第79部分(第6/7 頁)

nwhile　the　problem　remains　as　pressing　as　ever　it　was。　Our　cities　are　still　crowded　with　hundreds　of　children　utterly　without　prospects；　except　such　as　are　afforded　by　the　hospital；　the　poorhouse；　and　the　gaol；　some　of　whom；　if　a　scheme　analogous　to　mine　had　been　adopted；　might　bee　healthy；　happy　and　prosperous　on　the　bountiful　land　of　Canada；　and　this　at　little　or　no　cost　to　the　Mother　Country　and　to　the　great　gain　of　the　Dominion。　On　the　other　hand；　the　emigration　agencies　are　still　busily　employed　in　picking　out　the　healthy　young　men　and　women　reared　and　educated　at　our　expense　from　the　already　depopulated　country　districts。　By　thousands　these　depart；　to　return　no　more；　leaving　the　land　of　their　birth　the　poorer　for　their　loss。　One　night　some　years　ago　I　addressed　five　or　six　hundred　of　them　in　the　board　room　of　Euston　Station；　while　they　were　waiting　for　a　special　train　to　Liverpool；　and　thought　the　sight　and　the　occasion　extremely　sad。　But　so　it　is；　and　so　I　suppose　it　will　go　on　—　the　devouring　cities　growing　more　and　more　bloated；　and　the　starved　land　being　more　and　more　empty。

Well；　I　tried　my　best　to　help　in　the　matter　and　failed。　Whether　the　fault　was　mine　or　that　of　others　I　must　leave　the　reader　to　judge　upon　the　evidence　before　him。

Chapter　22　ROYAL　MISSION　ON　COAST　EROSION　AND　AFFORESTATIO

Operation　in　Nursing　Home　—　“Ayesha”　—　H。　R。　H。　often　asked　which　he　thinks　best　passages　in　his　works　—　An　ansber　of　Royal　mission　on　Coast　Erosion　—　Lloyd　George　—　Afforestation　added　to　the　reference　—　Scheme　presented　to　Government　—　Dropped　—　King　Edward’s　funeral　—　H。　R。　H。　undertook　a　report　for　Salvation　Army　—　Regeneration　—　General　William　Booth　—　His　death　—　H。　R。　H。　wrote　pamphlet　for　Archbishop　Benson　—　“Rural　Denmark”　—　The　Development