and equally an affliction to the recipient.  But you and I seldom write letters of this kind.  I do not think I ever before received a letter that moved me so deeply as did the letter you sent me just before I left Chicago.  I am not ashamed to admit that I like to know that I have your regard, but the whole tone of this letter was that of a kindly affection which was very comforting to me, and for which I shall always feel deeply grateful to you.  My health has improved much since I last wrote to you.  I am now feeling quite as I felt when I was in my original condition—­perhaps I should say my normal condition of original sin.  For a week past I have been confined to the house with a catarrhal cold, but aside from this temporary local ailment my health is vastly better.  I should be in the mood to return home at once were it not for a sense that being here I should further improve the opportunity to gather material that may be of value to me in my work when I get back into the rut again.

I have a very great desire to go to Norway and the Orkney Islands for a month in order to see those countries and their people, for I am much interested in North of Europe romance, and I am ambitious to write tales about the folk of those particular points.  I think it possible that I shall find a way to gratify this urgent desire before returning to America, although with the children at school I am hardly prepared just now to say what further sacrifice I shall be able to make in order to achieve my project.

The children are in school at Hanover.  Trotty is at the girls’ school of a Miss Julia Gensen, No. 1 Allee Strasse, and the three boys are with Prof.  C. Ruehle, No. 26 Heinrich Strasse.  I give the exact localities, for the reason that Mrs. Gray may kindly take the notion one of these days to write to the little exiles.  The children are healthy and happy; we have not seen them for nine weeks, but we hear from them every week, and we are assured that they are making desirable progress.  In her last letter Trotty says, with a naivete that is simply electric:  “Nobody would guess that the boys were your boys—­they are so gentlemanly!” Prof.  Ruehle is an old instructor of boys, and for several years he was a professor at Woolwich Academy....  Pinny is acquiring the German so rapidly that he is accounted quite a marvel by his instructor and his associates.  Melvin and Trotty are not so quick; they progress slowly, but Daisy seems to be doing admirably.  Hanover is a lovely city; I enjoyed my week there, and upon our way back to London Julia and I sojourned four days in Holland, to our great delight.

Here in London our life has been exceedingly quiet, but useful.  I have met a number of excellent people, and have received some social attention.  I have done considerable work, mostly in the way of verse.  I wish you would write to John F. Ballantyne, asking him to send you copies of the paper containing