Part 3 (1/2)

Coas a great talker, and a good one, but he scarcely allowed me a fair share He was also an admirable correspondent

One predominant talker I met at Mr Edwin Hill's--William Ellis, a special friend of the Hills, and a noteworthy man One needs to look back 60 years to becolish education was in the hands of the church Not only the public schools and the university were overshadowed by the Established Church, but what schools were accessible to the poor were a sort of appanage to the rectory, and the teachers were bound to work for the good of the church and the convenience of the incumbent The commercial schools, which were independent of the church, to which Non-conformists sent their boys, were satirised by dickens, and they deserved the satire The enerally incompetent, and the assistant teachers or ushers were the ard to paye su secular schools that were good for so honour to the founder of mechanics'

institutes, and perhaps the founder of the first of these schools; and he taught what he called social science in theh he escaped htened country he was looked on suspiciously by those who considered education that was not founded on revealed religion and pererous and revolutionary

But there was one great personage who saw the value of those teachings on things that make for human happiness and intellectual freedom, and that was the Prince Consort He asked Williaive some lessons to the eldest of the Royal children--the Princess Victoria, Prince Edward (our present King), and Prince Alfred, afterwards Duke of Saxe-Coburg Mr Ellis said all three were intelligent, and Princess Victoria exceptionally so What a tragedy it was--more so than that of many an epic or drama--that the Princess Royal and the husband of her choice, who had educated themselves and each other to take the reins of the German Empire, and had drawn up so eneral conditions of the people, should, on their accession to power, haveon the steps of the throne; and that only a powerlessshould have been left without much authority over her masterful son But s that the Kaiser Willia on the plans that had been co by the Crown Prince and Princess Her father'she had suggested to her was cherished all her life; and I do not doubt that these early lessons on the right relation of huards hu on justice and toleration--is even now bearing fruit in the Fatherland Shortsighted er eye of the Infinite and the Eternal there is always progress towards better things from every honest attee

I arranged for a week in Paris withfriends, Rosa and Symonds Clark, of Hazelwood, and we travelled as far as Paris with the Hare family, ent on to the Tyrol We enjoyed the week Louis Napoleon appeared then to be quite secure on his throne, andthe fetes and illuht of rain it was! But the thousands of people, joyful and good-huave us a favourable impression of Parisian crowds In London I had been with Mr Cowan in the crush to the theatre It was contrary to his principles to book seats, and I never was so frightened in h and merciless I was the only one of the party who could speak any French, and I spoke it badly, and had great difficulty in following French conversations; but we got into a hotel where no English was spoken, and h But we did not know a soul, and I think we did not learn soas we should have done if Miss Katie Hare had stayed the ith us

I then paid a visit to Birs of the British association By subscribing a guinea I was made an associate, and so, but her Matheave ht visit Oxford; but he was going abroad, and I could not go to Oxford if I knew nobody--especially alone I went, however, to Carr's Lane Chapel, where a huo, because there she had been converted, and there the Rev R W Dale happened to preach on ”Where prayer ont to be made” He said that consecration was not due to a Bishop or to any ecclesiastical ceremony, but to the devout prayers and praise of the faithful souls within it--that thousands over Scotland and England, and others in America, Australia, and New Zealand, look back to words which they had heard and praises and prayers in which they had joined as the holiest tiood Mrs Ludlow, and thanked God for her When Mr Cowan took me to the church in Essex place where he and his friend Wren used to hear Mr W J Fox, MP for Oldha American, was there I found out afterwards he was Moncure Conway, and he gave us a ham at this time a controversy between the old Unitarians and the new In the Church of the Messiah the old ave a series of sermons on the absolute truth of the New Testaive up, but he pinned his faith on those wrought by Christ and His apostles Soht of doubting them before, but the more Mr B defended them as the bulwarks of Christianity, the ion rested on other foundations I saw a good deal of the industrial life of Birht of the Black Country by day and by night Joseph Cha man; I believe he was a Sunday school teacher The Unitarian Sunday Schools taught writing and arith In the terrible lack of national day schools iven on Sundays, and no ti I could not help contrasting the provision arly funds or tithes given for church and schools out of the spoils of the Ancient Church by the Lords of the Congregation

