“Having reaped and garnered, bring the plough, And draw new furrows, ’neath the healthy morn,
And plant the great Hereafter in the Now.”
E. B. Browning.
But, however it might be borne, the disappointment was bitter, more especially in the proof given of the absolute indifference of the public to the whole question. Prejudice might have been overcome, opposition might have been met, but against indifference so invincible no means seemed available.
Mrs. Grey gave it up as hopeless. She frankly abandoned the old position, and opened out new ground in making her next appeal directly to the British commercial instinct. In starting the Girls’ Public Day School Company there was offered in addition to thorough education, a dividend of five per cent.
The success of Miss Buss had proved that schools like hers were wanted by numbers sufficient to make them pay. There was not the slightest difficulty in any case in raising the ￡2000 in shares needed to start one of the Company’s schools in any locality desiring to have it.[7]
7.  Miss Clough, in her interest in Miss Buss’ work, had proposed to the National Education union the formation of a company to supply school-buildings in this and similar cases. But the council decided to start its own schools, and nothing came of this proposition so far as regarded the Camden School.
132This new departure tended rather to hinder than to help on the endowment of the Camden School, of which the very raison d’être was a rate of fees too low even to pay for buildings, a dividend being quite beside the mark.
Money had come in, though slowly, for the furniture of the Upper School, and this was now quite self-supporting, though very inadequately housed. What would, in this school, have gone towards a dividend, went instead to the salaries of the teachers, higher here than in any similar institution.
But for the Lower School an endowment was absolutely necessary. Hitherto, Miss Buss herself had provided all that had been needed beyond the money subscribed. She had not the very faintest intention of fulfilling Mrs. Grey’s desponding prognostications of the abandonment of the scheme as a result of the public apathy. The precise manner in which it was to be carried out still remained to be discovered, but she never wavered in her intention that, somehow, it was to be done.
During the year 1872 the pressure on Miss Buss seemed to be a little increased by this new departure. In June she writes of it—
“Several people have written to me about the ￡5 shares in the Brompton School, and my ire was rising.
“Mrs. Grey’s handing over all Mr. Morley’s ￡500 to purchase shares in the new school shows pretty clearly—in addition to the Goldsmid gift—what chance we have of help in that quarter. There can be no doubt that the new school movement is leaving us high and dry.
“I do not feel aggrieved by the union in the least. It only makes me more determined to act. Miss Davies shuts herself into one bit of work; Mrs. Grey into another; I into a third....
133“Mr. Rogers’ suggestion about the Columbia Market (have you seen it?) if acted upon, will prevent our getting any help from the City. He says the market is useless—turn it into a splendid school for girls! I hope the suggestion may be acted upon; if he takes it up, he will soon get the money needed. We shall have no chance at all. The City Companies will vie with each other in starting this magnificent scheme. City men like to ‘live in bricks and mortar’—not to say stone. To live in human hearts is not durable enough.
“Between the two schemes, we shall be swamped entirely if we do not take the bull by the horns and make a huge effort.”
There was no real antagonism between Miss Buss and the Girls’ Public Day School Company. She was very glad of the work, and helped it in many ways, as is shown in Mrs. Grey’s letters—
“18, Cadogan Place, June 18, 1873.
“My dear Miss Buss,
“... I am troubling you again in this matter as there is a proposal before our Council to adopt your scale of fees in the new school....
“Several people have told me that your meeting yesterday was a splendid success. I congratulate you heartily, and sincerely regret not having been able to attend.
“I wonder whether I shall live to see similar success won by the Company’s schools? If we could but get a duplicate of you I should feel very sure of the success, whether I live to see it or not.
“Most truly yours,
“M. G. Grey.”
