ist in the Gallery had been taking notes of him for a
surreptitious portrait--an embarrassing form of flattery.

He wrote: "No--I won't believe any stories about overwork. It's
impossible, when one's in good heart and at really pleasant things. I've
a lot of nice things to do, but the heart fails--after lunch,
particularly!" Heart and head did, however, fail again; and another
attack of brain fever followed. Sir William Gull brought him through,
and won his praise as a doctor and esteem as a friend. Ruskin took it as
a great compliment when Sir William, in acknowledging his fee, wrote
that he should keep the cheque as an autograph.

By Easter Monday the patient was better again, and plunging into work in
spite of everybody. He wrote:

"I was not at all sure, myself, till yesterday, whether I _would_
go abroad; also I should have told you before. But as you have had
the (sorrowful?) news broken to you--and as I find Sir William Gull
perfectly fixed in his opinion, I obey him, and reserve only some
liberty of choice to myself--respecting, not only climate,--but the
general appearance of the--inhabitants, of the localities, where
for antiquarian or scientific research I may be induced to prolong
my sojourn.--Meantime I send you--to show you I haven't come to
town for nothing, my last bargain in beryls, with a little topaz
besides...."

But the journey was put off week after week. There was so much to do,
buying diamonds for Sheffield museum, and planning a collection of
models to show the normal forms of crystals, and to illustrate a subject
which he thought many people would find interesting, if they could be
got over its first difficulties. Not only Sheffield was to receive these
gifts and helps: Ruskin had become acquainted with the Rev. J.P.
Faunthorpe, Principal of Whitelands College for Pupil Teachers, and had
given various books and collections to illustrate the artistic side of
education. Now he instituted there the May Queen Festival, in some sort
carrying out his old suggestion in "Time and Tide." Mr. A. Severn
designed a gold cross, and it was presented, with a set of volumes of
Ruskin's works, sumptuously bound, to the May Queen and her maidens. The
pretty festival became a popular feature of the school, "patronised by
royalty," and Ruskin continued his annual gift to Whitelands, and kept
up a similar institution at the High School at Cork.

At last, in A