Francisco Ferrer; his life, work and martyrdom, with message written ...

i6 Francisco Ferrer,
was one of the leading traits in her character. Having
once taken this stand, which suited perfectly with her
aspirations toward the pure and the beautiful, she
did not stop.
Frequently she questioned her teacher about the
future of Spain. Ferrer, ever faithful to his ideals of
education emancipated from clericalism, laid before
her his own views upon the possible regeneration of
his unhappy country through methods of popular instruction
in accordance with modern thought. No
one who heard him can fail to recollect the noble passion
with which he unfolded his plans—for whose
triumph he has shed his blood—nor the enthusiasm
which possessed him as he predicted the possible and
probable results. His constant desire being to found
schools in Spain conforming to his ideas, he naturally
spoke of this in his talks with Mile. Meunier,—as, indeed,
he spoke of it perpetually to every one he met. One day
his pupil inquired : "To carry out your great idea, M.
Ferrer, what sum do you think it would require" To
which Ferrer replied, word for word : "I think that
with 12,000 francs a year a model school could be
established." And the subject was dropped.
Some time after Mile. Meunier told Ferrer, with a
kindly smile, that she had just made provision for the
future of his educational projects by the addition of
a new clause to her will—that she had left him for
life an amount which would yield an income of 12,000
francs. This was glorious news indeed to Ferrer.
DEATH OF MLLE.
MEUNIER.
Several years passed. In 1901, during a sojourn
in the Riviera, at Nice, and at Mentone, Mile. Meunier
was attacked with influenza. She was hurried back
to Paris in a very dangerous condition, and died on
the 2nd of April.
Then occurred two events, the first of a somewhat
comical nature. A horde of relatives more or less distantly
connected rose up from every quarter and,
after a decent show of mourning, proceeded to claim
the property of this kind and wealthy kinswoman.