Meri Toppelius

[3] Toppelius was educated and lived as the eldest daughter of a family of rank, but she sought in vain for the satisfaction which social distinction was expected to give.

The rounded culture of manual and mental accomplishment, which is characteristic of the North-European education, was available to her, and at Vera Hjelt's training school, in Helsinki, she found sloyd (Swedish: slöjd).

Toppelius accepted Hemingway's request, and planned to come and present the sloyd system but she became ill a short time prior to her expected departure.

Toppelius requested a younger sister, Sigrid, whom she had already interested in sloyd work to a sufficient extent to be well trained for an instructor, to take her commission and go in her place to Boston.

[3] Toppelius accompanied Sigrid to Boston in 1890, and herself took up a course of instruction in the gymnasium, while her sister carried on the sloyd in a primary school according to Hemingway's plans.

[3] In 1893, at the time of the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Toppelius was appointed, by request of Ebba Nordquist, née Baronesse Alfthan, of Finland, to address the Auxiliary Congress concerning the work of the Finnish women.

Solely through her enthusiasm, and inspired by her earnestness, one of the school board made an effort to assist Tooppelius, and obtained an appropriation of US$25,000 to carry on and propagate the sloyd work which she pioneered.

She believed thoroughly in the advantage of the educational theory of her own country, that the method of instruction gave best results with the young child, a receptive and responsive condition which becomes less plastic by growth.

[3] The sloyd of Sweden and Denmark was arranged for the boys of upper grades, allowing for physical ability to handle tools and a mental power sufficiently developed to grasp the purpose and aim of the work.