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WHAT AN AMERICAN GIRL HAS DONE FOR THE CHILDREN OF ENGLAND POOR MARGARET McMULAN, WHO NOW COMES TO VISIT HER NATIVE LAND, RENOUNCED FORTUNE AND A STAGE CAREER THAT SHE MIGHT FIGHT HARD BATTLES FOR A NEW KIND OF REFORM— SHE HAS REVOLUTIONIZED THE ENGLISH SCHOOLS LONDON. May 10. nISS MARGARET McMILLAN. an American woman living in Lon don, has deliberately turned her back on wealth, social "dis tinction and personal success in order to espouse the cause of the poor. Few women in the world, :n these modern, practical times, \u25a0would have had the courage to choose poverty instead of riches, and to face the con eequ«ncfs of so momentous a decision. Though little hns been hear\l of nor through the newspapers in America, .Miss McMillan is today one of -the most powerful figures in British public life. She has literally fought har way up t; gainst almost overwhelming odds, ac complishing reforms— especially in re lation to child life — which few politi cians, even when backed by parties, have attempted to carry out. Miss McMillan will booh, visit Amer ica to attend an importantfinternatlonal congress at Washington, D. C. As the remarkable story of her life has not hitherto been tola, the writer recently interviewed her at her home in Eng land, 127 George Lane, Lewisham, near London. Though Mles McMillan was born In Westchester county, >sew York, you would scarcely suspect 'her of being an : American. ; Both her parents hailed from the land of the thistle. Her father emi grated to the United States and took up his residence In New York in the early sixties, where he died shortly after the civil war, leaving his family in precarious financial circumstances, having suffered heavy losses over the war. The mother returned to her father's house in Inverness, Scotland, where, after a fevr years, she also died. It was after her grandfather's death and that of her mother that Margaret McMillan found herself practically alone in the world. She was only in her sixteenth year and it was necessary for her to seek her livelihood. She soon went to Switzerland, and at 19 engaged in teaching pupils older than herself. She acquired at an early age a complete mastery of French and Ger man. Switzerland has always been the horacof political refugees, and she met quite a number of "advanced" radical thinkers. Later, while still at an im pressionable age, she came in contact with one of the most remarkable lead ers among women of that time — Louise Michel. £he even taught in London at a Bchool conducted by Mme. Michel in Fitzroy square. The Russian gov ernment had its eye on this Echool and sent one of its most able detectives to obtain a situation in order to learn all that took place behind Its portals. No one at the time suspected that the humble teacher of French at this es tablishment was the famous — or, rather, infamous — spy, Coulon, through whose efforts full reports were sent to Rus sia. Ultimately the school was broken f up and closed, mostly as the result of this espionage. Though In close touch with Russian sufferers and learning the meaning of poverty by actually mingling with the dwellers in the abyss of London mis ery. Miss McMillan was all th© while earning her daily bread by teaching in one of the wealthiest English fami lies. Her knowledge of French, Ger man and music, and her Euperior abili ties, brought her services much In de • tnamL Ehe experienced no difficulty in mak ing friends among the very rich, and began to lead, as if were, a sort of double life. She used to go down to the docks and address the dock labor ers, attended the Democratic club in Essex street and even went to the extent of addressing socialistic meet- Ings in Hyde park. Possessed of a mag netic personality, no one who knew her failed to become instantly interested. In- fact, it was through her contact with a very wealthy woman at this time that one of the most tragic epi sodes of her life was enacted. This • lady became deeply attached to Miss McMillan. She had entered into her service as secretary; but she had not been with her employer long before the two became close friends. Mar garet McMillan did not attempt in the least to conceal her views on social questions; but however insistent and earnest she appeared In the work of reform, the titled lady, possessed of immense riches, could not realize that ' her protege could really mean half of what she advocated. In fact, possess ing the enormous income of $300,000 a year, living In a palace and moving in the highest circles of English no bility, this woman could not conceive of any one seriously championing the cause of the poor 'and downtrodden. Like the French princess, she failed to understand why the people could not cat cake if unable to find bread. Miss McMillan's wealthy friend regarded her aspirations as a sort of "fad," the nat ural and evanescent enthusiasm of youth, which, like the seasons, would pass away. In fact, she treated the whole matter in the light of a huge joke. Meantime, her rich patron saw a pos sibly great future for Miss McMillan and resolved to train her for the stage, thinking perhaps that if the girl achieved great