Bring your human to work: 10 surefire ways to design a workplace that is good for people, great for
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“This is an important moment. We are all trying to figure out how to create a workplace that’s inclusive, meaningful, and inspires the kind of creativity that leads to innovation. Erica Keswin’s heartfelt, accessible, well-researched book, BringYourHumantoWork, is what we’ve all been waiting for.”
—KATIE COURIC
journalist and bestselling author
“When people thrive, business thrives. And that’s why companies that prioritize employee well-being will win the future. In BringYour HumantoWork, Erica Keswin shares the science and the stories of companies that get it right. If you want to build a thriving workforce, this book is for you.”
—ARIANNA HUFFINGTON founder of Huffington Post and founder and CEO of Thrive Global
“If you care about people as much as profits, this book is full of useful ideas for making work life better.”
—ADAM GRANT
NewYorkTimesbestselling author of GiveandTake,Originals, and OptionBwith Sheryl Sandberg
“One of the best employee habits is honoring relationships—with colleagues, clients, and ourselves. Erica Keswin shares the science and stories from companies about how great relationships happen.”
—CHARLES DUHIGG bestselling author of ThePowerofHabitand SmarterFasterBetter
“Erica Keswin’s BringYourHumantoWorkis the wake-up call we need to show that building a great company is about way more than just a focus on the bottom line. Erica has created a must-read for leaders, managers, and employees trying to navigate this Dot Complicatedworld where work, life, and purpose blend more closely together than ever.”
—RANDI ZUCKERBERG
CEO of Zuckerberg Media, and NewYorkTimesbestselling author of DotComplicatedand PickThree
“In an age of disruption and rapid technological change, there’s a growing desire for meaning and authenticity at work. Erica Keswin’s incisive new book shows us how to find it. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a leader, or anyone looking for a more purpose-driven job, this book answers your big questions.”
—DORIE CLARK author
of
EntrepreneurialYouand
StandOut, and adjunct professor at Duke University Fuqua School of Business
“Hugely insightful and stunningly practical, BringYourHumanto Workoffers a wealth of powerful strategies for humanizing technology, hiring the right people, designing a smart office layout, and so much more. Discover the ten essential ingredients elite organizations use to create extraordinary workplaces—wrapped inside a framework that’s both fun to learn and easy to customize.”
—RON FRIEDMAN, PHD author of TheBestPlacetoWork
“Social isolation is one of the greatest risks in today’s digital world. Erica’s BringYourHumantoWorkgoes beyond acknowledging this challenge to offer specific, practical, and creative ways to create belonging in the workplace. Leaders who apply her insights will not only engage employees, but customers and investors as well.”
—DAVE ULRICH
Rensis Likert Professor at Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, and partner at the RBL Group
“In her impactful new book, Erica Keswin digs deep through relatable, real-world examples to uncover how working human is essential to both honoring relationships and helping employees feel happier and more fulfilled in the work they do each day. She also uncovers a universal truth that affects all of us: recognition is a fundamental human need, one that can influence everything we do. Her book is aptly named; it’s time for us all to bring our human to work.”
—DEREK IRVINE
vice president, client strategy and consulting at Globoforce
“In a world where busy is equated with status, competence and ambition, people are seemingly having a more and more difficult time disconnecting. And in our quest for busy we have lost our, as Keswin says, ‘Human!’ In BringYourHumantoWork, she discusses practical strategies for building workplace cultures that embrace our human, using technology as a tool for good, and helping us form more meaningful connections. If we are to build a more human workplace, this is a book not to be missed!”
—GAIL BERGER, PHD
assistant professor of instruction in industrial engineering and management sciences at Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management
“This book gives the reader a rich collection of actionable steps which any organization can use to become more authentic, genuine, and human. It is chock-full of examples from large and small firms, high-tech and no-tech organizations, start-ups and established companies. I guarantee you’ll come away with good ideas for making the firm you work in even more human.”
— JACK ZENGER
bestselling author and CEO of Zenger-Folkman, a firm dedicated to elevating leadership behavior
“This insightful book is loaded with action plans, resources, powerful statistics, and real-life stories of heart-centered leaders and their organizations. If you are looking for an actionable list of things to do to up-level your culture and bring more human to work, BringYour HumantoWorkis a lovely guide offering us easy-to-integrate steps and practices to bring our human in.”
—ANESE CAVANAUGH
author of ContagiousCulture, and creator of the IEP Method®
“Erica Keswin’s BringYourHumantoWorkwill transform the way you think about finding meaning and connection through your work. It is a must-read for anyone passionate about building a purposedriven life and career. There are so many essential lessons for business and nonprofit leaders on how to build a culture that inspires the very best from their people.”
—SHIZA SHAHID cofounder
of Malala Fund, and founder of NOW Ventures
“BringYourHumantoWorkhighlights an important message and one that I’ve always believed: building relationships is one of the most important aspects in building any business. This is more important than ever in our digital age. Read this book, invest in relationships. Your business will thank you.”
—SHELLEY ZALIS CEO of the Female Quotient, and founder
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I’ve always been a connector. Whether I was connecting people with great jobs as an executive recruiter, or setting up marriages as a side hustle, I’ve long believed in the importance of connection. I also know firsthand that, in this digital age, it’s getting harder and harder to set aside our devices and the alluring promise of all those digital “friends.” Even for me.
Which is to say I get why my three teenage kids feel so drawn to their digital lives. I understand how digital distractions complicate the workplace. I see the challenges, because technology is front and center in all of our lives.
I remember a lunch with a close friend where technology completely changed the dynamic of our friendship. My girlfriend couldn’t put away her phone when I tried to confide in her. Every time I opened my mouth to share something, she would look down, or her phone would buzz again and again, until I finally gave up.
In my role as a workplace strategist for the past 25 years, my focus has been on helping companies improve their performance through people. A few years ago, I started seeing behaviors I had not seen before. More and more, employees were calling into meetings from down the hall, texting bad news to clients instead of calling, and eating lunch alone at their desks, wearing headphones.
Parents, friends, CEOs, and managers all know that something’s off, but they don’t know exactly what it is, or how to fix it.
Let’s face it. We’re living in the Wild West. And there’s no new sheriff coming to town.
That’s one of the reasons why I wrote this book—to help create some rules of the road. At home, at school, and in the workplace, we’re frowning into our phones, shooting for “Inbox Zero,” and obsessively framing our lives into selfie-ops instead of living them. In so many ways, we’re missing out on one another.
I wrote BringYourHumantoWorkto inspire and guide those of us who want to be truly connected, to be real humans—in our lives, and especially at work.
What It Means to Be Human
Over the last five years, I started hearing a buzz about “human” workplaces. Even the most senior leaders—male ones at that—were talking about being vulnerable, compassionate, and yes, human. I found myself wondering: “What did people mean by ‘working human’?” “As opposed to what?” I wanted to know.