In September, 1874, the following letter was received by Miss Buss from one of the foremost supporters of the St. John’s Wood and Hampstead High School for Girls, a lady whose enthusiasm had first been roused by her efforts to help Miss Buss’ work—
“My dear Miss Buss,
“I am hoping to work for the St. John’s Wood School, though on the whole I have met with little sympathy. One of the objections to the new school will amuse you vastly, namely, that all the people to whom I applied said that they would not like to 134subscribe to a school that might in any way interfere with yours, and that the near (!) neighbourhood of St. John’s Wood to Camden Town might have this disastrous result. Nothing that I could say convinced my opponents.... If we cannot get the help of the intelligent and influential persons here, what shall we do?... I feel sure that you can do much to help us: your name could be on our committee, though we should not expect you to work.
“Yours truly,
“E. Tolmé.”
Miss Buss at once took shares in the company, giving her name to the committee, on which I acted as her representative. Many of her own friends were members, as well as educationalists like Dr. Abbott, Dr. Angus, Professor Huxley, Professor Carey Foster, and Mr. Norman Lockyer. The new school was built by Mr. Robins.
In the mean time her own work went on slowly enough. The main hope was now in the Endowed Schools’ Commission, since the constitution of both schools had been arranged in harmony with schemes drawn up by that body.
Whilst one-half of the governing body of the North London Collegiate and Camden Schools for Girls had formed the memorial committee, occupied with ways and means, the remaining members had devoted themselves to working out the details of the constitution, both parties uniting for the general board meetings, and there discussing all points in common.
In Dr. Storrar, who had all his life been closely connected with great educational bodies, having helped in the development of the London University and of the College of Preceptors, we had a practical educationalist; as also in Mrs. Burbury, who, as the daughter of Dr. Kennedy, had breathed education with her earliest breath; Miss Ewart, too, was in like manner born to public spirit, as the granddaughter of the William Ewart 135to whom William Ewart Gladstone owed his name, and as the daughter of a distinguished member of the House of Commons, who, for forty-six years, helped in every advanced public work, especially the London University. Dr. Storrar and these ladies, in particular, spared neither time nor pains in working out the scheme, and in enlisting sympathy with its objects in all likely quarters.
But, in the beginning of 1872, the Endowed Schools Commission had not finished its work, and help from this quarter was still remote. Some extracts from Miss Buss’ letters at this time show how very slow was the progress made in getting funds—
“January 10, 1872.
“Mr. Ellis privately has sent a cheque for ￡20 to the Camden School. Lord Calthorpe has done the same, but as yet there has been no other response to our memorial letters.
“Mrs. Newmarch writes a kind note, to say she means to pay us a visit when she can, and she sends a guinea from ‘Mrs. Brown.’ We are getting on, though slowly.”
“Myra Lodge, Mar. 10, 1872.
“The Camden sites and leases have been pressing much on me. Nothing has been done about the site. The lawyers are too dreadful. The land tenure is so complicated that it seems hopeless to understand it!
“I want to talk to you about our trying to get up a City meeting. The Lord Mayor is favourable to female education. I wrote to Mrs. Dakin, asking for an introduction to the Lady Mayoress, but Mrs. Dakin is abroad. I shall try next Saturday through another channel.”
“Mar. 22.
“Miss Gurney’s paper seems to be stirring up much interest.
“The Edinburgh Schools will be open during my holidays. So I propose to leave for Edinburgh on the morning of the 18th of April. Miss Chessar, who is going there next week, will make inquiries about apartments for us. You mean to go, I trust?
“I want to visit the Dollar Schools, as well as the Merchant Company’s Schools, and on the road home I should like to stay a day or so at Newcastle. I must be again in London on Monday, the 29th of April.
136“Dr. Hodgson has prepared the way for my admission, and he says I ‘shall find open doors.’”
“Mar. 25.
“We are to have a city meeting. At least, Mr. Elliott and I are empowered to try to get one up.
“I am very weary to-day, having been late last night. I have not an hour to myself, except on Sunday before church, till Tuesday evening, every moment being filled with appointments—I mean after school hours.”
“Bournemouth, Mar. 30, 1872.