Education was not free, but it was cheap, and it was general Scotchlishmen mainly because they were better educated The Sunday school was not soitself in Scotland Good Hannah More taught girls to read the Bible under a spreading tree in her garden because no church would give her a place to teach in ”If girls were taught to read where would we get servants?” It was an early cry

CHAPTER IX

MEETING WITH J S MILL AND GEORGE ELIOT

I leave to the last of my experiences in the old world in 1865-6 e Eliot Stuart Mill's as the sister of Arthur and of Alfred Hardy, of Adelaide, and the foriven to me a copy of the first edition of Mill's ”Political Econoinal dedication to Mrs John Taylor, who afterwards became Mill's wife, which did not appear in subsequent editions; but, as he had two gift copies of the saible handwriting:--”To Miss Spence from the author, not, indeed, directly, but in the confidence felt by the presenter that in so doing he is fulfilling the wish of the author--viz, circulating his opinions, more especially in such quarters as the present, where they will be accurately considered and tested” I had also seen the dedication to Harriet Mill's beloved memory of the noble book on ”Liberty” Of her own individual work there was only one specimen extant--an article on the ”Enfranchiseood, certainly, but not so overpoweringly excellent as I expected Of course, it was an early advocacy of the rights of worand vindication of the rights of the sex; and this was a reform which Mill himself took up more warmly than proportional representation, and advocated for years before Mr Hare's revelation

For myself, I considered electoral reform on the Hare system of more value than the enfranchise of the electors in nunorant and more apathetic than the old I was accounted a weak-kneed sister by those orked prih I was as much convinced as they were that I was entitled to a vote, and hoped that I ht be able to exercise it before I was too feeble to hobble to the poll I have unfortunately lost the letter Mr Mill wrote to ister, and reat pleasure to see that a new idea both of the theory and practice of politics had been taken up and expanded by a woman, and one from that Australian colony, of which he had watched and aided the beginnings, as is seen by the name of Mill terrace, North Adelaide, to-day Indeed, both Hare and Mill told me their first converts omen; and I felt that the absolute disinterestedness of my ”Plea,” which was not for myself, but only that thebooth should be equitably represented therind--no political party to serve; so that it was not until theto be neglected that I took hold of it at all; and I do not claim any credit for its success in South Australia and the Cos and rasp on politics and on sociology In 1865, when I was in England, Mr Mill was pernon, where his wife died, but he had to coland to canvass for a seat in Parliament for Westminster as an Independent member, believed at that time to be an advanced Radical, but known to be a philosopher, and an econolish literature I had only one opportunity of seeing hiet so er to kno the colony and colonial people were developing He asked me about property in land and taxation, and the relations between employers and employes, and I was a little aet inforood authority I had to disclaie; but he said he kneas observant and thoughtful, and what I had seen I had seen well He was particularly earnest about wohter, said she thought he had le women only and ith property and wives who had a separate estate; it would have been ical to have asked for the vote on the sareat man said ht with a property qualification the beginning would awake less antagonism” He said to me that if I was not to return to London till January ere not likely to ate, and it was farewell for both

Wise reatest object, the enfranchise before there was victory either in England or America When I received, in 1869 from the publisher, Mr Mill's last book, ”The Subjection of Woift The reply was as follows:--”Avignon, Noveust 16 has been sent to me here The copy of my little book was intended for you, and I had ainst woe in particular, has land since you were last there It is likely, I think, to be successful in the colonies later than in England, because the want of equality in social advantages beto, perhaps, to wo less need of other occupations than those of married life--I am, dear Madam, yours very truly, J S Mill” I have always held that, though the Pilgriri the Ah these women had to take their full share of the toils and hardshi+ps and perils of pioneer and frontier life, and had in addition to put up with the Pilgrim Fathers themselves--Australian colonization was carried out by men ere conscious of the service of their helprateful for it In New Zealand and South Australia, founded on the Wakefield system, where the sexes were alration was reat triumphs for the political enfranchiseh South Australia the women of the Commonwealth obtained the Federal vote for both Houses: whereas even in the sparsely inhabited western states in the United States which have obtained the State vote the Federal vote is withheld from them But Mill died in 1873, 20 years before New Zealand or Colorado obtained wo of my one intervieith Mr Mill I have carried the narrative down to 1869 With regard to in in 1865, and conclude even later Before I left England Mr Williams, of Se Henry Lewes, and I expressed the hope that it e Eliot, whose works I so ad away from home when I called, I requested that the introductory letter of Mr Williae Eliot herself She received rand piano, where she held her receptions and s; but she askedto the article which Mr