What I’ve discovered is that while everyone uses the term “human” differently, they are all pointing in the same general direction: people crave work-life balance, sustainable work practices, and authentic, purpose-driven work cultures. People are no longer willing to accept work as a soul-crushing, Dilbertesque, cubicled nightmare. However, as with many trends, while a strong, shared sentiment is being expressed and a legitimate problem is being revealed, the solutions are a little bit all over the place. I became very curious about this so-called “human” business, and I wanted to learn more. I set out to investigate the buzz and to determine if it really matters.
After talking to hundreds of CEOs, entrepreneurs, managers, and employees around the country, I have found that, in light of the digital deluge occurring around us, we all need a more human
workplace. Putting phones in a basket during a meeting, eliminating email, ensuring that employees take vacation—all of these mini-fixes are on the right track. But I’ve learned that there is one thing anyone and everyone can do to ensure a more human workplace: Honorrelationships.
A human workplace honors relationships. And yes, it matters.
Bringing your human to work is not rocket science, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. It takes hard work and discipline. It requires honoring relationships in everything we do—creating our values, running meetings, deciding who we hire, using technology, choosing whom we partner with, and evaluating and rewarding talent. Working human in the twenty-first century means that we absolutely must come to terms with the ubiquitous digital presence that sometimes feels overwhelming but can also be a powerful tool for getting ourselves, our products, and our messages out there. Bringing our human to work is both about putting technology in its place in order to build strong relationships and about inviting technology to the table, making good use of everything that can create a more human workplace.
Bringing our human to work will help us manage our technology and ourselves, too. Yet that’s not the only reason this book is so important for businesses today. As you may have heard, the millennial generation (people born between 1981 and 1996) will comprise nearly 75 percent of the global workforce by 2025.1 These young, passionate people are changing the game in many important ways. And their influence on today’s society and workplace includes a demand for a more human life at work.
For instance, this generation has redefined what it means to be “social,” blurring the boundaries between private, public, and work lives, and demanding that company values be taken off the walls and actually felt through the halls. Millennials want their work lives to have meaning and to work for companies that lead with a purposeful culture. Too many business owners aren’t sure how to do that or even what it means. I know, though, that meaningful values play an important role in the human workplace.
So for starters, let’s define “culture.” Culture refers to how it feels to interact with a company, as a consumer, an employee, a vendor, or a partner. What is the company vibe or personality? How do people behave when nobody’s looking? Culture is important, often thought to be number one on the list of critical factors in building a successful business. One of my favorite companies is JetBlue, a true leader in establishing a human workplace (and a company I have studied in depth). They hold top leaders accountable for maintaining the super cool, connected feeling of their corporate culture. Management is expected to show up to flip burgers at the holiday barbeque, attend regular new-hire orientations, and uphold and promote this uncommonly human culture. They are evaluated on how well they do this—in fact, their bonuses are based on it!
So let’s agree that culture matters. But what kindof culture is a human culture? Fun cultures are great. By-any-means-necessary money-making cultures certainly have their fans. A meaningful culture—a place where people can feel like they are plugged into something bigger than themselves—that’s a human culture. That’s the kind of place that businesses need to create if they want to succeed in this purpose-driven marketplace and the race for young, very-much-in-demand talent.
As important as culture is, it is just one part of creating a human workplace. Honoring relationships is the theme that brings everything a human workplace stands for together. What does this mean, on the ground, in your particular company? And even if you get it right, will all this human business help the bottom line?
Here’s a number to consider: $300 billion. According to the American Institute of Stress, $300 billion is lost in our economy every year to stress.2 Imagine the human impact we could make if we could get that money back. Or, better yet, if that stress hadn’t happened in the first place. By working human, I believe we can begin to literally cut our losses and cultivate a more human world. Prepare to change the way you do business.
How This Book Is Structured: Picking
and Choosing from a Menu of Human
Options
A human business, like a human being, is both incredibly complex and utterly simple. Our basic needs are few (food, water, shelter, affection), but the ways we go about meeting those needs are infinite. Let’s say you’ve established that you want to bring your human to work. Great! Signmeup!But, what’s next?
Maybe you’ve heard about B Corps, those for-profit companies that are certified as being “of benefit” to the world, and maybe you think you should convert your business into one that gives something away for each sale, like they do at Toms or Warby Parker. What if you are a marketing agency? An architect? A management consultant? How would you do that?
Should you develop an entire language like JetBlue’s, where employees drink what they call the “Blue Juice,” the brand-specific language that makes them who they are? Should you create a values-alignment position, like Etsy; a chief purpose officer, like PwC; or a chief culture officer, like Union Square Hospitality Group?
Maybe you’re wondering: Is texting with clients okay? How can we get the most out of our meetings? What does it mean to actually be “present”? What’s the deal with vacations? If vacations are unlimited, why are people not taking them? How do you manage your emails so you have time to connect with your team? Are performance reviews a human way to evaluate employees? What kind of space works best for today’s employees? And how should we say thank you?
There are an awful lot of details to consider. My 10 surefire ways to design a human workplace are based on what I’ve seen in my decades of work as a management consultant and my time spent as
a researcher and writer, visiting and studying companies around the country. Believe me, I’ve seen it all. I’ve met dazed and confused management teams; wise-beyond-their-years entrepreneurs; sleepy corporate bureaucrats; nimble, innovative, inspiring executives; and everything in between. Through hundreds of interviews with CEOs, founders, managers, and employees, I’ve noticed trends, themes, common errors, and keys to success. So what follows is what I have distilled to be the macro, micro, glamorous, and nitty-gritty things that get results when you bring them to work.
Let’s remember: just as no two humans are alike, no two companies are alike. While there are 10 surefire ways to approach the challenge of the human workplace, depending on the needs of your company and your stage of growth, you can pick and choose areas to focus on. If you are one of the lucky ones starting from scratch, you can build a human workplace from the ground up. If you have a specific problem with meetings or questions about technology or professional development, for example, you can pick up tips from the chapters that speak to you.
With that said, Chapter One—Be Real: Speak in a Human Voice— is a must for everyone. In this chapter, I tackle the importance of finding your company’s real voice and appreciating the value of values—two of the most important steps in creating a human workplace.
Peppered throughout the book, I shine a spotlight on people, places, and things to help you on the road ahead. At the end of the day, only you know what your workplace needs. By the time you are finished with this book, I hope you will see that whether you want to start a business, grow your current one, recruit the best and the brightest to work for you, or just feel more connected all around, bringing your human to work is good for people, great for business, and just might change the world.
1
Be Real: Speak in a Human Voice
Ellen Bennett, a self-described “millennial with an old soul,” struts across the conference stage, describing how five years ago she wanted to “make the world a better place.” “All I had was my phone,” she tells the audience. Fast forward to today’s event: the New York City 2015 Tech Table Summit, a collection of leaders and tastemakers in hospitality, and this proud, f-bomb-dropping, totally pumped CEO has taken the stage. Her company, Hedley & Bennett, is the go-to purveyor of chic aprons, outfitting pro and DIY foodies around the world. How did one young woman turn something as hohum as a kitchen apron into a booming lifestyle brand, worn and loved by employees in over 5,000 restaurants and hotels worldwide?
