“November 1st

Dear Muriel and May,

It has been such a time since I last wrote to you. I know you are excited about the trip to London that John has arranged for you. I was hoping to find something equally exciting to tempt you to come and visit me. The main thing about Cornwall is its wonderful scenery, but it is at its best in the spring.  I will try to find an outing to attract you to come to visit me at that time.

I thought it would be fun if we exchanged favourite quotations. I told you I greatly admire G.K. Chesterton, so I shall put my first one in here.

“A good novel tells us the truth about its hero; but a bad novel tells us the truth about its author.”

I hope you have a wonderful time in London and hope you will tell me all about it when you return.

Yours,

 Harold”

The London trip started out on a cold and windy day.  The girls decided to get the train which left Worcester Shrub Hill station at 11.35 a.m. and arrived in London Paddington at 2.35. The addition of a “Luncheon Car” made it a very special treat for them, arriving at 2.35 p.m.  They walked the 350 yards to the hotel and settled in, and then went for a walk around the area before it became dark, when they went in and had an early evening meal. 

The Mina House Hotel had been built about twenty years before, and was painted white with wrought iron balconies.  It stood apart from the other properties in the area because of the white paint. Their bedrooms had been decorated along an Egyptian theme, with light coloured walls and rich fabrics.  The dining room, where they had both their evening meals and breakfast, also had an Egyptian theme, and featured trome L’oil stone work. After a small repast of omelette, bread and salad, the girls gratefully retired to their rooms, exhausted after the day’s activities but full of excitement for the rest of the week.

After a substantial English breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, toast and coffee, the girls walked out of the hotel and half a mile from the hotel they came to Hyde Park.  Although the weather was far from clement, it was exciting to be in this much written about venue. They hired a horse drawn cab to ride through the sandy paths around the park. There they saw the famous Serpentine Lake, but were not tempted to hire a boat and row out in the weather of the day.

After their ride, they bravely went back to Paddington Station, this time to try out the newly built underground service.  They walked down into the earth, but when they got to the underground station found it very like any other train, and  got on to travel the two miles to Oxford Road. 

Here the girls took in the shopping opportunities of Oxford Circus and went into Harrods, the world’s most famous department store. Each bought something new to wear and presents to take back to their mothers and fathers at home.

After lunch, Charlotte said she would like to go off to visit her sister, and intended to take tea with her before making her way back to their hotel.  Eveline agreed to go with her.  That left the younger girls on their own to decide how to spend the rest of the day.

May wanted to go to one of the museums, so they chose the Victoria and Albert, and spent several hours there looking at exhibits and paintings.  They had decided to do the main London touristy things the next day when  John would accompany them.

They met together again in the evening, and Charlotte reported that she had a good visit with her sister, who was much smitten with one of porters from the hospital, a German who had recently emigrated and lived in a nearby boarding house.  Charlotte thought her sister seemed in very good spirits and wished her well, but knew that she dare not tell her father about this liaison as he would not approve in the least.

The next morning, John arrived bright and early, just after the girls had had another large English breakfast, and hoped they were ready for their full day.  He had got up very early to take the first train out of Oxford. 

The plan was to go by tube to the centre of the City and then see all the sites that one hears so much about – Buckingham Palace, Westminster Cathedral, the Houses of Parliament, St James Park and so on.  They felt to be fair to Mr. Walker they had to see as many of the sights as he had, so they could report back to him.  They  glimpsed the Crystal Palace but didn’t really have time to go inside. They stopped at each venue and gazed at the famous site, and breathed in the atmosphere. They had read so much about London and now to be seeing first hand all these wonderful places was indeed a privilege.  The girls were enchanted with the marvels that London has to offer and enjoyed every minute of the tour.

Then after lunch they decided to go back to their hotel for a rest and to change for dinner and  the theatre. John said he would bring a carriage around at 5.30 and would book a meal for 6.

Adorned in the finery they had bought for the ball back in March, each girl looked lovely. The first port of call was the restaurant, which John had booked for them. It was called Simpson's-in-the-Strand and was established in 1828. The notice on the door said it was renowned for its great British roasts, carved at the table from magnificent silver-domed wagons.

Once inside, the girls marveled at the restaurant’s oak panelling, leather seating and lofty ceilings. They chose the specialty of the house, roast beef with all the trimmings, and were more than replete when 7.30 came and they had to recover their coats and make a move for the theatre next door.

