Transcription: ‘Report on Teaching at Morley College’, 1905, Monks House Papers, University of Sussex Special Collections at The Keep, Falmer, SxMs18/2/A/22.

Symbols used in transcription:

<word> interlinear or marginal revision

{word} cancelled word or passage

[word] questionable transcription

{[word]} questionable transcription of a cancellation

[?] illegible word

{?} illegible cancellation

July 1905

This is the season for another report upon that class of working women {which I led there} <whom I> have already {once before this} mentioned.

It was to be a class of history this time; in spite of the fact that those in authority looked rather coldly on it; history they told me, was the least popular subject in the college; at the same time they could not confute me when I asserted that it was also one of the most important. My {numbers} <class> it is true dropped instantly to half {their} <its> previous size; I had four instead of a possible eight; but then those four were regular attendants, & they came with one serious desire in common. The change then, was {by} to my liking.

I have already described those four working women; so that my remarks this time are merely {in} a development of that tentative sketch. {But} <Only> in one instance did I find that {my} I must reconsider my judgment. That Miss Williams whom I described as the ‘least interesting of my class’ ‘rather handsome & well dressed – with wits sharpened in the streets {rather} inattentive & critical’ came to the first history class, & to my surprise {was} hardly missed {one} <a Wednesday> throughout the term. One night, too, I so far cornered her as to make her reveal herself; she then told me that she was a reporter on the staff of a Religious paper – reported {?} sermons in shorthand – {&} did typewriting, & also wrote reviews of books; {A journalist in a humble way in short!} the germ of a literary lady in short! < & a curious one>.