“The massacre was concluded by two other members of the Society and then the chairman called on Mr. Haldane to reply.  Hideous mockery!  The chairman knew that Haldane was dead!  He had seen him torn and tossed and trampled under foot.  Perhaps he expected the ghost of the M.P. to rise and conclude the debate with frightful jabberings of fleshless jaws and gestures of bony hands.  Indeed I heard a rustling of papers as if one gathered his notes for a speech; but I felt unable to face the grisly horror of a phantom replying to his assassins; so I fled.”

It should be added that Mr. Standring did net become a member of the Society until five years later.

By the summer of 1888 the leaders of the Society realised that they had a message for the world, and they decided that the autumn should be devoted to a connected series of lectures on the “Basis and Prospects of Socialism” which should subsequently be published.

There is no evidence, however, that the Essayists supposed that they were about to make an epoch in the history of Socialism.  The meetings in the summer had been occupied with lectures by Professor D.G.  Ritchie on the “Evolution of Society,” subsequently published as his well-known volume “Darwinism and Politics.”  Walter Crane on “The Prospects of Art under Socialism,” Graham Wallas on “The Co-operative Movement,” and Miss Clementina Black on “Female Labour.”  At the last-named meeting, on June 15th, a resolution was moved by H.H.  Champion and seconded by Herbert Burrows (neither of them members) calling on the public to boycott Bryant and May’s matches on account of the low wages paid.  This marks the beginning of the period of Labour Unrest, which culminated in the Dock Strike of the following year.

The first meeting of the autumn was held at Willis’s Rooms on September 21st, with the Rev. S.D.  Headlam in the chair.  The Secretary read a statement indicating the scope of the course of the seven lectures arranged for the Society’s meetings during the autumn, after which the first paper, written by Sidney Webb on “The Historical Aspect of the Basis of Socialism,” was read by Hubert Bland.  Webb had at that time started for a three months’ visit to the United States, in which I accompanied him.  Mr. Headlam was the chairman throughout the course, except on one occasion, and the lectures continued fortnightly to the 21st December.  It does not appear that any special effort was made to advertise them.  Each lecture was discussed by members of the Society and of the S.D.F., and with the exception of the Rev. Philip Wicksteed there is no evidence of the presence of any persons outside the movement then or subsequently known to fame.

* * * * *

The preparation of “Fabian Essays” for publication occupied nearly a year, and before dealing with it we must follow the history of the Society during that period.