As Bennett puts it, “Be real, and encourage other people to be real.” Sounds easy enough. But what does it mean to “be real”? What does being real have to do with launching a successful business? As Bennett explains, when she started making aprons, all she had was her phone and herself. It was only “fitting” that her product would be infused with her special touch and her naturally sparkly personality—there wasn’t anything getting in her way! Admittedly, not all companies are cut from such personable cloth. Yet regardless of a founder’s temperament, the product, or the available resources, the same principle applies: authenticity is good for business.
While I invite readers to pick and choose from the 10 chapters in this book to find what works for them, this chapter is first for a reason. In order for a human company to flourish, it has to be
genuine, aligned, and true to itself. A real company actually flaunts its humanity; it doesn’t hide it. More and more, customers of all ages are flocking to authenticity1 and so are employees.
In fact, in a 2013 study, professors from Harvard University, the London Business School, and the University of North Carolina discovered that when companies emphasize newcomers’ “authentic best selves” over an organizational identity, this emphasis leads to greater employee retention and customer satisfaction within six months.2
In this chapter, I share three ways smart companies are bringing their human to their brands by being real.
Know Your Brand’s Values
Even if you haven’t taken the time to sit down with your employees to articulate and communicate your company’s set of values, one thing is for sure: these values drive everything you and your company do, whether you’re aware of their impact or not. The thing about values is that they are hard at work, calling the shots of your business, even when they are implicit. That’s why it’s so important to make our values seen and heard.
Learning How to Live by Values atJetBlue University
It’s Wednesday in Orlando, Florida. Outside the windows of this building, located a few miles from the airport, the sky is grey, but the auditorium is bright and lively. One by one, 176 people stand up and share their story:
My name is Mickey. I’m from Jamaica, and I used to be a bartenderatMadisonSquareGarden.
My name isJonah, and I’m an actor , but my dog made it ontoBroadwaybeforeIdid.
The crowd—mostly a thirtysomething, cosmopolitan mix of extroverts and charmers—cracks up. They are asked to hold their applause between introductions, but their enthusiasm makes it hard. When I was invited to attend the new-hire orientation at JetBlue University, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. For anyone new to the crew, the experience is the same—total Blue-Juice indoctrination. “Drinking the Blue Juice” is how JetBlue folks refer to their training.
To be honest, I didn’t really understand all this amped-up team spirit at first. Then I heard, again and again, from all over the map at JetBlue:
As the leader-in-residence (the JetBlue executive who serves as an emcee during the training) announced at the first night’s pep rally, “We’re kind of a cult!”
After studying this feisty, highly disciplined company of 21,000 crew members, it became clear to me that their success had nothing to do with size or innovative technical brilliance like that of Google or Apple. They have only 5 percent of seats traveling in the air, yet their revenue over the 10 years ending in December 2016 grew almost 3x, far out-pacing the revenue growth of the industry.3 And, size notwithstanding, JetBlue has become one of the most iconic
brands in the world. How did they do it? It’s actually super simple and completely within reach for all of us.
Like Ellen Bennett’s aprons, so clearly distinguishable from ordinary aprons, JetBlue also has a strong, very human, and very approachable brand identity. As a Johnson & Johnson executive asked a JetBlue leader at a meeting on innovation, “You guys have managed to be an airline associated with love. How on earth do you do that?”
It starts with their values.
At this recent orientation, Brad Sheehan, vice president of JetBlue University, described the company values to his 176 new crew members like this:
Safety We want our crew members to feel safe, so we takecareofthemphysicallyandmentally.
Integrity—Wedotherightthingwhennooneislooking.
Caring Ifwe can benicetoeachother , itiseasiertobe nicetoourcustomers.
Passion—The fuel that drives us to come to work. While we can’t controlgasprices(onetype offuel),we can hire forandcontroltheotherkindoffuel.
Fun—Howyoubringyourpersonality toJetBlueandmake it to work. We want you to bring what we saw in you to workeveryday.
Leader after leader, speaking to the group, emphasized these values, describing them as the underpinnings of everything the company does. According to Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer Mike Elliott, these values are the “glue” that holds JetBlue together. These dynamic speakers didn’t just tellthe group the values; they showedhow the values came alive in story after story, in videos, and sometimes in a customer’s own voice.
One unforgettable tale was told via an audio recording of a mother’s voice. She recounted how she stood with her developmentally delayed teenage son outside of the “family bathroom” near her gate, waiting for a key that never came. The situation was getting dire; the boy desperately needed to use the restroom. A JetBlue crew member found her and not only helped her get into a different bathroom appropriate for the young boy, but also helped the mother take hands-on care of the boy in a situation where most would have turned away to avoid such intimacy.
It goes without saying that no group of people will always be aligned, yet these JetBlue values are clearly heartfelt, and even more importantly, alwaystop-of-mind. That’s what it takes. Crew members are expected to have these values memorized, in the order they are listed and at the ready.
Truthfully, every time I fly JetBlue, I can see the values in real time. Recently I took a JetBlue flight from San Francisco to New York. After a long week of work, I was exhausted. Melvin, the lead crew member, welcomed us aboard and announced that he was going to be working with his best friend, James. Because I know the science showing that having friends at work makes us better at our jobs, I smiled. Everyone around me seemed more relaxed as well.
Later in the flight, I struck up a conversation with James. He had come from another airline and said that his experience at JetBlue was dramatically different. JetBlue is, he said, “a truly caring airline.” He told me about the flowers he received from his boss after a death in the family and described how accommodating managers are about switching schedules to attend to personal business. He also told a story about a time he and Melvin got into a car accident one night while driving to their hotel after a day of flying. JetBlue sent a car with crew members to visit them at the hotel and to make sure they were okay. James said, “JetBlue takes such good care of me, and I am so grateful that I want to take care of my passengers and everyone around.”
JetBlue just gets it. They know that relationships are key to any fundamental set of values, and moreover, they know how to honor a
web of relationships. In order for employees to share these values with customers, they need to feel that they themselves are on the receiving end of the values. That is to say, for the in-flight crew to make folks on the plane feel safe, they themselves have to trust the pilot, ground operations, and leaders. Safety begets safety; integrity begets integrity; caring begets caring.
SPOTLIGHT
Ground Control Brings Culture to Airbnb
Airbnb’s brand is all about creating a sense of belonging, and not just for their guests and hosts. They actually have a group of employees (10 people in San Francisco and someone in almost every office around the world) whose role it is to take the values off the walls and into the halls. Similar to the role of ground control in an airline, the group takes care of the office environments, events, internal communications, employee recognition, celebrations, and even the design of the office. According to Mark Levy, the former head of employee experience, these people aren’t “forcing fun, they’re reinforcing and supporting how we bring the culture alive.” Levy says, “They do it through pop-up birthday celebrations, anniversaries, or baby showers as well as creative themed events based on holidays or events—whether it’s Pride or the launch of their entry into Cuba.”4 This is the kind of effort it takes to truly scale culture.
