J/./A'X CAKPEXTF.R. 97 



Under these circumstances the distracted master 

 and mistress always came to the managers and Mr. 

 Scott, and to Mary Carpenter, and some of the scenes 

 which were witnessed must have been most extra- 

 ordinary and disheartening. An idea of them may 

 be gained from an extract from Mary Carpenter's 

 journal. To understand the story it must be under- 

 stood that Miss Carpenter was most averse to 

 physical force being used. But when the children 

 became absolutely uproarious the police were called in. 



"Saturday, March I2///, 1853. At u a.m. a 

 policeman came to tell me that six girls were then in 

 the station. I told him that it was owing to the 

 excitement caused by the hair-cutting that they had 

 run away. It appeared afterwards that when they 

 were frustrated in their attempt the evening before 

 they darted off the next morning as soon as the gates 

 were open, Martha, Ann, and Marianne, of Chelten- 

 ham, being the only ones remaining. Margaret 

 guided them all to her mother's house, who with great 

 presence of mind and discernment of their true 

 interest, locked them together in a room, and sent her 

 younger daughter to the station, whence two police- 

 men were at once sent to fetch them. 



" In about an hour I went down with Mr. and 

 Miss A. Instead of finding them in a room waiting 

 for me, as I expected from what the policeman had 

 said, I was told that they were all locked up. The 

 superintendent was most indignant with them ; he 

 G 



