Part 9 (1/2)

Gilbert, Miss, 43 Queen Anne Street, and Palace, Chichester

Glennie, Rev John D, junr, 51 Green Street, Grosvenor Square

Green, Frederic, Esq, West Lodge, Avenue Road, Regent's Park

Hollond, Mrs Robert, Stanmore Hall, near Harrow, and 63 Portland Place

Johnson, George, Esq, MD, 3 Woburn Square

King, Henry, Esq, 8 Lowndes Street

Kynaston, Rev H, DD, St Paul's Churchyard

Powell, Mrs, 2 Palace Gardens, Kensington

Suent Street

Bathurst, Henry A, Esq, 101 Baker Street, } Porthtrider Street, } Auditors

} Wintle, R W, Esq, 10 Tavistock Square, and } 22 Old Square, Lincoln's Inn, }

Fyers, Captain, RA, 3 Westbourne Place, Paddington, Hon Sec

Superintendent and Collector, Mr William Hanks Levy, 21 South Ro Road

The projected Committee seems not to have acted in 1855, as at the end of the year the account-book shows no sign of the supervision of auditors

The disbursements for the year had been 323 1 1 The receipts stand as 141 5 4 --------- No balance is drawn, but the sum contributed by Bessie must have been 181 15 9

Her efforts on behalf of the blind st the letters which she valued and preserved is one which belongs to this period; it was probably written in the winter of 1855-56 The paper is old and ragged, doubtless the letter has often been read aloud to her and to others It is undated, and for obvious reasons unsigned, the blind workraphy and punctuation are uncertain, and capital letters scattered at random The scribe employed wrote badly and spelt ienuine one, the outcoratitude and affection She to whom it was addressed knew this, and prized the poor letter accordingly The spelling is now corrected, and soreatly to bewilder the reader

The humble address of Blind Workmen employed by their benefactor Miss Gilbert to the Sa perratitude collectively for the benefits we have received froovernance With the deepest feelings of gratitude we have to thank you for the great assistance during the last severe winter and the constant support we have when no other as to be procured We look upon this society as a time arrived in which our Heavenly Father has placed in your hands the deliverance of the blind fro of Poverty Mada and reat trouble to contend with Tradese that it is moved by God's influence It is what has been wanted since England has been a nation, for a country so great not to employ their own blind in a per which no one till the present ever atteratitude and Satisfaction for the benefits received would be allowed to present a small perreat blessing conferred upon us, and how thankfully it is received by your hu to indicate the nature of the ”permanent testimonial,”

nor that it was ever presented; but the wish to ratitude for work done on their behalf, could not fail to encourage the blind lady

She had now the moral support of her Committee, but there was at this time no association, properly so called No rules had been drawn up, there were no Cos, and Bessie had not only to ”contend with tradesmen,” but to conduct in the best way she could ”the sale of ly i the capacity of the blind, their power as well as their desire to work It was necessary to ascertain what trades it was possible for them to follohat trades were open to them, and under what conditions He had found by his own inquiry that the greater nu to work; he now occupied hi experiments in various handicrafts

She had acquiesced in his wish that none but blind persons should be employed in the Institution, and that no trades should be carried on there except such as the blind could work at unaided Her own experience, as well as the theory of her parents, had shown thattheued by Levy: that it would be impossible to interest the public in the scheme, unless the blind worked unaided, and it wasa trade He also urged, and with more reason, that the teacher of the blind should be a blind man, who knows from his own experience the difficulties and the limitations of blindness, and who has overcome them; for the teacher who knows these only froent an appreciation of them, nor be so likely to discover the aids required by the blind