Outside the theatre there was a particularly foul smelling beggar. It was a cold wet miserable evening, and the girls were moved to pity and Charlotte started to reach into her reticule for a coin.

“Don’t do that,” said John, harshly. “He is no doubt making up his penury and if he is made rich by the likes of you he will never make the effort to get a decent job.”

Charlotte was taken aback, “You cannot tell me what to do with my money, Mr. Day,” she said, and very deliberately put two coins in the dish in front of the man.

The others were astonished by her so calmly going against Mr. Day’s wishes.

“Men are expected to behave like men and work for their living,” he said, in an attempt to justify his opinion.

“And what are women expected to do?” asked Charlotte, just as aggressively.

“They are expected to follow the dictates of their husbands and fathers. Women do not have the intelligence to make their own decisions. My wife will trust me to make the right decisions and allow me to follow the path of leadership set out for us by the Bible itself.”

“I think perhaps we had better go into the theatre now, as we are getting cold and we want to make sure we are in good time to find our seats,” said Muriel, trying to smooth things down.  But she was disturbed by the conversation.  She had taken no part in it, but if she had had a point of view, it would have reflected that of Charlotte, and she was proud of her for speaking her mind. And as far as John saying is wife would need to follow his every command and dictate, well, just maybe John wasn’t the man for her after all.

The doors for the Royal Strand Theatre opened promptly at 7.30 by the Manager Mr. Frank Cuzon.   John had bought  tickets for them in the dress circle which had cost 6 shillings each.  The girls offered to pay for their own tickets, but John wouldn’t hear of it. They easily found their seats and had time to spare in order to read the programme. John had bought five at the cost of 2d each.  The girls read from their programmes.

The programme listed the songs:

A Chinese Honeymoon
• The A-La Girl
• But Yesterday
• A Chinese Honeymoon
• Chow-Chow's Honeymoon
• Click Click
• Could I But Tell You
• Dolly With A Dimple On Her Chin
• The Emperor Hang Chow
• Follow Your Leader
• He Is The Bridegroom
• I Hear They Want Some More
• I Knew At First Sight That I Loved Her
• I Want To Be A Lidy
• In Ylang-Ylang
• Laughter Is Queen Tonight
• The Leader Of Frocks And Frills
• The Maid Of Peking
• A Paper Fan
• That Happy Land
• You Pat Me

The  London cast is as follows:

Hang Chow (Emperor of Ylang Ylang) Picton Roxborough
Chippee Chop (Lord Chancellor) E. Boyd-Jones
Hi Lung (Lord High Admiral) Percy Clifton
Tom Hatherton Leslie Stiles
Mr Pineapple Lionel Rignold
Florrie (a bridesmaid to Mrs P) Fay Wentworth
Violet (a bridesmaid to Mrs P) Blanche Thorpe
Millie (a bridesmaid to Mrs P) Rosie Edwardes
Gertie (a bridesmaid to Mrs P) Florence Burdett
Mrs Brown (official mother-in-law) Miss M.A. Victor
Yen Yen (maid of honour to Soo Soo) Jessica Lait
Sing Sing (maid of honour to Soo Soo) Fanny Wright
Mi Mi (a waitress) Madge Temple
Soo Soo (the Emperor's neice) Beatrice Edwards
Mrs Pineapple Ellas Dee
Fi Fi (waitress at the hotel) Louie Freear

It was a wonderful two hours, with memorable singing and melodies that would keep repeating in the girls’ heads for the rest of the night. They were so very pleased to have had this opportunity and thanked Mr. Day profusely.

The carriage came to pick them up after the performance at 11 p.m. and dropped the girls at their hotel.  John said he would be around after breakfast in the morning and they would go together to the 10 a.m. service at  Church, and then he would accompany them to the train back to Worcester before he caught his train back to Oxford.

Promptly at 9.30 the next morning, John came again to their hotel. The Church they had chosen was All Hallows-by-the-Tower. As they walked along to the church he told them about it.

“All Hallows greatest claim to fame is its association with famed diarist Samuel Pepys. When the Great Fire of London raged in 1666, Pepys climbed the brick tower of All Hallows to watch the progress of the fire across London. He lived in Seething Lane, across the road from All Hallows.”

None of the girls had read Samuel Pepys Diary, but they had heard of it, and determined that they would get it out of the library when they got home.

