the days of my life

第82部分 (第3/7頁)

n　November　of　the　same　year：

I　must　give　you　my　cordial　thanks　—　in　the　name　of　all　interested　—　and　they　are　Legion　—　for　your　admirable　and　telling　paper。　It　is　presumptuous　in　me　to　use　epithets。　。　。　。　We　are　all　very　grateful　to　you。

I　never　spoke　to　Archbishop　Benson；　although　I　often　saw　him　at　the　Athenaeum。　Indeed　one　night　we　dined　next　to　each　other　at　separate　tables　and　alone。　I　remember　that　I　was　tempted　to　address　him；　for　he　did　not　know　me　by　face；　but；　remembering　that　busy　men　seldom　like　to　be　troubled　at　their　rest　by　strangers；　I　refrained。　So　the　opportunity　went　by；　for　which　I　am　sorry；　as　I　should　have　liked　to　make　the　personal　acquaintance　of　this　good　and　very　earnest　prelate。

I　have　always　thought　that　he　was　most　happy　in　the　manner　of　his　death；　which　took　place　suddenly　while　he　was　at　prayer。　Such　would　be　the　end　that　I　should　choose；　if　choice　lay　within　our　power。

Another　task　that　I　undertook　in　the　intervals　of　my　Royal　mission　was　an　agricultural　investigation　which　resulted　in　my　book　“Rural　Denmark；”　whereof　a　new　edition　is　just　about　to　appear。　What　I　saw　in　that　country　was　to　me　little　less　than　a　revelation；　but　I　need　not　dwell　on　it　in　these　pages。　Here　I　found　the　answer　to　the　problem　which　had　puzzled　me　for　so　many　years　—　namely；　how　agriculture　could　be　made　to　pay　in　a　Free　Trade　country　with　an　indifferent　climate。　That　answer　undoubtedly　is：　By　means　of　medium　or　small　holdings；　for　the　most　part　owned　and　not　rented；　aided　by　universal　co…operation；　which　will　only　flourish　in　the　absence　of　too　many　large　farmers；　and　by　a　system　akin　to　that　which　is　known　as　credit…banks。　Thus　supported；　the　soil　of　Denmark；　which　is　on　the　whole　poorer　than　our　own　and　afflicted　with　an　even　worse