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For it wholly has destroyed it。
Come； my mind is looking up。 The above is wholly impromptu。 … On
oath；
TUSITALA。
AUGUST 12； 1894
And here； Mr。 Barrie； is news with a vengeance。 Mother Hubbard's
dog is well again … what did I tell you？ Pleurisy； pneumonia； and
all that kind of truck is quite unavailing against a Scotchman who
can write … and not only that； but it appears the perfidious dog is
married。 This incident； so far as I remember； is omitted from the
original epic …
She went to the graveyard
To see him get him buried；
And when she came back
The Deil had got merried。
It now remains to inform you that I have taken what we call here
'German offence' at not receiving cards； and that the only
reparation I will accept is that Mrs。 Barrie shall incontinently
upon the receipt of this Take and Bring you to Vailima in order to
apologise and be pardoned for this offence。 The commentary of
Tamaitai upon the event was brief but pregnant： 'Well； it's a
comfort our guest…room is furnished for two。'
This letter； about nothing； has already endured too long。 I shall
just present the family to Mrs。 Barrie … Tamaitai； Tamaitai Matua；
Teuila； Palema； Loia； and with an extra low bow； Yours；
TUSITALA。
Letter： TO DR。 BAKEWELL
VAILIMA； AUGUST 7； 1894。
DEAR DR。 BAKEWELL； … I am not more than human。 I am more human
than is wholly convenient； and your anecdote was welcome。 What you
say about UNWILLING WORK； my dear sir； is a consideration always
present with me； and yet not easy to give its due weight to。 You
grow gradually into a certain income； without spending a penny
more； with the same sense of restriction as before when you
painfully scraped two hundred a year together； you find you have
spent； and you cannot well stop spending； a far larger sum； and
this expense can only be supported by a certain production。
However； I am off work this month； and occupy myself instead in
weeding my cacao； paper chases； and the like。 I may tell you； my
average of work in favourable circumstances is far greater than you
suppose： from six o'clock till eleven at latest； and often till
twelve； and again in the afternoon from two to four。 My hand is
quite destroyed； as you may perceive； to…day to a really unusual
extent。 I can sometimes write a decent fist still； but I have just
returned with my arms all stung from three hours' work in the
cacao。 … Yours； etc。；
R。 L。 S。
Letter： TO JAMES PAYN
VAILIMA； UPOLU； SAMOA ＇AUGUST 11； 1894＇。
MY DEAR JAMES PAYN； … I hear from Lang that you are unwell； and it
reminds me of two circumstances： First； that it is a very long
time since you had the exquisite pleasure of hearing from me； and
second； that I have been very often unwell myself； and sometimes
had to thank you for a grateful anodyne。
They are not good； the circumstances； to write an anodyne letter。
The hills and my house at less than （boom） a minute's interval
quake with thunder； and though I cannot hear that part of it；
shells are falling thick into the fort of Luatuanu'u （boom）。 It is
my friends of the CURACOA； the FALKE； and the BUSSARD bombarding
（after all these … boom … months） the rebels of Atua。 （Boom…boom。）
It is most distracting in itself； and the thought of the poor
devils in their fort （boom） with their bits of rifles far from
pleasant。 （Boom…boom。） You can see how quick it goes； and I'll
say no more about Mr。 Bow…wow； only you must understand the
perpetual accompaniment of this discomfortable sound； and make
allowances for the value of my copy。 It is odd； though； I can well
remember； when the Franco…Prussian war began； and I was in Eilean
Earraid； far enough from the sound of the loudest cannonade； I
could HEAR the shots fired； and I felt the pang in my breast of a
man struck。 It was sometimes so distressing； so instant； that I
lay in the heather on the top of the island； with my face hid；
kicking my heels for agony。 And now； when I can hear the actual
concussion of the air and hills； when I KNOW personally the people
who stand exposed to it； I am able to go on TANT BIEN QUE MAL with
a letter to James Payn！ The blessings of age； though mighty small；
are tangible。 I have heard a great deal of them since I came into
the world； and now that I begin to taste of them … Well！ But this
is one； that people do get cured of the excess of sensibility； and
I had as lief these people were shot at as myself … or almost； for
then I should have some of the fun； such as it is。
You are to conceive me； then； sitting in my little gallery room；
shaken by these continual spasms of cannon； and with my eye more or
less singly fixed on the imaginary figure of my dear James Payn。 I
try to see him in bed； no go。 I see him instead jumping up in his
room in Waterloo Place （where EX HYPOTHESI he is not）； sitting on
the table； drawing out a very black briar…root pipe； and beginning
to talk to a slim and ill…dressed visitor in a voice that is good
to hear and with a smile that is pleasant to see。 （After a little
more than half an hour； the voice that was ill to hear has ceased；
the cannonade is over。） And I am thinking how I can get an
answering smile wafted over so many leagues of land and water； and
can find no way。
I have always been a great visitor of the sick； and one of the sick
I visited was W。 E。 Henley； which did not make very tedious visits；
so I'll not get off much purgatory for them。 That was in the
Edinburgh Infirmary； the old one； the true one； with Georgius
Secundus standing and pointing his toe in a niche of the facade；
and a mighty fine building it was！ And I remember one winter's
afternoon； in that place of misery； that Henley and I chanced to
fall in talk about James Payn himself。 I am wishing you could have
heard that talk！ I think that would make you smile。 We had mixed
you up with John Payne； for one thing； and stood amazed at your
extraordinary； even painful； versatility； and for another； we found
ourselves each students so well prepared for examinations on the
novels of the real Mackay。 Perhaps； after all； this is worth
something in life … to have given so much pleasure to a pair so
different in every way as were Henley and I； and to be talked of
with so much interest by two such （beg pardon） clever lads！
The cheerful Lang has neglected to tell me what is the matter with
you； so； I'm sorry to say； I am cut off from all the customary
consolations。 I can't say； 'Think how much worse it would be if
you had a broken leg！' when you may have the crushing repartee up
your sleeve； 'But it is my leg that is broken。' This is a pity。
But there are consolations。 You are an Englishman （I believe）； you
are a man of letters； you have never been made C。B。； your hair was
not red； you have play