nd intercourse. Well, this is not exactly what I
meant to say, but it may do on the principle of "a word to the
wise." They tell me too you want L15, so here is my cheque for L15
and Archdeacon Mackenzie's, also on Coutts's, for L20. He says only
it is a donation for your Institution in Euston Road. H. told me
you have a notion he gave it for some specified purpose, the West
End, for instance, but he says nothing of the kind. The cheques are
each of them payable just as they are on being presented at
Coutts's. I have acknowledged the L20 to the Archdeacon. Those at
home do doubtless give you the chitchat news.... I suppose some one
will write besides me, so I only add that I am, my dearest Bessie,
yr. ever affectionate father, A. T. CICESTR.

In the early part of 1860 Miss Bathurst wrote to congratulate Bessie on
a "noble donation," coming "doubtless in answer to the law that they
that seek shall find," and the donation has a pleasant history.

One day when Bessie was in Queen Anne Street a servant told her that a
lady wished to see Miss Gilbert. She went downstairs accompanied, as
usual, by her maid, and on entering the room found one whom she
discovered by her voice to be a very old lady, whose first words were:

"My dear, I am very tired; send your maid for a glass of sherry."

This was done, and when she had finished the sherry the old lady said:

"My dear, I bring a contribution for your work. You see my relations
have kept me a long time from having the control of my money, and now I
am determined they shall never get a penny of it."

Then she turned to the maid who had brought the sherry: "Young woman,"
she said, "count these notes."

They were carefully wrapped in newspaper, ten notes for L50 each, and
every note in its own piece of newspaper. They were duly counted and
passed to Bessie. "You will acknowledge them, my dear," said the old
lady, "in the _Times_ and under initials."

And that was all. No more was ever heard of her, and there was no clue
to her identity.

Singularly enough there was a second donation of L500, also from a lady,
in October of the same year. The first announcement of it came from
Levy, who writes from 127 Euston Road.

_17th October 1860._

DEAR MADAM--In speaking finances yesterday I said that we could do
nothing more than we had done unless God sent us a