LyftPuts Values in the Driver’s Seat
The ride-sharing market is worth billions and was originally dominated by Uber. Then along came Lyft, a San Francisco–based
ride-sharing company identified by a glowing pink moustache on the front dash. How did they manage to break into the space?
They let their values drive them, that’s how.
An article on Medium illustrating the differences between Lyft and Uber notes, “[A] key difference between the two companies’ cultures is that Lyft passengers are encouraged to sit in the front seat and engage in conversation, while Uber operates more like a traditional taxi service, where passengers sit in the back seat and mind their own business.”5 That is to say, Lyft emphasizes human connections. Lyft’s mission is “to reconnect people through transportation and bring communities together.” It sounds lofty, but a mission has to be. Like any strong brand, Lyft knows that developing and embracing core values is the way to manifest that mission, however aspirational it may be. Their official core values apply to passengers, drivers, and employees alike:
Be Yourself. Great communities start with great individuals.Liveauthentically,andtrustyourvoice.
CreateFearlessly. Challenge convention, take risks, and make an impact. If it’s broken, fix it. If it doesn’t exist, inventit.
Uplift Others. Invest in kindness, and always put communityfirst.Deliverdelight,andbeaforceofgood.
MakeItHappen.Now.Lifeisshort.Liveupfront.
How does a ride-sharing business bring these values to life? First, they hired someone to focus on it. Ron Storn joined Lyft as the vice president of people (he recently left), and it was his job to ensure that the values were felt throughout the organization—from welcoming employees’ dogs to the office, to ensuring that each team has a budget to do community service work each month. Employees are hired based on these values, then evaluated and compensated on them as well. Each new employee receives a coffee card to take
colleagues from other teams out for “coffee and conversation.” To oversee it all, a rotating Culture Board was established. Everyone involved should have input into how to improve and scale the culture.
Which is to say, Lyft gives its customers more than just a ride; it literally puts its values in the driver’s seat.
Both JetBlue and Lyft lead with their values, building the very fundamentals of their company mission around them. This creates a clear direction for leaders to manage their teams, and it inspires employees to be engaged. Having such a distinctive purpose, laid out in a clear set of values, is just good business.
Speak in an Authentic Voice
Once a company knows who they are and what their values are, that identity must be shared with customers, employees, and the world. This is a company’s voice, and like all voices, it must be heard. In order to breathe life into a brand, companies need to confidently broadcast what that brand stands for. Smart companies take pains to establish their voice systematically and meticulously, over the lifespan of the business.
Telling stories—personal stories, professional stories, and brand stories—is the perfect vehicle for expressing the truth of your company’s brand. Stories are free, are always available, and are such a core part of our human DNA that they automatically make us feel good. Especially when they’re true. Best of all, when a company brings true stories to light, the culture becomes more attentive to stories, and it’s a virtuous cycle. Leaders and managers learn to keep their eyes and ears on what’s most important: the real experiences of real people.
Union Square’s HonestHospitality
People have always considered honesty to be one of our most valued virtues in the study of philosophy and ethics. The old adage goes, honesty is the best policy. And when it comes to bringing your human to work, it’s an absolute must.
Erin Moran, a seasoned, successful consultant, is the very first chief culture officer at Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG), an immediate signal that this company a highprofile, trendsetting restaurant group—is getting serious about bringing their human to work. Which makes sense. Meyer’s business strategy is based on what he calls “enlightened hospitality.” When I asked him what prompted him to hire a CCO, he told me that ever since he realized that any good business is in a constant state of finding balance between an emphasis on finance and on culture, he wanted a culture officer to work alongside the chief financial officer. “I could have named it anything . . . chief storyteller,” he said. And chief storyteller would have been an apt title for Moran.
Moran and I met at the USHG headquarters in Manhattan just as an afternoon wine tasting was winding down. Moran is warm, a great listener, and smiles easily. After sharing her story about how she ended up in this exciting position three short years ago, she revealed to me that after she accepted the job, she “had a panic attack,” and actually said to Meyer, “I don’t think this is a good decision anymore.” Being a person of integrity (one of the USHG’s “Family Values,” and no doubt one of the qualities that Meyer found so appealing in Moran), she understood that it would be difficult, to say the least, to take care of the culture—and the people—in an industry where she had absolutely no experience. She also worried that she would have a hard time establishing credibility, never having waited a single table her entire life (“I was always working either in retail or in college as a teacher’s assistant”).
After Meyer convinced her that her outsider status was a benefit, Moran forged ahead, trying to establish rapport, gain insight, and develop programs that would keep the culture rich and meaningful and the employees happy. One of the most powerful experiences she’s had in her three years as head of culture (or, as she confessed
to me, perhaps in her entire career) was when she gave a talk on the topic of unity in front of the 125 employees of the Modern, a high-end restaurant owned by USHG. Sensing an opportunity, she decided to forgo the typical executive talking points on the value of unity and instead spoke in a real voice about herself and her challenges. According to Moran, she was “completely open and vulnerable . . . own[ing] the fact that [she’d] never walked in their shoes.”
She received a standing ovation and an overflowing inbox of praise. While Moran didn’t say this, I can only imagine that she received a credibility spike from her employees as well.
SPOTLIGHT
The Schmutz Pact
Harry Gottlieb, the founder of Jellyvision, the maker of interactive benefits communication software ALEX and Jackbox Games, was having lunch with a good friend one day when she told him that he had a piece of food stuck in his beard and helped him wipe it off. When he thanked her for being the kind of friend who does such things, she said, “We have a Schmutz Pact, right? Like you tell me, and I’m going to tell you.”
Schmutzis a Yiddish or German word for dirt or grime. We all know how valuable friends who will save us from our schmutz are. Not so long after that conversation, Gottlieb sent out an all-company email inviting folks to participate in an “old time Chicago-style ballot stuffing” to help a friend win votes for an internet contest. A brave programmer named Jeremy wrote him an email, ever so tactfully suggesting that Gottlieb was, inadvertently of course, asking the staff to cheat. Obviously Gottlieb was “horrified!” And grateful.
At the next all-hands meeting, Gottlieb stood up and praised Jeremy, explaining that’s “what a friend does: he doesn’t shame you when there’s something wrong. He assumes you don’t even know there’s a problem and points out the issue in a kind, collegial way.” And this is when Gottlieb announced the importance of their companywide Schmutz Pact, a catchy phrase for what he used to call “being honest and kind at the same time.”
An Empire ofPersonalTouch
Competition is fierce in every industry, and food and lifestyle brands are no exception. One way to stand out from the crowd is to be truly authentic, by leaving your fingerprints on everything you do. Showcasing this personal touch is not just a “nice to have,” it’s a powerful business strategy.
