and promptly applied a blister to the back of the
ears.

The blister did no good; the child was often quite prostrate with pain,
probably neuralgia, but the doctor was a man of resource. The diary of
Mrs. Gilbert is instructive as to the treatment of such a case fifty
years ago. The entry "Gave Bessie two grains of calomel," begins in
August and is continued at short intervals throughout the month.
"Blisters behind the ears, to be kept open," are added to the calomel in
September. In October we have reached the more advanced stage of calomel
blisters, black draught (to be sipped, poor child), and leeches. The
treatment was continued, with additions, throughout November, and on the
21st of December Mrs. Gilbert makes the not very surprising entry,
"Bessie was worse this evening."

The parents were by this time alarmed; and the doctor acknowledged that
he could do no more. Casting about for help, they bethought them of the
physician whom they had seen in London some years previously, of his
tenderness and sympathy.

The rough draft of a letter written to him by Mrs. Gilbert still remains
to testify to the grave consideration given by the parents to the
adequate statement of the case, to their endeavour to recall it to his
mind and to their acknowledgment of his previous kindness and courtesy.
One point in their letter may be mentioned. "She is very fond of, and
has good talents for music," writes the mother, "but her pain is so much
increased by it that her music has had to be discontinued."

Poor little girl! No privation could be greater.

Of the answer sent by Dr. Farre there is no trace. But all drugs
disappear from the records, and there is an account of "veratrine
ointment," "a preparation of Hellebore known to Hippocrates," sent down
from London, and needing so much care in the application that the
Oxford doctor himself came every night to rub it on the child's brow.

Early in 1839 she had quite recovered not only from the headache but
from the effects of the remedies.

The music lessons were resumed, and before long she began the study of
the harp. A younger sister remembers sitting by her to teach the pieces
note by note. Bessie found it also very easy to play by ear and learnt
much in this way; but the harp was a difficult instrument, and the
management of it always fatigued her.

During her childhood, Cardinal, then the Rev. J. H. Newman was incumbent
of St. Mary's, the church close to the house in Hi