‘Miss Helen Gladstone was with us, and Ramabai, with teachers from all parts.
‘Give my love to dear Miss Shireff. I don’t know what she will say to my urging work on you.’
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.