Part 8 (1/2)

CHAPTER VIII

ROYAL BOUNTY

”From the cheerful ways of e fair Presented with a universal blank Of nature's works”--MILTON

We must remember that Bessie's scheme was at first a private matter, and that there is no reason why a blind lady's accounts should be kept like a tradesed that her weekly bills should be copied by members of her family rather for their information than for her own So far as she was concerned she could reave, and had only to take care not to exceed her inco the increased expenditure in connection with ”the Repository” began to be a source of anxiety The sale of goods entailed very serious loss The work price of articles es and expenses, so that any considerable development of the trade would have left the promoter of it penniless

Moreover, it was inexpedient to pay workift If they had received trade prices they could not have lived on what they earned Their as hted, and they had less of it These conditions made the scheme an experiment; and in the iving the

They executed an order for the trade or for an individual when it was obtained, lived on the money, and waited for another order This seemed inevitable at the time; but the e sues had from the first been fixed on the ordinary scale, and an additional suht have been avoided

About five-sixths of the articles produced by the seven workmen were sold in the trade at a discount of fro the ordinary sum demanded and allowed A further discount of 25 per cent was allowed to the blind salesman Thus a deficiency of from 50 to 65 per cent had to be made up on all articles sold to the trade, to which , porters, etc

To the blind lady and her assistant the only ested itself for the reduction of expenses was, that the articles manufactured should be sold to the public and not to the trade They must have, not a repository but a shop, and a shop in a public thoroughfare They must make appeals for _custoement It is doubtful whether Bessie ever wrote a letter after 1855, save to ent need of custorew steadily, the number of applicants for work increased In reply to appeals for custo to come in, offers of subscription also, and it was evident that the enterprise, begun in the cellar, was to grow and develop Bessie found that towork, only in the homes of the blind, would seriously restrict the industries to be carried on, some of which required a special workshop She saw that much more would be done for the blind in a shop or factory, where they would find the requisite material, often bulky as well as costly, and the requisite appliances

These could not be provided in the single room of a blinddest the blind, not for charity but for work It was not men only who applied

Poor, respectable woary or the workhouse, began to turn to her, to implore her to save them also, to teach the The opportunity for the employment of women was not to come for a year or two, but the appeal issued on the behalf of work for blind _ed to one on behalf of blind _persons_

After six ht months in the little room in Cromer Street, it was decided that Levy should take a house and shop at 21 South Ro Road (now Euston Road), and that in the first instance four rooms should be rented by Bessie at 26 a year Levy was henceforward to receive 12s 6d a week as er, and his as to serve behind the counter and to have, as a teement, 25 per cent on all articles sold in the shop

This increase in the expenses made it necessary that Bessie should obtain help froe of her work fro was anxiously discussed in her own hoed that there should be a Coement as soon as subscriptions were asked for; and pointed out to his daughter the responsibility of ad done this he left the matter in her hands, and she, like a dutiful child, submits her case when she has come to a decision She writes on her Foucault frame in July 1855, from 31 Queen Anne Street:--

MY DEAR PAPA--I wanted to have spoken to you about what I aood opportunity before you went The situation of the shop in Cromer Street stands very oes into that street unless they go on purpose, therefore I aood situation, which I cannot do without subscriptions

Mr Taylor has said a good deal about the situation being a great hindrance to the sale of the work, so have several people, so nohat I wish to tell you is that if you see nothing to the contrary in the in on Monday to ask for subscriptions

I have three proetchild,

BESSIE GILBERT

You see I have taken rather for granted that you would have no objection, and so as there is not ht it would be better to begin as soon as I could

To this the Bishop replied:

PALACE, CHICHESTER, _6th July 1855_

MY DEAR BESSIE--Your letter was nicely written, and I read it for myself very fluently If it h-rented house without subscribers You may put me do in the list for five pounds [5] a year I do not think you will do veryIt will grow under God's blessing You o into the North, what sum must be left accessible at hoare's for the wants of E M M G Levi and Co--I am, my dearest Bessie, yr ever affectionate father, R T CICESTR

On the 13th July Bessie writes again from Queen Anne Street:

MY DEAR PAPA--I would not be troublesome if I could help it, but I cannot help it I do think it would be well forto form a Society, and I want to know if I may set to work to do whatever I can towards it I send you a list of the people Henrietta [a sister] and I have thought of for the Committee Would you mention any you think advisable? Of course I cannot tell that any naree to the proposal, so that it will be well to be prepared with a good choice Mr Green and Mr