Williams had mentioned, and I had to confess that I had none For once I felt e Eliot She said she was not well, and she did not look well That strong pale face, where the features were those of Dante or Savanarola, did not soften as Mill's had done The voice, which was singularly musical and impressive, touched me--I am more susceptible to voices than to features or complexion--but no subject that I started seemed to fall in with her ideas, and she started none in which I could follow her lead pleasantly It was a short interview, and it was a failure I felt I had been looked on as an inquisitive Australian desiring an interview upon any pretext; and indeed, next day I had a letter from Mr

Williams, in which he told ement to speak of, she would not have seen me at all So I wrote to Mr Williams that, as I had been received by mistake, I should never mention the interview; but that i that unlucky day to The Priory

Years passed by I read everything, poetry and prose, that ca an ade of the Unitarian Church while our pastor (Mr

Woods) had a long furlough in England, asked me to lecture on her works to his Mutual Improvement Society, and I undertook the task with joy

Mr H G Turner asked for the MS to publish in the second nu quarterly for politics and literature I thought that, if I sent the review to George Eliot with a note it ar lionhunter Her ansas as follows:--”The Priory, North Bank, Regent's Park, Septe to an absence of some months, it was only the other day that I read your kind letter of April 17; and, although I have long been obliged to give up answering the majority of letters addressed to ivenone froretful feeling that I had probably caused you soive you a reception which the state ofand infelicitous The mistake was all on my side, and you were not in the least to blame I also remember that your studies have been of a serious kind, such as were likely to render a judgment on fiction and poetry, or, as the Gereneral, quite other than the superficial haphazard reenerally made You will all the better understand that I haveabout es would have as depressing an effect on lass

But my husband looks at all the numerous articles that are forwarded to me, and kindly keeps the to e which he thinks will coht or sympathy Yesterday he read your article in The Melbourne Review, and said at the end--'This is an excellently written article, which would do credit to any English periodical' adding the very uncommon testies in it which gratifiedof the finger on the right spot--which is more precious than praise, and forthwith he went to lay The Melbourne Review in the drawer he assigns to any writing about ives him pleasure For he feels on my behalf more than I feel on land again when I happen to be in town I hope that you will giveyou under happier auspices than those of your former visit--I am, dear madam, yours sincerely, M G Lewes” The receipt of this kind and candid letter gave th of that, I cannot boast of being a correspendent of that great woman, I was able to say that I had seen and talked with her, and that she considered me a coe Eliot's life impelled her to make an involuntary confession--”How have I been handicapped in life? Should I have done better if I had been kept, like her, in a reen-house and taken care of? I have always had to think of other people and to plan everything for my own pleasure, it is true, very often, but always in subjection to the necessity which boundup the boys--my own and Frank's--for the service of God was better than to write a fine novel, if it had been in my power to do so” The heart knows its own bitterness There ht have envied Mrs Oliphant

CHAPTER X

RETURN FROM THE OLD COUNTRY

Before leaving Scotland I arranged that my friend, Mrs Graham of the strenuous life and 30 pounds a year, should undertake the care of land were spent in either a thick London fog or an equally undesirable Scotchfor the sunny skies and the clear atmosphere of Australia I told my friends that in my country it either rained or let it alone Indeed, the latest news from all Australia was that it had let it alone very badly, and that the overstocking of stations during the preceding good seasons had led to enorood seasons that they were apt to calculate that it orth while to run the risk of drought; but experience has shown that overstocking does not really pay Theof daround reservoirs by artesian bores, and the facilities for travelling stock by such ways have all lessened the risks which the pioneer pastoralists ran bravely in the old days An Australian drought can never be as disastrous in the twentieth century as it was in 1866; and South Australia, the Central State, has from the first been a pioneer in develop machine first awoke the echoes in our wheatfields The stuh and the mullenicer which beats down the scrub or low bush so that it can be burnt, were South Australian inventions, copied elsewhere, which have turned land accounted worthless into prolific wheat fields