When it comes to combining personal touch with business, Food52 is one such company that gets it right. Food52, founded by Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs in 2009, is a strong competitor in the online food and lifestyle space and an early devotee of sincerity and authenticity as part of their brand. What started as a hotline for everyday home cooks (all 52 weeks in a year, get it?) is now a booming brand with a line of cookbooks, a podcast, an online shop with more than 2,000 kitchen and home goods, a series of offline pop-ups, and an audience of 12 million across platforms. In a 2016 article, NewYorkMagazinereferred to the company as “an empire.” Yet one of their official core values is PersonalTouch:Wetreat everyoneinourcommunitywithwarmthandcare,andwemake suretheyknowtherearerealpeoplebehindthescenes, and they take this very seriously.
The first time we talked, Hesser explained to me that since their primary interest is food, which is “so personal and inherently social, and forever has brought people together,” their aim was to “replicate that in a way that is productive and genuine online.” This meant that
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"Buy an horologue!" called one close to her ear. "The best sarcenet sold here!" cried another. "Laces of all sorts can be had at the Beehive!" bawled a third, thrusting himself in their way, and pointing to his master's shop.
It was the seventeenth century method of advertising, and evidently the 'prentice lads who were employed tried to get as much fun out of it as possible, to the great annoyance of the passengers, who were continually being pestered with the vociferating youths.
"Verily, I little wonder now that my mother liketh not the City," said Audrey, who felt stunned and bewildered by the din of the shouting 'prentices.
Then there were the stalls where hot meat, sheep's feet, and other such delicacies were sold, and a good many people still having their dinner stood round the open tables placed along the edge of the footpath.
"No, I don't like the City," concluded Audrey, as they walked up Cheapside and began to look out for Soper Lane.
"The plague and the great fire hath made it a desolate place to many, Mistress Audrey," said the nurse with a sigh, for she too had sorrowful memories of that bitter time.
"My aunt lives close to the river, and not far from the garden of the Dyers' Company," said Audrey, as they were looking down some of the streets that had been recently rebuilt; for where they were walking now the fire had raged and roared, sweeping down houses and churches, so that all the place seemed uncomfortably new as yet.
"I could never live in the City again, Mistress Audrey," said nurse. "This is not like what it used to be in my young days; times are altered, and not for the better either. The Lord-Protector ruled England then—ruled it in righteousness; but the people were not satisfied, they never are—and so they chose a godless king to rule
over them, and little wonder was it that God's judgment followed their choice of King Charles."
"Hush, hush, nurse! They will say you are a Quaker or a Fifth Monarchy woman," said Audrey in some alarm.
"They may say what they like. I care not who hears me, the fire and plague were—" But to Audrey's relief a bustling 'prentice lad ran against them at this moment, and nurse's anger was turned against boys in general and London apprentices in particular. Before she had done complaining of the change in manners since she was young, Soper Lane was reached, and King Charles forgotten in their eagerness to discover where Master Drayton lived.
CHAPTER IV.
THE RIVER GARDEN.
IN the days of which we are writing, the River Thames was lined with the gardens of the well-to-do citizens, while here and there was a flight of steps leading from the bank for the accommodation of those going by boat to various points. It was the great highway for traffic, and rowing-boats, stately barges, handsomely decorated for parties of pleasure, as well as others heavily laden with merchandise, were constantly passing up and down the stream.
The wealthy London Companies also held gardens skirting the river banks and kept swans, and to go and feed the swans in the Dyers' Garden was a favourite pastime with Dame Drayton's children. Master Drayton was a member of this Company, and therefore it was a right he could claim that his children should be allowed to play or walk about in this garden—a never-ending delight to them. It was not far from Soper Lane, and so Deborah, or Dame Drayton herself, generally took the children to the garden when the day's work was over, that they might spend a few hours in the fresh air whenever it was fine.
Dame Drayton was at the door with her children and the Westlands, just going into the Dyers' Garden, when Audrey Lowe and her nurse came down the Lane. The nurse knew the lady at once, for she had been servant in the family many years, and Dame Drayton greeted her cordially, but looked at Audrey, in doubt for a minute who she could be, until the nurse said,—
"I have brought Mistress Audrey."
"Dear child, I had forgotten you," said Dame Drayton, kissing her niece warmly, without waiting to hear the errand they had come upon, for that was what nurse was about to tell her, she supposed.
But nurse only said, "My mistress made me say I would call again at four of the clock to take Mistress Audrey back."
"But you will come and rest after your long walk?" said Dame Drayton; "or you might come with us to the Garden and see the swans."
Nurse shook her head.
"My brother lives in Honey Lane, and I would fain see him while I wait," she replied.
"Would you like to go in, or will you come with us to the Garden, Audrey?" asked her aunt. "There are seats upon which we can rest," added the lady.
"I should like to go to the Garden, an I may," replied Audrey.
Somehow she felt as though she would like to nestle up to this newfound aunt, and tell her how anxious and sad her mother often looked; for although there was no outer trouble at the vicarage now, there always seemed an undertone of sadness, a sort of suppressed sorrow, that Audrey in her great love for her mother and father could not help feeling, though she would never give expression to her thoughts about it. Now, all at once, she felt that she would like to take this aunt into her confidence, and tell her of the vague undefined sorrow that seemed to pervade her home.
"I am very pleased to see thee, Audrey. Tell thy mother I am so glad that she hath sent thee on this errand—whatever it may be." And as she spoke the lady looked at her niece, for she felt sure she had something to say to her that could scarcely be trusted even to nurse. "We shall be able to have a quiet talk to ourselves, and thee shall tell me all that is in thine heart, in a few minutes."
"This is Bessie Westland, who hath come with her sisters to tarry for a time with us," said Dame Drayton, drawing the girl forward after Audrey had spoken to her cousins.
"We have come because my father and mother are sent to prison for being Quakers," said Bessie, as if she feared this fact might be forgotten if it was not instantly avowed.
"Hush, Bessie! Do not speak so loudly of these matters. People may hear thy words, and—"
"Martha Drayton, I must speak the truth at all times and in all places," said Bessie; "for I would not have this worldling think I am anything but a Quaker." And as she spoke, Bessie looked scornfully at Audrey's fashionable dress of silk brocade, and then at her own coarse homely frock.
Dame Drayton looked distressed, and Audrey shocked and amazed to hear her aunt addressed by this girl as "Martha." No wonder her mother feared that trouble would come upon them if this was the way Quakers behaved. The lady saw the look in her niece's face, and said to Bessie—
"Will you take care of the children for me, that I may talk to my niece while she rests in the Garden? For we have not seen each other for some years."
"Yea, verily. I will do all that I call to keep them from the sight and sound of evil, for this garden is but a worldly place, I trow," said Bessie, for they had reached the gate by this time, and could see the people walking about on the promenade facing the river, where there was always something going on to amuse and interest the visitors.
Dame Drayton had found a quiet corner that was generally unoccupied by the more fashionable citizens, and she led her little party thither, nodding to friends and acquaintances as she passed, but not stopping to speak to anyone to-day, for fear Bessie should feel it her duty to announce that she was a Quaker, which would be pretty sure to draw the attention of the authorities to them.
