_The Ladies' Association._--The valuable additions that have recently been made to the Asylum, thus largely increasing the accommodation for patients, have necessarily entailed a largely increased expenditure, which could not have been met by the current income, had not the ladies of East Anglia come forward with great earnestness to help the objects of this Asylum by individual and energetic efforts; and one of the most interesting events of the last few years has been the formation of a Ladies' Association, the establishment of which is entirely due to the earnest and devoted efforts of the Marchioness of Bristol. Its object is to disseminate information respecting the working of the Asylum, to secure admission for necessitous cases, and to organise and carry out annually house to house collections for its funds. H.R.H. the Princess of Wales has given her countenance to this movement by graciously accepting the office of Patroness, several influential ladies have consented to act as presidents over the various districts into which the four counties have been divided, and as many as 1,400 ladies are engaged in this philanthropic work. [Illustration: CROSSLEY HOUSE, CLACTON-ON-SEA.] The success attending this movement has been phenomenal. During the first year of its operation, the substantial sum of £1,868 6s. 10d. was handed over to the general fund, this amount having been obtained from upwards of 20,000 contributors, who had thus the opportunity of joining in this good work, and whose aid could not have been secured in any other way. The efforts of these charitable ladies have been crowned with such signal success, that the large sum of £9,473 5s. 9d. has been added to the funds of the Asylum.[53] This substantial help is very gratifying to the Directors of the Institution, who now rely upon the Ladies' Association for nearly a fourth part of their income; and it is not too much to say that the future success of the Asylum is intimately connected with the continuance of the efforts of these philanthropic ladies, who seem to me to be influenced by the noble sentiments lately expressed by one of their number, that "The simple obligation of all thoughtful women, is that of making the world within our reach the better for our being, and gladder for our human speech. It is a work such as this that I am sure stirs us up to feel that we must also give our help, our sympathy, our lives for other people, and in this work lies the elements of unselfishness."[54]