MARY CARPENTER. 121 



Carpenter signed a memorial to the senate of the 

 University of London, praying them to bestow medical 

 degrees upon women ; and she then stated that during 

 her four visits to India she had learnt that it was a 

 great misfortune for Hindoo women that there were 

 no female doctors. 



Yet it can scarcely be said that either with regard to 

 female education, or the management of reformatories 

 and prisons, Miss Carpenter achieved a great suc- 

 cess in India. Her reforms were too advanced for 

 the times. They were on the right lines, and it is to 

 be hoped that in the future they will be carried out. 

 They were appreciated also by the natives of the 

 highest rank and education, many of whom hardly 

 knew how to express their enthusiasm and respect 

 for the noble lady who had suggested them. It is 

 true they were partly successful. The good seed was 

 sown, and some of these days it will bring forth an 

 abundant harvest. Lord Dufferin was right when he 

 said, after hearing an account of Miss Carpenter's 

 work in India, " India is a great country, and the 

 history of a great country deals only with important 

 events ; but I am certain that when the history of 

 that country during the present century is being 

 written the visit of Miss Carpenter to its shores will 

 not be left unrecorded." 



Miss Carpenter was herself very hopeful about the 

 results of her work in India. On the occasion of her 

 last visit to that country, which took place ten years 