So she made her way as quickly as she could to a quiet alley, where the children could play at ball between the shrubs, and Bessie would
be shielded from the sight of the ladies' gay dresses. There was a seat, too, close at hand, and here Dame Drayton and Audrey could sit and talk; and they made their way to it, leaving Bessie in charge of the little ones and their play.
"Now, dear child, tell me of thy mother and father. It is so long since I heard aught concerning thee that I have grown hungry for news. Thou dost look well, Audrey," she added.
"I am well, dear aunt; but my mother is more troubled than usual, for the Widow Tompkins came to see her this morning concerning something her son had told her. He is one of thy 'prentice lads, my mother bade me say, and told his mother a strange story concerning the Quakers and his master's dealings with them."
"What did he say, Audrey?" asked her aunt, rather anxiously.
"Nay, I did not see the woman myself; but this lad is her only son, and it may be she is over careful concerning him, seeing she lost her other children in the plague; but I wot she hath frightened my mother sorely concerning thee, so that she thought it better that I should come and tell thee it will soon be the town's talk that thou dost harbour Quakers within thy household. This girl who doth so sorely despise me is one of the children Sim Tompkins spoke of, I trow."
"Poor Bessie! Her whole love is given to her father, who hath suffered so sorely for his faith," said Dame Drayton with a sigh.
"Then they are Quakers," said Audrey, a little shocked that her aunt could live on familiar terms with such people.
"Yea, verily; Bessie Westland glories in that which thou dost think is a name of reproach. If thou couldest know her, too, thou wouldest learn that she is a worthy, trusty maid, careful and loving to her little sisters, who are too young to take care of themselves."
"But—but what are you going to do with them, aunt?" asked Audrey.
"Do with them? Nay, until God opens some other refuge for them they must abide in the house, and share with my own children in my care," said her aunt.
"But there is danger in this, and that is why my mother sent me to you," said Audrey.
"It was kind of Annie to think of me, and kinder still to let me see you once more; but you must tell her, Audrey, that I could not do less than offer these children the shelter of my home, since they are worse than orphaned, with father and mother in prison for being Quakers."
"Yea, but why should they be Quakers, and rebel against the king? Perhaps things were better for religion under the Lord-Protector,— nurse says they were,—and my father thinks so too, I know; but now the king has come to his own again we ought to obey him, my mother says."
"Truly, we should; and the Quakers seek not to disobey the law, except in the matter of taking oaths and some small matters in the addressing of people, which was the reason why Bessie called me 'Martha' just now."
"It is not seemly, aunt, that a wench like this Bessie Westland should speak to thee in that fashion," said Audrey, rather hotly.
"Nay, but, dear child, it was no disrespect for Bessie to do this. Her principles as a Quaker forbid her the use of any title beyond that of friend. Not for the king himself would a Quaker remove his hat, and yet the king hath no more loyal subjects than the Quakers. They are of all people the most peaceable, for, if wrongfully and cruelly treated, they are forbidden to strike again, even in their own defence; and if struck upon one cheek, they hold they must turn the other also, an the smiter will have it so."
Audrey opened her eyes and looked at her aunt in amazement.
"I thought they were turbulent people, sowing sedition and disorder My mother said they might again bring civil war to England, if they were allowed to do as they pleased."
Dame Drayton smiled and shook her head. "Nay, nay, it is not so, believe me. I know what Quakers are, for I too am a Quaker; though I hold it not binding upon my conscience to hold every rule it is thought good by the Society to lay down for the guidance of its members."
"Oh, my aunt!" said Audrey with a gasp; but instead of starting away from her the girl drew closer, as if to protect her.
"Dear Audrey, it is a sweet and joyful thing to be a Quaker, as I believe and strive to live up to my belief in that name. As sinners in the sight of God we quake and tremble before Him; but we fear not what man can do to us, so that we live under the guidance of that divine voice that speaks to the heart of every child of God,—if they will abide in such peace that this still small voice can yet rule and guide them in everything they think and do."
"Is not this voice our conscience, aunt? And are we not taught to obey it in all things?" asked Audrey.
"Yea, verily, dear child; but it is a truth that hath been well-nigh forgotten, until Fox began to preach and teach that the inner voice within the soul of man was the voice of God, which the soul is bound to obey if it will live and grow. It is meat and drink, the very bread of heaven by which alone we can live truly in this naughty world."
"But when my father speaks of obeying the voice of conscience he means the same thing, aunt," said Audrey.
"Yes, I doubt not that, dear child; but people have talked and talked about their conscience until it has come to mean little or nothing to them, and God seeing this, hath sent His messenger, George Fox, to declare once more to His people, that He hath not left them alone, but speaks to the heart of each by His own still small voice. As
Quakers we prefer to call things plainly, for we are a plain people, and so have thrown away that word 'conscience' as a worn-out and broken mirror that does but hide instead of revealing more plainly the truth it covers. Therefore, we say 'the voice of God' will guide us in all things if we will but listen, and as little children obey it, even though it should sometimes bid us to walk in a path that is not pleasant to our feet."
"And is it this that makes thee so happy, aunt?" asked Audrey.
The simple form of 'thee' and 'thou' was still in vogue among close friends, and so Audrey's use of it was not at all singular. The exclusive use of it by Quakers later on was a survival of this feeling that there was a closeness of friendship, a sincerity in these terms, and so they rescued from oblivion this simple form of speech that prevailed among all classes in England at that time. The same may be said of their dress. They did but seek to evade observation at the time of which we write, and desiring to be known only as a plain God-fearing people. They dressed in simple, unostentatious colours; but they have brought up through the generations the fashion of the garments worn by their forefathers, and held to them while other and very different fashions prevailed in the world.
So at this time, although Dame Drayton was a professed Quaker, there was little to distinguish her from her neighbours around, in the matter of dress and speech. The Society impressed upon its members the duty of dressing plainly and simply, whatever their rank in life might be, and that Dame Drayton chose to wear greys and drabs in the place of crimsons or other brilliant colours was regarded as a simple matter of taste by her neighbours. She had always been known as a godly woman before she became a Quaker; but as she had never felt called to preach, and went as often to the old parish church she had attended from her girlhood, as she did to the Quaker meeting-house in Gracechurch Street, few knew that she was a Quaker
As Audrey asked her question, she looked earnestly into her aunt's face and nestled closer to her. "You seem very happy," she added;
"so much happier than my mother."
"Dear Audrey, I am very happy, for since I learned this truth from George Fox, there hath come to me a peace that passeth all understanding; for, following the guidance of this voice, the distractions of the world cannot mar the quiet resting upon God, as my Father, my Guide, my Friend, who will never fail nor forsake me. It matters not whether thou art one who worships in a church or in a meeting-house,—which is but a plain room fitted for a plain people who meet together,—if haply the Spirit hath a word to speak by one of them for the edification of all; and if there is no such word given forth, still the Lord can and doth speak to each soul in the silence that to many is better and more helpful even than the words of prayer spoken by another, who cannot know the secret wants and longings of any soul but his own."
