From Thomas Henry Hirst   Oct. 19th 1854

Vine Cottage | Broughton¹ | Stockbridge | Oct. 19^th 1854

My dear John

I hear from Francis that you have returned² and are looking well and I write a few words of welcome to you before I go to bed. I wrote to you³ at the post office Liverpool immediately after receiving your last letter.⁴ Did you get it? I hear reports at Queenwood that Tommy Grieve has received a long letter⁵ from you and that you make some enquiries about the 5^th of November.⁶ Will you come? And share my large house⁷ with me, it will be a sweet harbour of refuge for you in times to come, it is so snug and quiet Come when you will its doors will open wide without creaking as if you were its lord and master. Everything about the house inside and out is in a transition state at present, from mere ruinous neglect to neatness and order. When will you come? At Queenwood there is not a very good spirit amongst the lads just now. Their dissatisfaction with McDougall and Blanche⁸ went on increasing until it shewed itself in open defiance and ended in Blanche’s dismissal. He was an empty-headed pedant and his dismissal was but a just concession to the lads. For McDougall there are hopes still but my faith in him rather decreases than otherwise Blanche had a bad influence on him perhaps he may now improve. For my part I never stood on a better footing with the lads than I do now & have done for the whole half year they never worked for me more willingly, yet it is not so with others Their dissatisfaction whose origin was with McDougall and Blanche vents itself at every weak point. Our Improvement Society⁹ for instance is a capital thing when the lads are in a healthy condition and when every masters authority is based upon his own intrinsic merits and not propped up with mere appearances; but as late meetings have proved it is a perilous thing when discontent is abroad. When the relation between teacher and pupil is a healthy, firm one, it is refreshing to both to meet on common ground and let loose the reins of authority, feeling that you can gather them up again at will. But its constitution is too democratic to be safe when lads are seeking to set their masters at defiance. A Fortnight ago about a dozen members (among whom was our friend Alex,¹⁰ I am surprised to say) sent in their resignation on the plea that the society no longer continued to interest them. The president could not do otherwise than receive it although he did so rather ungracefully. Next meeting another batch of 18 (mostly blockheads) present petition stating ‘that they have resolved to leave the society seeing that members are punished for speaking’ I happened to be present (I regret to say I was not there before owing to household matters) and I scarcely knew whether to be grave or to laugh. There was some justice in their plea, as I afterwards discovered Edmondson had in his short sighted way punished two lads for misbehaving (talking) at a meeting But what was significant the lads who were punished did not resign, shewing plainly that the 18 had made this a mere excuse for venting their displeasure and setting poor George¹¹ at defiance. Again he was hemmed in by the Societies¹² statutes and must accept their resignation though still more ungracefully than before. Poor George. This was not all the final stroke had yet to come which was to cut him most and leave him helpless and irresolute, not knowing on what ground to stand and confront them whether on his President-ship or his Principal-ship. Master Buchan¹³ rises and with ridiculous pertness begs to move ‘that members of this society may have free choice to attend its meetings or not as they may feel inclined.’ The worthy president visibly trembling with rage turns helplessly to the Secretary to ask what the law is in this case to which the Secretary replies that the motion must be put on the books and decided next time by vote or ballot if necessary. All this took me by surprise for I had (as I said) been absent. Consequently I could but speak a word to them as a kind of friendly warning. I have since become possessed of all facts. I see clearly enough through the whole matter, and I think I dare predict that in a week or two it will be all straight again and on firmer footing than ever. The lectures & papers have been more than usually good lately so that I look upon all this nonsense as a mere symptom of a deeper malady in the school itself which latter of course must be at once attacked. You will hear. Let me know what you have been doing with yourself since you last wrote to me.¹⁴ You will be glad to hear that John Martin¹⁵ has arrived in Paris.¹⁶ D^r & M^rs Simpson¹⁷ have gone to see him If all be well D^r & M^rs Hirst¹⁸ will go and see him shortly.

Write soon to | Yours affectionately | T. A. Hirst.

RI MS JT/1/H/206

RI MS JT/1/HTYP/367–368