the days of my life

第27部分 (第4/7頁)

hrist　in　God。”　—　H。　R。　H。＇。　I　should　be　delighted　to　see　you　again　if　you　are　able　to　e　here；　I　have　often　wished　to　hear　of　our　mutual　friends。　Of　you；　of　course；　I　have　heard；　and　perused　somee　since　you　were　here；　it　is　startling　to　find　that　we　are　ten　years　older。　。　。　。　I　hope　Mrs。　R。　H。　not　only　lives　but　is　well　and　happy。　Please　give　her　my　kind　regards。

Always　your　sincere　friend；

Brother　Basil。

Both　this　letter　and　the　one　which　remains　are　written　in　a　somewhat　different　handwriting　to　those　already　quoted。　It　is　more　careful　and　less　natural。

The　last　letter；　dated　September　10；　1891；　deals　with　the　death　of　my　son；　of　which　I　had　written　to　Brother　Basil。　I　think；　too；　that　I　had　sent　him　a　copy　of　“Allan　Quatermain；”　which　was　dedicated　to　the　boy　and；　after　his　death；　contained　his　portrait。　Here　is　the　portion　of　the　letter　that　is　essential。

You　wrote　to　me　when　you　came　back　from　Africa；　so　I　have　had　your　son　in　mind　when　I　have　thought　of　you。　The　idea　of　you　as　paterfamilias　seemed　very　amusing。　So　now　there　is　an　end　of　hopes。　Of　course　your　loss　is　irreparable；　even　if　you　had　another　son　he　would　not　be　the　same。　Judging　from　his　picture　he　must　have　been　a　very　nice　fellow。　I　am　afraid　that　in　the　reality　of　sorrow　you　have　felt　the　“great　breast　of　Nature”　rather　too　hard　to　give　rest。　What　a　curious　irony　that　that　introduction　should　have　followed　that　dedication。　＇The　quotation　here　and　the　subsequent　remark　referred　to　the　Introduction　to　“Allan　Quatermain；”　in　which　he　laments　the　death　of　his　only　son。　—　H。　R。　H。＇

Looking　at　matters　from　their　point　of　view　I　don’t　regret　much　the　death　of　children。　They　have　been　rightly　baptised；　and　they　are　not　old　enough　to　stand　in　crying　need　of　other　sacra