God bless and prosper “Old Father” on the war-path and bring him home to his Queers and to you full of honour and glory and interesting experiences!

I know Mr. Anstruther—­he is charming.  I cannot say how I think it softens one’s fears if Richard’s strength were still a bit unequal to the strain—­to know that he has such a subaltern—­adjutant—­and C.R.E.  He could not have gone arm-in-arm with better comrades—­unless the Giant had been ready as sick-nurse in case of need!

But I do feel for you, dear—­you are very gallant.

I am not fit to write yet—­my head goes so—­but I will write you next week about Gordon Browne (a thousand thanks!) and see if I possibly could.  Thank you so much.

The drummer’s letter is charming.  I must copy the bit about tip-toe for Sir Evelyn Wood!  I got the enclosed from him—­also from Wady Halfa—­and I wanted you and R——­ to hear the weird drum-band drunkard tale! and see how he likes “Soldier’s Children.”

Can you kindly return it, dear?

Your most loving, J.H.E.

[In pencil.]

Where does R——­ sail from?

I see by to-day’s Times the others have sailed from Dartmouth.  My dear Marny—­can’t you and R——­ come here en route if only for a night?  It would be so nice!  It would be such a pleasure to Rex and me to Godspeed him—­and he would feel quite like Gladstone if he had an ovation at every stopping point on the Flying Dutchman!

TO COLONEL JELF.

November 18, 1884.

DEAR RICHARD,

I wish you could have paused here—­I wish that you were even likely to run through Taunton station in the Flying Dutchman, and that we could have run down to head a cheer for you!—­But Gravesend is handier for Marny.

She’s a real Briton—­and it is that “undaunted mettle” that does “compose” the sinews of “peace with honour” for a country as well as war!

Indeed I’m glad you have your chance—­or make a very respectable assumption of that virtus! and I take leave to be doubly glad that it is in a fine climate and with good shoulder to shoulder comrades.

Tell Marny, Colonel Y. B——­ in a letter about “Daddy Darwin” is very sympathetic.  Another “old standard”—­Jelf, he says—­is going, and “Mrs. J——­ puts a good face on it.”

What will the theatricals and the Institute do?—­

“Do without,” I suppose!  I am a lot better the last two days—­and struggled off to the town to-day to a missionary meeting!  It was a most unusually interesting one about the South American Missions.  I must tell Marny about it.—­However—­at some tea afterwards, I was “interviewed” by one or two people—­and one lady asked to introduce a “Major”—­whose name I did not catch—­as being so devoted to “Soldier’s Children.”  I created quite a sensation by saying that “Old Father” was ordered to Bechuanaland—­“Oh, how old are the Queers?  Are they really losing Old Father again so soon?”