17th May.... Saw Sir W. Reid, heard from him that a brush, with the Repository stamp, is left in the Museum at Malta; was very glad of this. Received from him L5. Heard he had seen Lord Cranbourne, and that Lord C. thought I was wrong in using and teaching T. M. L. system. I talked to Sir W. Reid of the different systems, also asked him for the names of books upon the blind mentioned to him by Lord C. Wrote to Lady Mayne to ask if she could get St. Michael's, Pimlico, lent. Afternoon.--Went to Miss ----. Very little done there for the Association. Saw Dr. Jelf there; heard he would come to the meeting next day. The list of letters written and embossed and duly recorded in the Journal will be omitted. They are the inevitable drudgery of such a work as she was now engaged in. Explanations, petitions, acknowledgments, inquiries, information, requests for the loan of pulpits from which the claims of the Association may be urged, of schoolrooms in which meetings can be held, all these things were part of her daily work. The sisters tell that Bessie could at this time emboss a letter upon her Foucault frame and dictate two others at the same time; always without mistake or omission. On the 18th May 1858 the Annual Association Meeting was held, and the First Annual Report presented. We learn from the balance-sheet that the receipts during this, the first year of accurate and formal management, had been L1784:3:11. Of this, subscriptions and donations amounted to L648 1 2 Balance in hand 25th April 1857 215 9 3 Sale of goods, etc. 920 13 6 ----------- L1784 3 11 There was a balance in hand at the end of the year of L118:15:1. The number of blind men and women who had been employed during the year at the Institution, or in their own homes, was forty-three. The sum required for payment of rent, officials, teachers, and supplementary wages to the blind, amounted to L744:10:4. The annual subscription paid by Bessie was at this time L75, and in addition there is a donation of L10 for broom-making, and L2 for advertising. But the sum that appears in the subscription list is only the smallest part of that which she devoted to the service of the blind. Her private charity amongst them was at all times far-reaching and unstinted. She had many pensioners in London, and pleasant stories of them abound. There was a poor blind woman called Mary H., elderly and very lonely, whose wonderful trust and patience called forth Bessie's admiration. She ultimately procured the placing of Mary's name on the list of recipients of the Queen's Gate Money, she taught her to read, and allowed her monthly a certain quantity of tea and sugar. One day when she came for her reading lesson Mary said: