him’, said Kathleen, ‘because we woke at five o’clock in the morning full of
spirits, and woke them up’. Emmeline responded to Mr. Cookson’s complaints
by spanking the girls, with a slipper. Soon he and his wife left, and then another
governess was employed.^68
Emmeline decided that the children must learn to swim and accepted the
offer of an old Bermudan to undertake this task. However, she was horrified
when he threw the children overboard from a boat, and then rowed away so
that they could swim after him. Such hard lessons were complemented by the
safer methods of the new governess. Emmeline, dressed in a knee length, blue
serge swimming costume with red braiding, complete with bloomers and mob
cap, enjoyed playing and swimming with the girls in the sea. It was during this
summer of 1924 that she wrote again to Ethel Smyth, in an attempt to resume
their friendship. But her efforts were thwarted since Ethel found the tone of the
letter cool and haughty, as though she were being ‘forgiven’ for having ‘failed’
her friend; she also suspected that Emmeline was lonely and bored.^69
Christabel, by now a successful author of religious books, was often away
from home, preaching on the mainland. Even when she was at Roche Terre she
frequently withdrew from family life in order to write, even leaving the table
during the middle of a meal, something the children were forbidden to do.^70
Emmeline missed the company of her eldest daughter and, now that her health
was restored, was finding domesticity tedious. However, her presence in the
colony was a great encouragement to the leaders of the women’s suffrage
struggle there and she eagerly accepted their invitation the following spring to
speak in support of a women’s suffrage bill. Crowds flocked to hear her at the
Mechanics Hall, Queen Street, Hamilton, and were pleasantly surprised when
they saw a petite, fragile woman who spoke softly, with humour and sparkle.
Emmeline expressed astonishment that the old question of the parliamentary
vote for women, which belonged to the pre-war days, was still unsettled in
Bermuda. ‘Really, gentlemen’, she chided, amid laughter, ‘I could not have
believed that your women had not yet got the vote – even Spain is thinking of
giving it! ... Bermuda claims not only to be the oldest colony but the oldest
Parliament amongst the colonies – I wonder that you haven’t more courage!’
But even the support of a world-famous suffrage leader failed to break down the
conservatism of the Island legislators. The bill was defeated by a heavy majority,
women in Bermuda not being granted the vote until 1944.^71
Financial matters now became pressing for Emmeline; she had no regular
income and was living on her rapidly dwindling savings. Reflecting on her
future, she decided she did not want to return to her lecturing job in Canada;
the very thought of the severe winters made her shudder. But how else could
she earn a living? She hit upon the idea of opening a family business with
Christabel and perhaps a close woman friend in a warm climate closer to
England, possibly on the Mediterranean coast. Christabel could continue with
her writing while Emmeline and the friend ran the business; that way they
could earn enough to support themselves and also have a home. Although
LECTURER IN NORTH AMERICA