personal success, it would entirely erase from her mind all her "silly ideas" of improving the con dition of the poor. She was sent to take lessons from a skilled voice pro ducer, and for a year or two almost lived in the company/of throat doctors and singers. A famous actor trained her for the stagehand predicted for her a great career. Of tragic mold, she essayed the gpfeat histrionic parts, and those who saw her at this time looked forward to. her becoming one of the great stars of the age. Encouraged by her rich friends, Miss McMillan's progress as an amateur con vinced her that fame and overwhelm ing success only awaited the stretch ing forth of her hand. During all the time of her musical and dramatic development, however, a great struggle vras taking place in her boul. She possessed a curious dual personality, as it were. When acting, she could feel her true self thrown ab solutely aside, while 6he lived to the life the part she was playing. This peculiar psychic gift made her appear to her friends as* one of the great com ing actresses. On recovery of her nor mal being, however, her thoughts al ways reverted to the cause of the poor. Her contact with such persons as Louise Michel and other women who were suffering for the. people drew her more strongly every day toward the sacrifice of wealth and fame. At length the crisis approached in her career. Her lady patron wished Mar garet McMillan to sever her connection with all her friends from the under world of misery. She began to realize that her protege was seriously in earn est. All her prospective success on the stage, all her genius and talent seemed to be growing smaller in her aspira tions and farther away from her heart. In order to bring matters to a climax the rich lady one day offered Miss Mc- Millan a large sum and " promised to leave her well off on her death. Thus befriended, and possessed of undoubted genius, the world lay. practically at her feet. Miss McMillan does ; not deny that the temptation was a great one. Faced with the sudden necessity of making up her mmd — always a-diffi cult thing for any one to do under such circumstances — she met the crisis with an equally sudden determination. She decided to give up her rich patron. Packing her trunk- she suddenly de camped 5 to Bradford in Yorkshire, leav ing Park lane far behind. Naturally correspondence followed between her and her rich friend. Those who knew Margaret McMillan, however, well"un derstood that once having set her hand to the plow she would never look back; and she has remained in her chosen work since' that day. The die was cast, and, .finally, her wealthy friend ; in formed her that she had decided to "obliterate Margaret^forever froiu^her memory." Up to this time Miss McMillan had, as it were, failed to attach herself to any particular line of reform, : but once arriving in Bradford among the-striv ing working classes she. saw the way clearly before her. < She . felt happier, among the kindly, faces of the Bradford common people than she .had ever, been in the mansions of the rlclK Miss McMillan had' not been, long In Bradford when she. was asked to stand for election to ". membership on^ the school board. She had -never becn'on a school board or ' occupied any. public post, but acquiesced merely to please har friends.. She was elected, though at the very bottom of the poll; \u25a0 and one of the labor memberg. was heard to say-in her presence: - '.'Think, of: it; that's all we got— as woman on -the board!" -Before very long, -however, even the most pessimistic 'labor, mem ber recognized : in Miss ; McMillan a splendid champion of his cause. . The object In the mind'of Miss Me . Millan at this time.was to alter entirely! the basis of elementary education. -She believed the actual system;to,be.found ed on a wrong assumption, and that 1 it. could not attain, real; success. .The schools were attended by vast" numbers of ill and. underfed .children.; She °* saw the utter uselessness of education. while the physical body, was "wholly neglect ed. Miss, McMillan's father.: had been, a great physiologist,' especially •in con nection with; the study ; of? the brain; and, strange to say, she "\u25a0 . was : able ;Mo; take up and carry on \ his studies prac tically at the . place - where'; tie > had * dis continued; them.- The training; for Uhe stage which she : had received at; the. hands of her wealthy patron also equipped her . for understanding. . the elocutionary and' other: vocal.nfeeds, not only of the.llttle ones, but,' above all; of the teachers. Fortunately Justi at this juncture < the school . physician j in< Brad ford chanced ', to "-be j Dr. James Kerr, who has- since become oneof the-great-: ,est authorities in Europe Yon child physiology. . . .. v-'-v" : With • the ' one • idea in her- mind — that no 'proper education I was possible: save on the "healthy -mind;; in ;•" a healthy, body" principle, Margaret McMillan-be- ! came deeply interested; in Kerrr He- was then only a part ;.time\ doctor, with very restricted duties, : but ; even so his work bore, 'the i stamp \ of Zorig inality and power.'