10 Tavistock Square, and }
22 Old Square, Lincoln's Inn, }

Fyers, Captain, R.A., 3 Westbourne Place, Paddington, Hon. Sec.

Superintendent and Collector, Mr. William Hanks Levy, 21 South Row,
New 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 L323 1 1
The receipts stand as 141 5 4
---------
No balance is drawn, but the sum contributed
by Bessie must have been L181 15 9

Her efforts on behalf of the blind met with grateful recognition.
Amongst 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 workmen could not write their names; orthography and
punctuation are uncertain, and capital letters scattered at random. The
scribe employed wrote badly and spelt imperfectly, but no doubt the
letter was a genuine one, the outcome of warm though somewhat
incoherent feelings of gratitude and affection. She to whom it was
addressed knew this, and prized the poor letter accordingly. The
spelling is now corrected, and some punctuation attempted in order not
too greatly to bewilder the reader.

The humble address of Blind Workmen employed by their benefactor
Miss Gilbert to the Same.

MADAM--We the recipients of your bounty beg permission to be
allowed to express our gratitude collectively for the benefits we
have received from the Society instituted and under your
governance. 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 work was 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 from
the worst of their afflictions, namely the Sting of Poverty. Madam,
we are assured it is a difficult undertaking and must be a great
trouble to contend with Tradesmen and to show forth our
capabilities. We must acknowledge that