Jones, who has written a book on Browning, and on the other side was the Rector, Dr. Story.... I think we shall come back refreshed and with some new ideas.” She went from Glasgow to stay with other old pupils in Scotland, then to Newcastle, where she was asked to launch a ship. She evidently thought this would be a very damp proceeding and arrived in india-rubber shoes and a dress thoroughly looped up. “Much as she disliked adventure,” says Mrs. Raikes, “she was prepared to march into the Tyne if the glory of the Ladies’ College demanded it.” This three weeks’ tour she thoroughly enjoyed, and came back refreshed and strengthened and warmed in heart by the love and kindness of her “Old Girls” and the appreciation shown her everywhere. In the autumn of 1902 she was compelled to give up work for a time. Her sight was causing anxiety and she was not allowed either to read or to write. Miss Berridge went with her to Bath and wrote of their life together:-- “We brought with us Adam Smith’s work on the “Minor Prophets” and also Jane Austen’s “Persuasion”. At first we stuck to the “Prophets,” but at last Jane got a hearing and since then she has utterly ousted the “Prophets”. It has been rather amusing to note how many excellent reasons there were for giving Jane the preference. Miss Beale was--tired--or sleepy--or not very well and could not attend to anything that required thought, or it was near lunch--or tea--or supper-time and therefore it was not worth while, etc., etc., and I think she has really liked the story very much.... Miss Beale is very much better, though of course far from being her former energetic self. But we have still more than a fortnight before us and if she makes as much progress in that time as she has done in the fortnight just gone, we may be very well satisfied.” She recovered wonderfully and was back at her work at the end of term. But from this time she seems to have realised the need for greater care of her health and the next summer she took a “Kur” at Oeynhausen. It was about this time that those who knew and loved Dorothea Beale began to realise that some day the great Head would be removed and that there was no worthy memorial of her: no portrait which would remind her “children” of their school mother, and would speak to future generations of the Foundress to whom they owed so much. The Council first approached her through their chairman, Sir Samuel Johnson. She suggested in reply that Miss Stirling, who had a modelling class at the College, should model her portrait in clay or terra-cotta.