-Miss ; - McMillan spent much* time ; with' him. ;v; v \u25a0,".' ' 1 The socialists V.weren even; then manding \u25a0 the ' state feeding "of : necessi-, tous .children in 'the schools,; but; Mar-* garet McMillan had. a; larger; idea> than that. She = stood • forj medical tion, through iwhich: every; physical bail ment of the- child ".would: receiveVatten tion,"' and; this, ; of v course,'^ included; proper feeding.. >- Feeding '\u25a0 was Ho; her onlyja mere detail. '^No: one' has j worked harder was ;fed,-r that? lts Jteeth i 'were looked after.V that lits h'eyes: should She treated; and .that* every ;, possible; medl-. calf aid : : should^ be \given-f-and\ given-f-and^ yet;? all this- was ; ; : only'-- ,- a'-. : pjreliminarj'A*x : She claimed '\u25a0: for ' the ; children" of Mhe "\u25a0. poor all the physicatTcare- that -rich- parents are able; to give their children;- but, beyond" that, is- 'the' new;^'education founded upon physiological .scienco. For'all.this she asked. '•'-.:\u25a0 : .-~ -^ - The -antagonism* met with • by Miss McMillan—especially at \u25a0 the 4 hands .'of one or two" very . influential .: members "of 'the .clergy: who v held 'places lon the ? school, boardr— would ' havej discouraged any ; other * woman. \u25a0 She : was - denounced up and Vdown the country as "'. a "revo lutionary." -it was . said i that she"de-, ; llberately • encouraged S£j the shiftless ; -population ,' to - transfer .'all : the \u25a0: burden of parental: responsibility" to the.shoul-- of the : state; -but- this* opposition, only: stimulated ? her" to •\u25a0 renewed effort,: and she worked on. for years. 1 - ; Arid;then the Boer ; war came 1 : and Miss McMillan's work 1 received a power- ! \u25a0ful' seconding -In the, exposure ,o, of -the J .terrible condition ot physlclal' unfit- ; :ness evinced by the British soldiers In that* conflict.'!; This fact 'gave -rise -to the' lnterdepartmental '.lnquiry: on'phy '. eical I training,-, one v of ; the ;,mpst;' bene- : .flcial .lnvestigations of i- modern v, times. This investigation awakened the na tion/ .:":'""\u25a0:*•-\u25a0\u25a0:- ' ~ ;\u25a0•?-*' \u25a0'; ;. '- ' "-i '.Miss McMillan; was called upon; to^ speak^atjthe international -congress, on* Hygiene \ in ; 1907 ;"-; but <long , before— in \u25a0 /1890-^throughVher initiative, "thotnrst >"clearislng ': committee? ; was : formed • by a = school-board -in England and; the fol- . lowing year, the first: school ;baths^were ; builtJ ?- Finally, ; her c rosulted 'ln ; a ; complete, revolution " in ' Infant, school : j management",;: and* hygiene. V* -; She ? .con-" ducted j a r .ylgorous *campaign \u25a0 against; i child '. labor ; arid : spoke;' at {a j depu tation \ upon Xthls i subject g-. which (.waited v upon 'Mr/Asqulth; the present^prlme 'minister, - ,in-:1895.y \u25a0.-:.,.\u25a0:'::\u25a0,,:\u25a0;-; v4,.;r; '.; ;'-.\u25a0 * '; ;; She jbelieyed that • talent is common— • not/rar'e'*as r is' "supposed. 5 . That V even, igeniusHs .within*. the -gras'pf of mariyfr * that -.it* Is s. ignorance hiot? weakness r^or, ?, bankruptcy] thatikeepsj the? manyj down. • "But Jshe: knew ;that i,tlie ? niethods \ of ; the ! past .would r have .' to i be ? giyen'.'r.p— and ? a?new >line -followediboldly. -'•". The first step i was ; to; get -a'j medical? department, i the second: to.sweep.out.discaKeby the aid of a staff of doctors . and nurses. Only.-" after " these . sieps {were taken could pedagogy/ be enriched by a-new influx of ; knowledge of a phyniologlcal kind. For months she bombarded: the press .and platforms With'^ these ; pro posals:- ';''_' - : \',. -\V" ; :-: '•' «„\u25a0 , At- last in'the spring of 1906 the new. education-bill appeared, but, in. icthere was |no mention : at : all even of medical inspection: "This was a. blow., \u0084 She approached^ the ; labor party,'.' orcanized at;« the; suggestion sof Mr. ; Kelr; Kardle, M. P.T a deputation consisting- of med ical men and .teachers', representatives of the front rank: She then id^w^up a ;preclsiand" presented it to the min ister for . education. Keir. .Hardie .in-, troduced this I deputation . at "which Sir .Victor ' Horsley. spoke,' and BJso .. the' president >of the national; union -of teachers, iT.^-tP.'i '» Sykes. ;• ,The : clause was ' Inserted, '. and- the duty of ; providing for medical \u25a0 Inspection : was placed upon the -statute -in 1907: . ._ In -'order,- to; accomplish hsr objects, Miss McMillan; has kept up ; a. persistent propaganda < crusade," < incessantly i. \u25a0 \ ap- . pealed^tOiVaiious governmentarauthor ities: and forced, members of parlJament to ; take san in T this .work.; :By her of \u25a0•; publicity conuueted through .rithe press and \-by > means jof herj'." three v'books, ; "Labor , and;' Child hood," J "Early Childhood," '/and : "Edu cation the Imagination,'! V she has /exerted ;:_a \~ powerful % Influence « on public" opinion. ...These v books fare ' now recognized 'Jby : i educational^ authorities throughout *\u25a0) the « world. 1 ; > " : • \u25a0'..\u25a0* .Miss! McMillan ) only within 'the last year; or*.; two s has-been Table 'to -witness a . partial jreallzatl on of :her;lß!years"of 'strenuous) life ?..work;^ One' of the "most I gratifying <fesults (of /her pioneer iVbrjk .is"; the j splendid* school'; clinic'estabUahed at Bradford, the]; homes efforts:.