the days of my life-第87章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


p　will　agree　with　me　that　a　British　population　is　desirable　in　that　country。
Believe　me；
Very　truly　yours；
H。　Rider　Haggard。
The　Earl　of　Rosebery；　K。G。；　etc。　etc。
As　a　result　of　this　letter　I　had　a　long　interview　with　Lord　Rosebery　in　the　course　of　which　we　discussed　the　whole　matter　in　detail。　It　was　the　only　occasion　upon　which　I　have　ever　met　this　remarkable　personage。　As　he　wandered　up　and　down　his　library　and　talked　of　this　and　that；　he　impressed　me　as　a　melancholy　and　disappointed　man　—　one　who；　in　a　sense；　felt　that　he　had　failed；　notwithstanding　his　brilliant　gifts　and　great　opportunities。　His　fine　nature　peeped　out　in　every　sentence　that　he　uttered；　also　his　disillusionment。　I　suggested　that　he　should　move　in　this　matter　in　the　House　of　Lords；　but　he　did　not　bring　the　matter　up　there；　as　a　Departmental　mittee　was　appointed。
Truly　the　appointment　of　that　mittee　was　wise　from　the　point　of　view　of　those　who　wished　to　put　an　end　to　further　agitation　on　the　subject。
I　also　received　the　following　letters　from　Earl　Grey：
Toronto：　May　20；　1905。
My　dear　Rider　Haggard；　—　I　am　delighted　to　get　your　letter　which　encourages　me　to　hope　that　the　Colonial　Office　is　in　earnest　in　this　matter。　As　you　know；　I　agree　entirely　with　you　that　there　is　no　time　to　lose　—　Roosevelt　will　be　glad　to　blanket　our　sails　if　we　give　him　an　opportunity。　My　impression　is　that　if　the　Home　Government　were　to　refer　your　Report　to　the　Canadian　Government　with　a　request　for　an　expression　of　their　opinion　as　to　the　practicability　of　your　remendations　que　Canada　and　ask　for　a　statement　of　what　they　will　do　in　the　matter；　it　would　provide　just　the　stimulus　required　to　enable　the　Dominion　Government　to　do　something　this　Session。
The　Department　of　the　Interior；　with　whom　the　initiation　of　action　rests；　has　been　necessarily　handicapped　by　a　change　of　Minister　and　the　election　at　Edmonton。　The　new　Minister　has　hardly　had　time　to　get　himself　fairly　into　the　saddle。　My　impression　is　that　the　Government　here；　if　properly　approached；　will　follow　Fielding’s　lead　—　this　of　course　quite　private　to　yourself。
Yours　sincerely；
Grey。
So　far　as　I　am　aware；　the　Home　Government　never　“approached”　that　of　Canada　in　the　matter。
Cascapedia　Club；　Grand　Cascapedia；
Quebec；　Canada：　July　4；　1905。
My　dear　Rider　Haggard；　—　Your　report　has　just　reached　me　on　the　banks　of　the　Cascapedia；　and　I　hasten　to　acknowledge　its　receipt。
The　life　here　is　not　conducive　to　writing；　so　I　will　not　try　to　say　much。
I　fear　the　Canadian　Par（t）　which　is　now　preparing　itself　for　Prorogation；　will　not　be　able　to　consider　the　question　seriously　this　Session　—　but　I　will　write　to　Fielding　on　the　subject。
I　do　not　notice　in　the　Blue　Book　Mark　Hanna’s　Bill；　and　I　regret　its　absence；　as　it　gives　a　lead　and　shows　the　way。
I　hope　the　British　Public　will　be　able　to　seize　the　salient　points。　If　they　can　by　the　aid　of　the　Press　be　persuaded　to　assimilate　them　something　ought　to　result　from　your　visit　to　the　States。
Forgive　more　at　present。
Yours　very　truly；
Grey。
I　received　many　letters　from　Mr。　Bramwell　Booth；　the　present　General　of　the　Salvation　Army；　of　which　I　will　quote　one。
Tonbridge：　August　3；　1906。
Dear　Mr。　Haggard；　—　The　General　desires　me　to　thank　you　for　your　note　and　telegram；　both　sent　on　to　him。　We　are　travelling。　He　desires　me　to　express　to　you　at　once　in　this　informal　way　his　high　sense　of　the　important　service　you　have　rendered　to　the　munity　by　your　investigations　in　the　U。S。　and　in　Canada；　and　to　say　that　he　has　read　y（r）　Report　with　the　greatest　interest。　No　doubt　he　will　have　the　opportunity　of　saying　all　this　and　more　to　you　before　very　long。
