第37部分(第3/7 頁)

Treasure　Island”　so　laudatory　that　I　procured　and　studied　that　work；　and　was　impelled　by　its　perusal　to　try　to　write　a　book　for　boys。

Outside　of　this　matter　of　my　attempts　at　fiction　I　have　little　to　add　as　to　our　life　at　Ditchingham　before　we　migrated　to　London　when　I　began　to　practise　at　the　Bar。　We　lived　very　quietly；　for　we　were　not　well　off；　and　an　estate　which　used　to　produce　sufficient　to　support　a　country　place　of　the　smaller　sort　and　those　who　dwelt　on　it；　began　to　show　greatly　lessened　returns。　The　bad　years　were　upon　us；　and　rents　fell　rapidly；　moreover　the　repairs　required　were　legion。　Also；　from　one　cause；　and　another；　little　or　nothing　came　out　of　the　African　property；　which　shared　in　the　depression　that　followed　on　the　giving　back　of　the　Transvaal。

Under　these　circumstances；　outside　members　of　my　own　family　our　visitors　were　few；　and　in　the　main　we　had　to　rely　on　ourselves　and　our　little　children　for　pany。　I　should　add　that　in　1884　another　daughter　was　born　to　us；　who　is　now　Mrs。　Cheyne。　She　was　named　Dorothy；　after　the　heroine　of　“The　Witch’s　Head；”　or　in　full；　Sybil　Dorothy　Rider。　My　recollection　of　this　period　is　that　it　was　rather　lonely；　at　any　rate　for　me；　since　my　friends　were　African；　and　Africa　was　far　away。　However；　I　worked　very　hard；　as　indeed　I　have　done　without　intermission　since　I　was　a　rather　idle　boy　at　school；　both　at　writing　and　the　study　of　the　Law。　Between　the　intervals　of　work　I　took　walks　with　a　dear　old　bulldog　I　had；　named　Caesar；　who　appears　in　“Dawn；”　and　a　tall　Kaffir　stick　made　of　the　black　and　white　umzimbeet　wood；　which　I　still　have；　that　reminded　me　of　Africa。　At　times；　too；　I　got　a　day’s　shooting　on　our　own　land　or　elsewhere。

However；　I　had　so　many　resources　in　my　own　mind；　and　so　much　more　to　do　than