"Then at these meetings there is silence all the time, aunt?" said Audrey questioningly.
"Why should any speak if they feel not moved thereto by the inward voice of the Spirit?" asked Dame Drayton. "It is this multiplying of words without life or power that hath made preaching of none effect. Now we know that when one speaketh he is moved thereto by the Spirit of God working in him, and that he hath of a surety a message for one or other or many of us. In some this power of the Spirit to speak and warn and encourage is continually seeking to find utterance, and then woe be to the man if he forbear to utter his testimony for fear of what man shall do to him. Bessie's father was such an one as this, and a brave honest man to boot; so, as he would not be stayed from warning sinners to flee from the wrath to come, whenever and wherever he could find opportunity, the soldiers have haled him to prison, and his wife too, because she felt moved to warn her godless neighbours, when her husband could no longer do so. Bessie being the eldest was left in the cottage to take care of the children, or do as she could, for none cared to befriend them, as they were children of condemned Quakers. They had been despoiled of all they possessed in fines for the same offence; but the
little they had left in the cottage was stolen or destroyed by the mob, while Bessie and her sisters hid themselves in the cellar."
"Oh, aunt, would people really be so cruel?" said Audrey in a tone of compassion, as she turned to look at the girl walking up and down with the little ones, but rarely touching the ball herself even when it fell close to her.
"I daresay there were some who felt sorry for them, and would nathless have helped them if they could; but the baser sort, and those whom Friend Westland had reproved for their sin and wickedness, would be willing to break chairs and tables while they shouted, 'Long live King Charles! Down with all Quakers and rebels!' That was how it was done, Bessie says, while she sat cowering in the cellar below, praying that God would keep them from following her, for fear they should frighten the little ones to death."
"Oh, aunt, it was terrible! And she is not so old as I am, I should think?"
"No, you are sixteen, and Bessie is not yet fourteen. But she is brave and true, and whispered to her sisters not to cry out or make a noise, and God would surely send deliverance to them by the hand of some friend. We knew not to what straits the poor children were left, but as Quakers, who called themselves brethren with him who was suffering for the truth's sake, we were bound to seek the children when we knew they had been left friendless and alone. Thee will tell thy mother what I have told to thee, and then she will understand how I was moved by the inward voice to offer a home and a refuge to these little ones."
"Aunt, methinks the voice would have bidden me do likewise if I was grown up and could have helped them," whispered Audrey, kissing her tenderly, and feeling that she had found a friend in this aunt who could understand her better than her mother could.
CHAPTER V.
ONE SUNDAY MORNING.
THE exemplary punishment dealt out to the unfortunate martyr Westland seemed to satisfy the authorities for some time, or it might have been that their failure to silence Sir William Penn in spite of fines and imprisonment, made them pause to consider before taking up another crusade of persecution.
Sir William Penn was son of the Lord High Admiral of England, who had recently died, leaving his son a considerable fortune, as well as
claims upon the government for money lent to them by the old admiral.
But while a student at Oxford, Master William Penn, his son, had embraced Quakerism, and been expelled for preaching and teaching it. His father was very angry, and threatened to disown him for his connection with such a disgraceful set of people, but afterwards sent him to travel on the Continent, in the hope that he would forget what the old admiral thought was the wildest vagary.
But after two years of travel young Penn came home a confirmed Quaker, and very soon was sent to the Tower for writing a pamphlet he called "The Sandy Foundation Shaken," which was specially directed against the Church of England. During his eight months' imprisonment, he wrote "No Cross No Crown," and several others, which he published as soon as he was released.
Then he began preaching again, and was again arrested. But the indomitable young Quaker had won for himself the regard of the citizens of London, and the jury refused to convict him upon the evidence brought forward, and were themselves fined for their refusal.
Master Drayton had been one of these, and it had strained his resources to make up this money; but he felt amply compensated by the friendship that arose out of this between him and the ardent young champion of their despised sect.
When Audrey Lowe had gone home, and the children had been put to bed, Dame Drayton told her husband the errand her niece had come upon.
"The 'prentice lads suspect we are Quakers, and Sim Tompkins has told his mother about it. What wilt thou do, my husband?" she asked.
"Nay, what can we do but put our trust in the Lord?"
"But thou wilt be careful, Gilbert, for the children's sake?"
"Careful, dear heart? It is not to be feared that I shall publish abroad that I am a Quaker; but, as thou sayest, too many suspect it, I fear, and I have been pondering on a thought that came to me to-day when thinking of Westland and his wife. He will doubtless be sent out to the plantations of America by the next cargo of convicts, and when he can save money enough to pay for the passage of his wife, she will be allowed to join him in his exile. Now, our young champion, Sir William Penn, is rich, and moreover the government is deeply indebted to him for moneys lent by his father, and which he hath small hope of regaining, for the king is too extravagant ever to pay his debts. But if he hath little money to spare, he hath many waste lands out in the plantations of America, and he might be induced to sell some to our friend Penn in part payment of his debt. On this land some of us might go and settle, even as the Independents did in the reign of the first Charles, for America is wide and free, and there we might serve God even as the divine voice should guide and direct us, and none could make us afraid."
"That were a blessing indeed," said Dame Drayton, but with a sigh, for the prospect of leaving her native land and her beloved London was a painful thought to her. "Oh that we could have this blessed freedom in England!" she said, clasping her hands, while the tears slowly filled her eyes.
"Nay, nay, dame, thou hast naught to fret over, I trow," said her husband, in some surprise to see his wife in tears.
"It was not of myself I was thinking, but of Annie Lowe, my sister. Audrey hath let me know—without herself understanding—that the way they thought would be soft to their feet hath been strewn with thorns; none the less sharp are they, I trow, because they have to be covered from the world."
"Now thou art speaking in parables, Martha. I thought the vicar was well content to abide in the church that could nourish him."
"It may afford nourishment for the body, but to sign the Act of Uniformity, whereby Parson Lowe and many another gave up the
right to serve and worship God as the inner voice would fain lead them, could but be starvation for the soul. I felt sure it would come to this with Annie and her husband, and that she would one day wish she had been among those who were ejected for the truth's sake."
"But—but I thought Annie sent to warn thee of the danger thou wert in through Sim chattering to his mother of what had been spoken here?"
"Yea, she hath grown timid because she hath chosen the path of the coward, until now she hath become timid at a shadow, for she fears that if I walk not warily, men may even accuse her of being a Quaker. Dear Annie! she hath always been feeble and timorous, and the times are hard to endure for such. The child Audrey is different from either mother or father, and so it is for her sake as well as Annie's I long and pray that all in England may have freedom to worship God even as they will, without let or hindrance from king or parliament."
But Master Drayton shook his head.
"That were a vain wish, dear heart; but a tract of country might surely be granted in America, where Quakers could dwell in peace, and another where Independents might rule themselves in matters of religion, for it hath been proved that they cannot abide in peace together. I will talk to Friend Penn of the thought that hath come to me, and it may be he will have sonic light given to guide him in this matter, for to provide a refuge for the Lord's persecuted people will surely be a true way of devoting the wealth he hath inherited to the service of the Lord, which he is fully purposed to do."