“All being well I will go with you—not without you, I trust—to Mrs. Mawson’s, on 27th of April.
“The memorial to the Princess has not gone in, nor that to the Baroness Burdett Coutts. Nothing has been done about our City meeting. I am so tied down by the annual exams, that I hardly know where to turn or what to do, or rather, what not to do.
“I am having, however, perfect peace here. It is a most lovely place, and I should like you to know my dear sweet friend Mrs. Hodgson! She knows a good deal of you.”
“April 5.
“Mr. Harries thinks the City meeting would be a failure. The Lord Mayor could not lend the Mansion House for anything not Metropolitan or National.
“This school was 22 years old yesterday!”
“April 10.
“About Lord G. H. I do not care a rush. Only if we women had not submitted to the humiliation of begging from all sorts of people, on any or no grounds, where should we be?...
“I have sent a book, papers, and a note to-day to Miss B. I think the note, though short, might move a heart of stone!
“If you can come on Friday evening, pray do. Mr. Payne is very anxious to talk philology with you. I have asked all sorts of people who have been offering me hospitality, and all the women teachers in both schools. It is desirable that I should do something for my fellow-labourers from time to time.
“The Lady Mayoress is going to the Camden School on Friday next, at 2.30. Do you care to meet her?”
“April 20.
“Mrs. Tolmés success is delightful! I have thanked her for enlisting the Baroness, but have omitted to say anything about the prizes.
137“I did ask about a scholarship, and I have invited the baroness to pay us a visit. A notice of the ￡10 donation shall be sent to all the papers.”
The “Edinburgh Schools” here mentioned had been recently opened by the Merchants’ Company of that city. Using the money of various old charities that had fallen into utter abuse, they had made five thoroughly good schools on the latest and best principles, two for boys, two for girls, and one mixed. The first school was arranged for 1200 girls, and had proved a great success.
The account of this work had naturally been of great interest to Miss Buss, and, as she knew that there had been every advantage that could be derived from the possession of ample means, she was anxious to see for herself what had been done. She therefore devoted her Easter vacation to the visit to Edinburgh, in which I accompanied her, dating from this happy time that closer intimacy which it was my privilege to enjoy. Dr. Hodgson’s introduction to Mr. Thomas Knox, the Master of the Merchants’ Company, made our way something of a triumphal progress, as I find in my letters home the record of “intense attention from hosts of masters and other people—to Miss Buss, of course, I moving round her like an attendant satellite, and shining in reflected light.” I was still young enough to be amused at Mr. Knox’s description of the “two ladies from the south, eminent educationalists,” doing my best to sustain the character. I could at least appreciate my opportunities in hearing the talk between Miss Buss and Mr. Knox. Even apart from their friendship with Dr. Hodgson, they found a strong bond in their educational sympathies. In my journal I find him described as—
“A tall, fine-looking man, with a grand head, and, I should think, a great heart. It is he who chiefly has carried the great 138reforms, sweeping away one abuse after another by the force of his strong will and steady purpose. One is struck by his patriotism. His feeling for Edinburgh breaks out constantly, and one can see that his public duty lies as near his heart as any private interest, while he takes as his family all human creatures, especially all young things, from the scholars of the Merchants’ Company’s Schools to the waifs and strays of his own special hobby, the training-ship. It is exquisite to see how this great, strong man speaks to the old women at the Home and to the children, with tender consideration for each individually as well as in general kindness.”
His wife and daughter were absent, so we missed seeing his home-life, but he showed us all that was most worth seeing in his beloved city. To Miss Buss it was real holiday, and nothing seemed too much for her in that busy week which to me was something of severe mental strain, as well as unwonted physical exercise. We must have marched up and down miles of stone passages and stonier staircases; and I find more than once the record that I stayed at home to rest, while Miss Buss took in a few more schools. A “Home for Boys,” and another for “Aged Poor,” are “merely incidental” in a ............