painfully. She drove with her father and a sister
from Chichester to Kingly Bottom, a vale in the South Downs, for the
last day's shooting of the rifle volunteer corps in September 1866. The
sharp crack of the rifles tried her greatly, and brought on so much pain
that she was glad to accept a seat in the carriage of a friend and go
home, instead of waiting, as the Bishop wished to do, for the end of
the match. The noise seemed to exhaust her.

During the autumn of 1866 Mr. F. Green, who for many years had rendered
great service by his work on the Committee, presented to the Association
five shares of L100 in the Marine Insurance Company, of which he was a
director. They yielded at that time L40 a year, and the gift was a
source of much gratification to Bessie.

She was at Chichester in December, and wrote thence on the 21st to her
widowed sister, Mrs. Elliot, dwelling on the service she could render to
others:

"Having you must make all the difference," she says, when alluding
to a succession of troubles which had fallen upon Lady Minto, with
whom Mrs. Elliot was staying. "Really there is not and will not be
any lack of work for you. You have had, I should think, quite as
much as you could do for some time past.... There is a chance of
Tom's coming in January.... I suppose you know all about him and
his doings. I can't think how he would have got on without you."

Then she gives news from home:

I am expecting them in after the ordination every moment. This time
it is in the cathedral; twelve candidates I think. Papa came down
to breakfast this morning, and was to go in time for the whole
service. Only think, one of the priests has been in agonies of
toothache all through the examination; but in spite of it Mr.
Browne was delighted with all he did. The poor man had two teeth
taken out, and happily to-day was flourishing.... I do hope you
will like the little paper knife which I am so very glad to send
you. I was quite taken with the little bells of the lilies.... Nora
to-day is quite in her element and full of work, putting up a
number of parcels to send off in different directions.... Ever your
loving sister,
BESSIE GILBERT.

"Tom," of whom she speaks, had recently been appointed Vicar of
Heversham, near Milnthorpe; and Mrs. Elliot had visited him at the
vicarage, and superintended the dome