John read from a leaflet about the church, “All Hallows by-the-Tower lays claim to being the oldest church in London. The original church was founded by the Abbey of Barking in 675, and an arch from that first church still survives. Beneath the Saxon arch, traces of Roman pavement can be seen, evidence that this site was in use as far back as 2000 years ago.

“All Hallows has a bloody history; due to its close proximity to the Tower of London, the church received the bodies of many of those unfortunates executed in that spot, including Archbishop Laud, Bishop Fisher and Sir Thomas More in the sixteenth century.

“The church has strong associations with the United States; In 1644 William Penn, father of the founder of Pennsylvania, was christened here, and the second president of the USA, John Quincy Adams, was married in All Hallows while ambassador to the Court of St James.

“In the crypt is an altar believed to have been carried on the Second Crusade by King Richard II.”

The service was well attended, and very uplifting, and seemed a proper ending to their exciting holiday. John seemed very involved in the service, and kept his head bowed in prayer, while the girls looked all around, taking in the decorations in the church, as well as the fashions on the church goers.  After the service there was time for a walk around the area and lunch before the girls caught the 4.45 p.m. through train, which featured a “Tea Car” and was due to arrive back in Worcester at 6.55.

John’s train was at 5.35, and he would get to Oxford just before 7. They thanked John Day, most sincerely for a wonderful treat, and said they had enjoyed every moment of it. He said that he too had had a weekend to remember, and kissed each of their hands as he bid them goodbye.

On the long train journey home, Muriel couldn’t contain herself. She had been thinking of John’s comments about the beggar and his attitude towards women ever since he had uttered them.

“What did you think of what John said about women not being intelligent enough to make up their own minds about things?” she asked the others.

“Typical male attitude,” said Charlotte. “My father thinks just the same. That is why he was so incensed when my sisters left home – because he hadn’t arranged it for them, and they hadn’t asked his permission, and he just couldn’t accept that they could possibly manage anything without his organizing it.”

“My father was also similar to John in his attitudes,” said May. “In fact, it made me think of my father while he was saying it. I’m sure my father would have said much the same.”

“And what of your mother? Has she no life of her own?”

“Oh yes,” said May, “she sings in the choral society and goes to the Cathedral for services every day.  And she has for many years attended the Worcester School of Embroidery, and a few years ago, she won a prize, which we have framed on the wall.”

“What was that for?”

“It was in the Worcester Art and Loan Exhibition - First Price for Lace making. She makes the most wonderful delicate lace.”

“I can hardly see your father objecting to her making lace or singing or going to church. Did she always defer to him on everything?”

“Yes, she did, and that is partly why her widowhood has been so difficult for her. She tries to get my brother Tom to help her make decisions, but he is only fourteen and doesn’t even often know what she is talking about. She doesn’t seem to think she is capable of making her own decisions, so often I tell her what to do. She doubts that I know anything either, being a mere woman, but at least things get decided.”

“So you are not going to follow in her footsteps and do all that your husband dictates?” Muriel was insistent in getting an answer.

“How can I say what I will do until I see whom I will marry. If I were to marry John, I think I would be content to let him make decisions. He made a wonderful choice of play and sightseeing and church service for us this weekend. I expect he would ask my opinion on occasion, but mostly I would just go along with his.”

“And Eveline,” asked Muriel, milking the situation for its full value, “what was your father like?”

“I don’t know really,” said Eveline shyly. “I didn’t see much of him. I think mother deferred to his decisions however.”

“It looks like Charlotte and I are the only ones here who are willing to stand up for the females of our society and claim that we have as much right to make decisions, and as much intelligence as our male counterparts,” said Muriel boldly.

“Does your father allow your mother to make her own decisions, then?” asked Eveline.

“He consults with us both over everything that relates to our well being.  He doesn’t ask us for advice about how he runs his business, but he took me with him to give my opinion on the paintings he bought recently.  He values my intelligence, and I for one, am not willing to let any man take that away from me.”

“And what if you had said you didn’t like the paintings he had chosen. Would he have then not bought them?” asked May.

“There was no question of that, as we both enjoy the same things. But I think if it had come to it, he would have deferred to my opinion. He made it plain that he was buying the pictures with me inheriting them very much in his mind.”

“So if you want a husband who will allow you to think for yourself, does that mean that your quest to get Mr. John Day to marry you is at an end?” said May with a huge smile on her face.

“It certainly means that I won’t make any rash decisions in that direction,” Muriel stated. “And I must ascertain if Harold holds similar views before I spend any more time with either of them.”