to one of these fancy Young Ladies’ Academies. And what’s more,’ she went on in the tones of one who will not brook any argument, ‘both Agnes and Matilda have determined to do the same with their boys when they come to be old enough. Why, if we keep on sending our young people back east to be educated, stands to reason they’ll be educated for life back east and there they’ll stay, when what we want is to educate them for life in California.’
‘I have great hopes of Mr Tukey,’ offered one lady nervously.
‘Tukey!’ exclaimed Mrs Sharples scornfully. ‘Who’s to say he won’t run out of funds, just as Harkness did? They called on him to begin high school teaching months ago and all he can say is “he hopes to commence shortly”! Oh, for teaching wagon drivers to write their name and reckon up, he will do very well, but can we base the prosperity of the state on that?’
‘And he has over a hundred more applicants than places,’ added Mrs Spalding. ‘So he don’t take anyone under ten …’
‘I think you’d go far to find a better teacher than Miss Cooper,’ insisted Mrs Pikeman. ‘As for sending your child to the public schools. Well! It’s just asking for ’em to catch smallpox and cholera and — and — infestations! More teachers like Miss Cooper is what we need.’
‘Kind of you to say so, Mrs Pikeman, but we can’t get away from the fact that I have no qualifications to teach the older ones. I can’t help thinking that it would be better if we had some good Protestant educators here in Sacramento for them.’
‘There’s always the new college in Benicia,’ sniffed one lady.
‘True. And I believe that Miss Atkins is establishing her Seminary along all the best principles of modern education, but we should have one here! After all, are we not the Capital? We should be giving the lead!’
The conversation began to turn on what constituted a good education for girls, but when Mrs Pikeman and Mrs Revel, to no one’s particular surprise, began to bicker in a rather more personal manner, Miss Cooper intervened to bring the discussion to a close.
‘Perhaps Mrs Owens would read to us while we finish off our sewing for today,’ she suggested in her soft musical voice. ‘Gertrude, would you look after the children? And ask Louisa to fetch the Pilgrim’s Progress for Mrs Owens, if you please?’
She turned back to Alicia who had laid her sewing aside obediently. ‘We read Sir Walter Scott at our Wednesday meeting, but I think Bunyan more suitable for the Sabbath. The children learn a verse or two from the Bible each week.’ She gestured towards the antechamber where the smaller children were listening to Gertrude reading to them from a large leather-bound Bible. ‘But of course, not Tamsin, dear child. I don’t expect she can read small print yet.’
‘Oh, indeed, ma’am. I taught her some time ago and she is ever eager to learn more.’
‘Excellent!’ exclaimed Miss Cooper. ‘Perhaps when she is a little older, she will join our classes.’
‘The moment you can find a place for her, ma’am, she will be there.’ She had sown the seed; now she’d have to wait and see if it struck.
Louisa stood at her side with the book. ‘We had just left the Slough of Despond, ma’am,’ she offered shyly, pointing out the relevant paragraph with a none too clean forefinger. Alicia began to read.
They had almost finished the chapter when an impatient knocking was heard.
‘A little early for the gentlemen,’ said Miss Cooper with a puzzled frown.
The maid appeared at the door after a moment. ‘Mrs Lamarr,’ she announced, and in swept the most beautifully dressed woman Alicia had ever seen. The woman herself was quite a handsome blonde, but so showily was she clad that one noticed the clothes first.
An extremely close-fitting pale blue bodice, elaborately trimmed with French lace, tapered down to a narrow waist whence it flared out into a wide billowing skirt of darker
‘I have great hopes of Mr Tukey,’ offered one lady nervously.
‘Tukey!’ exclaimed Mrs Sharples scornfully. ‘Who’s to say he won’t run out of funds, just as Harkness did? They called on him to begin high school teaching months ago and all he can say is “he hopes to commence shortly”! Oh, for teaching wagon drivers to write their name and reckon up, he will do very well, but can we base the prosperity of the state on that?’
‘And he has over a hundred more applicants than places,’ added Mrs Spalding. ‘So he don’t take anyone under ten …’
‘I think you’d go far to find a better teacher than Miss Cooper,’ insisted Mrs Pikeman. ‘As for sending your child to the public schools. Well! It’s just asking for ’em to catch smallpox and cholera and — and — infestations! More teachers like Miss Cooper is what we need.’
‘Kind of you to say so, Mrs Pikeman, but we can’t get away from the fact that I have no qualifications to teach the older ones. I can’t help thinking that it would be better if we had some good Protestant educators here in Sacramento for them.’
‘There’s always the new college in Benicia,’ sniffed one lady.
‘True. And I believe that Miss Atkins is establishing her Seminary along all the best principles of modern education, but we should have one here! After all, are we not the Capital? We should be giving the lead!’
The conversation began to turn on what constituted a good education for girls, but when Mrs Pikeman and Mrs Revel, to no one’s particular surprise, began to bicker in a rather more personal manner, Miss Cooper intervened to bring the discussion to a close.
‘Perhaps Mrs Owens would read to us while we finish off our sewing for today,’ she suggested in her soft musical voice. ‘Gertrude, would you look after the children? And ask Louisa to fetch the Pilgrim’s Progress for Mrs Owens, if you please?’
She turned back to Alicia who had laid her sewing aside obediently. ‘We read Sir Walter Scott at our Wednesday meeting, but I think Bunyan more suitable for the Sabbath. The children learn a verse or two from the Bible each week.’ She gestured towards the antechamber where the smaller children were listening to Gertrude reading to them from a large leather-bound Bible. ‘But of course, not Tamsin, dear child. I don’t expect she can read small print yet.’
‘Oh, indeed, ma’am. I taught her some time ago and she is ever eager to learn more.’
‘Excellent!’ exclaimed Miss Cooper. ‘Perhaps when she is a little older, she will join our classes.’
‘The moment you can find a place for her, ma’am, she will be there.’ She had sown the seed; now she’d have to wait and see if it struck.
Louisa stood at her side with the book. ‘We had just left the Slough of Despond, ma’am,’ she offered shyly, pointing out the relevant paragraph with a none too clean forefinger. Alicia began to read.
They had almost finished the chapter when an impatient knocking was heard.
‘A little early for the gentlemen,’ said Miss Cooper with a puzzled frown.
The maid appeared at the door after a moment. ‘Mrs Lamarr,’ she announced, and in swept the most beautifully dressed woman Alicia had ever seen. The woman herself was quite a handsome blonde, but so showily was she clad that one noticed the clothes first.
An extremely close-fitting pale blue bodice, elaborately trimmed with French lace, tapered down to a narrow waist whence it flared out into a wide billowing skirt of darker
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