MANCHESTER HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS.
The Story of the Manchester High School for Girls, 1871-1911. By Sara A. 13urstall, M.A.. (Shorratt and Hughes for the Univer- sity of Manchester. 5s. net.)—Hore we have the story of a great enterprise prudently undertaken and successfully carried out. Something loss than half a century ago an H.M. Inspector, who has since risen to fame, remarked, "Boys are educated for the world and girls for the drawing-room." It was this state of things that some more enlightened Manchester citizens resolved to alter. The School was actually started in 1873, Miss Elizabeth Day being the first Head Mistress. She had had to be persuaded to apply, an earlier experience not having been agreeable. Hero she had met with the reply, "You are too young ; you will probably marry, and your husband may be a scamp and get at the funds through you." The beginning was on a humble scale, and the prospect was scarcely promising. Two houses wore taken to be made into a school building, but only five pupils were promised: On the opening day there wore 54, of all ages from twenty down- wards. At the end of the year there were 124. Three years later a preparatory school was started, and by 1881 the numbers had increased in the two establishments to 467. A regular building was erected and incorporation and endowment followed in due• time, Hulme's Charity contributing .610,000 to the general cost. Somewhat later there came a time of depression, of diminished income and an adverse result in the balance-shoot. In 1898 Miss Day resigned, her place being filled by the author of this volume. Various improvements have been made in the system. Not the least valuable is the regular medical inspection of the pupils. Girls have a far greater tendency to overwork themselves than is com- monly found among boys, and so have a greater need of super- vision. Various appendices give particulars of literary and other work, academical distinctions, &a.
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