It was 1899. Eleanor sailed to England with one of her favorite aunts, Aunt Tissie. Eleanor said her aunt “was always kindness itself to me.” Her beautiful aunt loved adventure and life, and she wanted Eleanor to have a wonderful time in England.
The Allenswood School was only a short train ride from central London. It was a very small school for the daughters of rich European aristocrats. Eleanor wondered if she would fit in. After all, she was American. She was tall and plain. And she worried her dresses would be out of style. But she was well-read, spoke several languages, and was smart. She hoped that she would make a few friends.
Madame Marie Souvestre was director of the school. She was short and stout with a cap of wavy, snow-white hair. Her eyes sparkled with intelligence, and she was a forceful speaker. Eleanor impressed her immediately. Within her first week at school, Eleanor had made a name for herself by speaking out and having strong opinions. Eleanor was no longer shy. She became one of Madame Souvestre’s top students. Eleanor was thrilled and continually pushed herself to live up to Madame Souvestre’s high standards.
The other girls at Allenswood respected this new American girl. At meals, Eleanor sat at Madame Souvestre’s table. She spoke fluent French, and loved to give her opinion on anything and everything. She was a quick thinker and debated issues well. At Allenswood, Eleanor changed. The caterpillar turned into a butterfly. Eleanor was confident. She no longer walked with stooped shoulders, trying to hide the fact that she was almost six feet tall. Now, she stood tall and straight. She walked at a fast pace, eager to get to class and to be noticed.
Madame Souvestre invited Eleanor to join a group of students who discussed different subjects after dinner. In Madame Souvestre’s library, Eleanor often led the discussions. And the other girls listened carefully to what she had to say. Eleanor was a leader. Before coming to Allenswood, Eleanor had always had a cold or a cough. Like her mother, she also had headaches. But in England, they disappeared. Eleanor took long walks in all kinds of weather. She played sports. She felt healthy and strong. And, more importantly, she was free to say how she felt and what she thought.
Madame Souvestre asked Eleanor to come along on trips with her. She put Eleanor in charge of packing and organizing the trips. Eleanor loved it. She learned she was good at reading schedules, planning trips, and packing. In Florence, Italy, the sixteen-year-old Eleanor explored the city alone with her guidebook. Eleanor loved the freedom. She learned to trust her own judgment.
On one trip, friends of her grandmother saw Eleanor out alone. They were horrified. Back then, young girls did not travel or go about strange cities by themselves. Eleanor’s grandmother demanded that she come home. So, sadly, Eleanor left Allenswood after her second year.
Back in New York, Eleanor was miserable. But she decided to do something about it. She begged her grandmother to let her return to Allenswood. Finally, her grandmother agreed.
Eleanor’s last year at Allenswood was a happy one. In fact, Eleanor later wrote that it was probably the happiest year of her life. Madame Souvestre treated Eleanor like a daughter. She made Eleanor feel special. And so, the year flew by. Eleanor wrote long papers that won her high praise. She played field hockey. She traveled with Madame Souvestre.
Eleanor was now almost eighteen. She hoped to teach at Allenswood. That, thought the young Eleanor, would be the perfect life. But it was not to be. |