It was evident to Dame Drayton that her husband feared trouble was thickening around them, or he would not have spoken in this way, and it must be confessed that life was indeed hard, when each time he went out she knew not whether he would return, or whether some friend might not come to tell her he had been arrested and carried off to Bridewell to await the meeting of the court where his case would be heard.
But Master Drayton went in and out of Soper Lane without interference, and for the next few weeks nothing was heard of the Quakers being molested, so that at last the lady began to breathe more freely again; other Quakers also took courage, and from meeting in their own or at each other's houses for worship, ventured to open once more the little meeting-house which was situated in an alley in Gracechurch Street.
The closing of this had been a great deprivation to many, but Dame Drayton had never wholly given up attending the church of All Hallow's, close to her home, for it was here she first learned to know God as her Father and Friend, and here she could still hold communication with Him, even through the prayers which were such a stumbling-block to many sincere and earnest souls at this time. To her sister they were little else than chains and fetters, galling instead of helping her soul to rise as upon the rungs of a ladder to the very bosom of the Father. This was what the service of the Church of England was to Dame Drayton; but sometimes there were other seasons when nothing but the solemn silence of their own meetinghouse would satisfy her soul's need. Yet so that she was fed with the bread of heaven, what did it matter whether it was words or the absence of words, so long as the still small voice of God spoke in her soul, and made itself heard above her fears or the clamour of the world?
To Master Drayton, however, the church but ill supplied the quiet meeting-house, and so he sat at home and read the Bible or some of the pamphlets written by Barclay, Fox, or Penn, in defence of their faith, and to him the opening of the meeting-house once more was a source of great comfort and rejoicing.
He was the more glad, too, when he saw Sir William Penn among the worshippers, for he doubted not the Spirit of God would move him to speak a word of comfort and encouragement to many who were weary and heavy laden with fear and apprehension. Only a few of the bravest among the Quaker community had ventured to attend this first meeting, but as it was uninterrupted by the authorities, the
next time the doors were open many more would attend, there was little doubt.
During this time Bessie Westland had taken up an occupation that no one would have thought likely to attract her. A day or two after she came to Soper Lane she asked to be allowed to work at hatmaking like one of the boy apprentices.
Dame Drayton looked rather horrified at the proposal, but Bessie said—
"I ought to do something to help to pay what we shall cost you, and if I learn this hat-making now, I may be able to earn some money to help mother and father in the new country." For to comfort her, Dame Drayton had told her that a way would doubtless be opened for her and her sisters to go to the plantations when her mother went.
So with this hope to spur her, Bessie took up the task of pasting and sewing, doing all the lighter portions of the work required in the manufacture of a hat, Master Drayton taking care that there was no opportunity for the apprentices to talk to or interfere with her.
To his surprise the girl proved a far more apt pupil than any boy he had ever had, and the same energy and enthusiasm that made her father a most aggressive Quaker, being turned into this channel by the force of circumstances, in Bessie showed itself in a marvellous quickness and dexterity in doing all the lighter part of hat-making; and the girl grew more content as the weeks went on.
Dame Drayton, however, did not know what to think of a girl taking up what had always been considered boys' work. She would fain have kept Bessie among the children or helping Deborah occasionally with the bread-making and cooking, but as the girl certainly seemed happier now that she had secured some constant employment, she could only think this must be best for Bessie, however strange it might be to her.
She told her husband, however, that Bessie puzzled her. She could not understand the girl wanting to do boys' work when she and Deb were ready to teach her all sorts of womanly handiwork.
"Thou and I must trust it is the Lord's will she should do this, for she hath certainly most deft and useful fingers, and a quick understanding for all kinds of hat-work. Quick and thorough is she, so that her work can be relied upon already, and I should sorely miss the wench now from my side."
Things were in this position when the winter set in, and the Quakers, having met with no disturbance from the authorities, gathered at their meeting-house each First Day—as they chose to call Sunday.
Of course Bessie was most regular in her attendance; but Dame Drayton did not always go with her husband and Bessie, preferring to take some of the children to All Hallow's Church, which was close to her home. One Sunday, however, Bessie was suffering from a bad cold, and wholly unfit to go out in the bleak drizzling rain that was falling, and so her friends insisted that she should remain in bed. Dame Drayton decided to go to the meeting-house with her husband, for there was to be a gathering of the Friends afterwards, to hear something more concerning the plan for founding a Quaker colony across the seas.
But, alas! that meeting was never held, for the Lord Mayor had ordered that the place should be watched, and as soon as the Friends were all assembled, the doors were forced open by a party of men-at-arms, and after a little parleying with those who kept the door, the Quakers were informed they might consider themselves under arrest, and until their names were taken none were allowed to leave the building.
When this business had been got through by the officer in charge, some half-dozen names were read out as being the ringleaders in this seditious gathering, and among them were those of Master Drayton and his wife.
For a minute the heart of the poor woman seemed turned to stone, and her thoughts instantly flew to the children at home,—her own and those who had been practically orphaned by the rigour of the law,—and she covered her face with her hands in the agony of her anxiety.
The halberdier who had been placed in charge of her, so far respected her grief that he did not disturb her until he was compelled by the officer to lead her out in the rear of some half-dozen others who were being conducted to Newgate.
It was a pitiful sight. No resistance had been made by the unoffending people, for it was one of the rules of their Society that they should submit meekly to whatever outrage was perpetrated upon them, and so Dame Drayton, comforted now by the thought that God would surely protect her darlings, walked through the wet muddy streets behind her husband. When they reached Newgate they were thrust into the common prison, where thieves and drunkards were making the place a very hell by their oaths and ribald songs.
The little company of Quakers sat down in one corner by themselves, and for a time could only listen with shivering horror to what was going on around them. But, hardened as most of this crowd were, Dame Drayton's sympathy was soon awakened by the appearance of a young girl with a baby in her arms, and leaving her husband's side, she went and sat down by the girl to say a few words of comfort to her. From speaking to one, she grew courageous enough to speak to others, and thus helped to pass the long weary hours of that dreadful day.
On Monday morning they were taken before the Lord Mayor, and charged with opening premises for seditious meetings, that had previously been closed by order of the court. Master Drayton was one of the four trustees holding the premises, and moreover he was known to be one of the jury who had refused to convict Penn some time before; which circumstance was brought forward against him, as proving him to be an obstinate Quaker, who richly deserved to lose his ears and be transported beyond the seas.
The court, however, sentenced him to six months' imprisonment, but released his wife, when it was pleaded that she was a regular attendant at her parish church, and was only guilty to the extent of having married a Quaker.
It was an intense relief to Master Drayton when he heard that his wife was not to be sent to prison. He could bear the hardship of this far better if he knew that she was safe at home, though how they were to live through the winter while he was in prison he did not