If South Australia was the first of the States to exhaust her agricultural soil, she was the first to restore it by means of fertilizers and the seed drill When I see the drilled wheat fields I recollect hland Society for having the largest area of drilled wheat in Scotland--and when I see the grand crops on the Adelaide Plains I recall the opinion that, with anything like a decent rainfall, that soil could grow anything In 1866 the northern areas had not been opened The farroheat--wheat--wheat, with the only variety wheaten hay I recollect James Burnet's amazement when I said that our horses were fed on wheaten hay ”What a waste of the great possibilities of a grain harvest!” He was doubtful when I said that with plenty of wheaten hay the horses needed no corn South Australia, except about Mount Gah Victoria depends on oaten hay The British agriculturist thinks that e for horses and cattle, and for winter turnips are the standby It was a little a to me that I could speak with soriculturists, who felt our rivalry at Mark lane, but who did not dreareat h cold storage we could send beef, s, and all kinds of fruit to the consuland and its metropolis I did not see it, any ht that for meat and all perishable commodities the distance was an insuperable obstacle, and that, except for live stock frodo on these lines

I returned to Australia, when this island continent was in the grip of one of the hts in its history The war between Prussia and Austria had begun and ended; the failure of Overend and Gurney and others brought commercial disaster; and my brother, with other bankers, had anxious days and sleepless nights Soether Our recovery was slow but sure In theexperiences abroad There was nothing to do for proportional representation except to write an occasional letter to the press So I started another novel, which was published serially in The Observer Mr George Bentley, who published it subsequently in book forh Lindsay's Guest” to ”The Author's Daughter” But my development as a public speaker was more important than the publication of a fourth novel Much had been written on the subject of public speaking bythe capacities of woree that girls in the aggregate excel boys in their powers of expression, whether in writing, or in speech, though boys may surpass them in such studies as arithmetic and ue of wo to the sex, the e Her only qualification for public speaking in old days was that she could scold, and our ancestors i stool in public, and sticks no thicker than the thumb for marital correction in private The writer of the Proverbs alludes to the perpetual dropping of a woue as an intolerable nuisance, and declares that it is better to live on the housetop than with a brawling wo the virtuous woman, said that on her lips is the law of kindness, and after all this is the real fehter, sister, wife, and racious words, the loving counsel, the ready sympathy which she expresses? Until recent years, however, these feminine Rifts have been strictly kept for home consumption, and only exercised for the woman's family and a limited circle of friends In 1825, when I first opened my eyes on the world, there were indeed women who displayed an interest in public affairs My ownthe passing of the Reform Bill, but she took up her pen, and with two letters to the local press, under the signature of ”Grizel Plowter,” showed the advantages of the proposedwas absolutely out of the question for woirls, reat book--not at all to sway an audience When I returned froland in 1866, I was asked by the committee of the South Australian Institute to write a lecture on land, different froazine under that title, but neither the co it My good friend, the late Mr John Howard Clark, Editor of The Register, kindly offered to read it I did not go to hear it, but I was told that he had difficulty in reading h he was a beautiful reader, it was not very satisfactory

So I ain asked I should offer to read my own MS Five years afterwards I was asked for two literary lectures by the same committee, and I chose asand those of her husband, Robert Browning Now, I consider that thelawyer (now our Chief Justice) kindly offered to take the back seat, and promised to raise his hand if he could not hear It was not raised once, so I felt satisfied I began by saying that I undertook the work for two reasons--first, to s of two poets very dear to me; and second, to make easier henceforward for any wo to say to stand up and say it I felt very nervous, and as ifway; but I did not show any nervousness I read the lecture, buthad any lessons in elocution, I trusted to esticulation I used the better Whether the advice of Dehtly translated or not--first requisite, action; second, action; third, action--I alish word does not express the requisite for women I should rather call it earnestness--a conviction that what you say is worth saying, and worth saying to the audience before you I had a lesson on the danger of overaction froene Ara and burying the murdered man When a tale is crystallized into a poem it does not require the action of a drama However little action I loves on They interfere with the natural eloquence of the hand After these lectures I occasionally was asked to give others on literary subjects