ON THE WAY TO THE PARTY 61 



many as to whether women were capable of taking 

 the place of men in certain branches of work. 

 Each satisfactory achievement naturally weakens 

 this unbelief and helps on the cause of women 

 workers. 



I must not, however, allow the interest of this 

 wide subject to lead me to digress from the daily 

 life of a garden school, which it is my endeavour 

 to represent to others. 



Breakfast is over. The Principal and I separate, 

 going each to her various avocations, but not before 

 I have been told the exact hour at which I am to 

 attend her tea-party, which takes place to-day, a 

 fitting festive termination to many weeks of hard 

 work. The party is to be a fancy-dress one, but I, 

 as Founder of the College, am allowed the ex- 

 ceptional privilege of wearing ordinary twentieth- 

 century clothes. This is a relief to my mind, and 

 I consider it most in keeping with my office of 

 " Eye-witness " or Recorder of the merry doings 

 at this very original and delightful entertainment. 



The afternoon of the December day begins to 

 darken early. Shortly before four o'clock I set out 

 on foot for my two-mile walk, carrying an overcoat 

 for the return journey and a brown paper parcel 

 containing my shoes for the party. The weather 

 commences to look threatening, and I ask myself 

 whether it will hold out fine until all the guests 

 have arrived. This is my sincere wish, and indeed 

 I see it is shared by many others, for as I reach 

 the village several fellow-guests emerge from their 

 homes, and on the face of each is a look of absorbed 

 anxiety. Should rain come it may do damage to 



