第32部分(第5/7 頁)

　much　obliged　to　you　for　your　most　valuable　and　interesting　letter　of　June　6th；　which　contains　one　of　the　best　accounts　I　have　read　of　the　present　miserable　state　of　affairs　in　the　Transvaal。　I　have　done　my　best　to　make　the　truth　known　publicly　and　privately　and　have　not　yet　given　up　hopes　that　the　terrible　evils　of　England　forsaking　her　children　may　be　averted。　But　how　I　hardly　see。　At　present　Mr。　Gladstone　is　practically　supreme　in　such　matters；　and　his　one　idea　seems　to　be　to　reverse　all　that　has　been　done　hitherto　by　his　predecessors。　I　shall　be　very　glad　if　you　can　find　time　to　let　me　hear　from　you　from　time　to　time；　giving　your　own　observations　and　opinions　exactly　as　you　do　in　your　letter　of　June　6th。

There　is　a　very　strong　and　growing　feeling　of　dissatisfaction　with　the　way　in　which　Transvaal　affairs　have　been　mismanaged　by　the　present　Government；　and　the　expression　of　this　dissatisfaction　would　probably　have　been　far　stronger　had　not　the　Irish　Land　Bill　so　entirely　absorbed　public　attention　and　the　whole　time　of　Parliament。　Let　me　hear　also　about　yourself；　what　you　are　doing　and　how　you　are　prospering；　and

Believe　me；

Sincerely　yours；

H。　B。　E。　Frere。

The　next　letter　in　order　of　date　that　I　find　is　one　from　Sir　Theophilus　Shepstone；　headed　Pietermaritzburg；　June　16；　1881。

My　dear　Haggard；　—　One　of　the　little　Schwikkard　girls　wrote　me　the　news　of　the　advent　of　your　son　and　heir　the　morning　of　his　birth　and　told　me　of　the　well…being　of　both　mother　and　child；　so　that　she　prevented　any　anxiety　as　far　as　we　are　concerned　with　regard　to　this　important　event。　I　congratulate　you　most　heartily　and　wish　every　prosperity　to　all　concerned　in　this　little　life；　including　the　little　life　itself。　Fortunately　everything　that　is　born　in　a