^ Here ;l3;r6oms:are.t6dayj given up to-child; examination ! in j connection with the elementary . schools; these rooms . include two dentistries, three doctors*, "rooms, a nursery,, a waiting ; room and ' even an' X ray room. The Bradford cllnlc- ; has been a brilliant success. During the ' last year more than -4, 000 little patients were treated . and the great majority cured, while consumptive cases were'visited outside and the parents' taught how to battle with the great white plague. ' Speaking on this last point. Miss Mc- Millan said: "Mothers now come to the clinic before their children are really 111. The school clinic has not weakened but has enormously extended the area of. parental responsibility. It has awakened a. new^ motherhood In moth- \u25a0 ers. .It has caused them to- take up burdens hitherto ignored. It has made them care for their affected children, because they see the community deems them ' valuable. A The clinic! has created anew spirit of citizenship in the homes \u25a0 of the ;poor.'' Miss McMillan Js now preaching the need ;for 'health- centers- and- clinics throughout the length and breadth of England, and various municipalities are taking her advice and /establishing school : clinics. According -to figures which she recently quoted : at a public meeting,.; these .clinics -cost very -little to maintain.;: A small school clinic can be t kept open 'I daily .at' a cost of only 51,000." r lt is more economical, however, toopenailarge one, and Miss McMillan regards such work. as one of the best public investments. "A clinic; has been : established in the East end of London by help ? from -'Joseph * Fels and others. It is already doing excellent work. " "There ~ is • no. \ wealth 'like- human wealth,? "said Miss 1 : McMillan. "Take care of your children. ;' Prepare delib erately , for the future, 'so your children >wlll not become :burdens on the community.". \u25a0 England wif I \u25a0 not be ' saved by. her. Dreadnoughts and \ her ,navy, bu t by *her : sons ;and "her- daughters/ They The San Francisco Sunday Call who help to prepare a healthy nation \u25a0will have done well for their country." The splendid work inaugurated by Miss McMillan is rapidly developing throughout England. The board of education has now a separata medical department as a permanent portion of Its worlc/hnd school medical officers have been appointed to 307 out of 328 local educational areas. Over 1,000 'doctors assisted by 300 nurses are al ready at work in England and Wales. Though very thankful that a begin ning has been made. Miss McMillan knows that it is only a beginning. She believes that only the preliminary step to greater things has been taken. She is not— strange to say — really inter ested In the child, simply as such, but only as a means toward greater ends. By fostering the proper care of th© child, and above all the adolescent, she feels that the development of the race toward Its own proper heritage will b© accomplished. Life should contain far more for the common mass of human ity than it does today, though not necessarily more ease or Idleness. She does not entertain any false notion about bringing the people into a "fool's paradise" of sweet doing nothing. But she looks to arouse the race to a higher realization of its own capabilities and to enable, the working classes to re spond to the stimulus of a great ideal. She believes that wondrous powers He dormant in the "common" people an'J that all they need i 3 proper develop ment to bring them to greater realiza tion. AH things considered. It might be said with truth that Margaret McMil lan Is one of the greatest social forces at work In the world of education today. In Eigland. Germany, France, Switzer land, Belgium and elsewhere, her nama and books are a household word amongr educationalists. She is closely in touch with the British minister of education and keeps an argus eyed watch over "the trend of events. Recognized now as a tremendous fighter, Margaret Mc- Millan Is no longer Ignored- by the pow ers that be. Her advice to British municipalities, given in her stirring speeches. Is nearly always weighed: very seriously by school authorities "throughout the country. In her home life. Margaret McMillan strikes the note of simplicity sounded already by such leaders as William Morris and others. She Is closely In touch with all the social leaders of the day; and is still the esteemed friend of those who have taken so dteep an inter est in the development of Russia. Not far from her humble home In London lives Prince Peter Kropotkin, the great Russian writer and exile, the Influence of whose work has been, second only to that of Tolstoy. He and Miss McMillan are close personal friends. It is somewhat singular that Miss McMillan has been able to accomplish her work with so little public notice; but this may be attributed to the Innate modesty of the genuine worker , When in America. Miss McMillan in tends to. interest 1 herself in the ques tion of child labor. In that country "?he S !! em *?l sreatly Bur Prised when 'told that there were upwards of 2.000 000 child factory hands in the wondrous