The　General　feels　much　disappointed　by　the　inaction　of　the　Government；　and　does　not　quite　understand　the　line　they　take。　If；　as　you　suggest；　they　wish　to　dispense　with　the　service　of　voluntary　agencies　it　appears　to　him　that　they　potent　in　this　matter。　At　the　same　time　he　sees　great　difficulty　in　arranging　any　bined　action　with　other　organisations　such　as　you　name；　seeing　that；　so　far　as　we　know；　there　are　no　English　Societies　having　any　experience　worth　talking　of；　with　whom　we　could　bine。　And　as　you　know　nothing　is　more　futile；　or　more　dangerous；　than　advising　people　to　advance　money　on　purely　speculative　proposals。
I　have　asked　Booth…Tucker　to　send　you　a　copy　of　the　letter　from　Bernard　Holland　from　which　it　appears　that　the　mittee　desire　us　to　give　evidence　to　prove　that　men　taken　from　our　cities　will　settle　successfully　in　the　prairie　of　Canada！　Now　we　shall　be　very　reluctant　to　attempt　such　proof；　even　if　we　may　feel　strongly　that　the　work　could　be　done。　It　seems　to　us　scarcely　reasonable。　Moreover　evidence　w（d）　have　to　be　sought　in　Canada；　and　considerable　expense　w（d）　be　incurred。　It　w（d）　appear　that　in　some　way　there　is　a　wish　to　set　up　y（r）　Report　in　order　to　shoot　at　it！　That　is　hardly　what　you；　or　we；　were　led　to　expect。　However；　I　expect　to　be　in　Town　on　Friday　and　will　consider　what　can　be　done。　The　matter　is　so　important　that　we　must　not　unduly　hurry　it。
My　own　feeling　is　that　Gov（t）　has　already　ceased　any　serious　intention　in　this　matter　—　they　are　practically　in　a　state　of　suspended　animation。
I　must　see　you。　The　General　does　not　expect　to　be　in　London　until　the　end　of　this　motor　campaign　—　Sept。　9th。
Very　f’fully；
W。　Bramwell　Booth。
H。　Rider　Haggard；　Esq。
There　is　a　mass　of　further　documentary　evidence　on　this　question；　but　probably　the　above　examples　will　suffice　to　explain　everything　with　sufficient　clearness。　Such　letters　are　valuable　records　which　cannot　alter　or　gloze　the　truth。　I　have　only　to　add　that　old　General　Booth　was　personally　very　indignant　about　the　treatment　which　my　Report　received　—　so　indignant　that　he　refused　to　appear　to　give　evidence　before　the　mittee。　Indeed　his　people　would　not　allow　him　to　do　so；　because　they　said　they　were　sure　that　he　would　lose　his　temper。　More　than　once　he　declared　to　me　in　his　fierce　way　that；　from　knowledge　in　his　possession；　he　was　well　aware　that　the　appointment　of　this　mittee　was　“a　put…up　job。”　He　and　the　late　Mr。　Wilson…Fox　used　to　travel　up　to　town　together　in　the　mornings；　and　I　imagine　that　from　him　he　extracted　a　good　deal　of　information。　Also　he　had　other　means　of　getting　at　the　truth；　for　the　Salvation　Army　has　many　friends　in　high　places　and　among　the　various　parties。
That　is　all　I　have　to　say　about　this　fiasco。　My　Report　was　destroyed；　the　divided　remendations　of　the　Departmental　mittee；　such　as　they　were；　were　never　acted　on：　in　short；　all　came　to　nothing。　Meanwhile　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　Board　—　Notes　of　interview　with　Lloyd　George　—　Knighthood　conferred　—　Offered　seat　on　Dominions　Royal　mission　—　Egypt　Again　—　“Marie”　—　Dedicated　to　Sir　Henry　Bulwer　—　End　of　Chronicle　of　H。　R。　H。
In　the　intervals　of　all　this　mission　business　I　retired　for　a　month　or　five　weeks　into　a　nursing　home　to　undergo　an　operation　which　the　effects　of　my　long　journey　made　necessary。
Never　shall　I　forget　that　place！　—　the　lodging…house…like　little　drawing…room　where　patients　were　received；　and　where　I　had　to　wait　in　my　dressing…gown　while　my　room　was　made　ready　for　the　operation；　the　dreadful　noise　caused　by　the　carriages　of　theatre…goers　returning　home　at　night　or　by　the　rattle　of　the　mail…carts　over　the　stone…paved　road；　the　continual　operations；　the　occasional　rush　of　the　nurses　when　it　was　announced　that　a　patient　was　passing　away；　and　so　forth。
I　had　never　taken　a　major　anaesthetic　before；　and　I　must　say　I　did　not　find　the　process　pleasant。　I　can　still　see　the　face　of　my　friend　Dr。　Lyne　Stivens；　and　the　jovial；　rubicund　countenance　of　the　late　Professor　Rose；　bending　over　me　as　through　a　mist；　both　grown　so　strangely　solemn；　and　feel　the　grip　of　my　hand　tightening　upon　that　of　the　nurse　which　afterwards　it　proved　almost　impossible　to　free。
Then　came　the　whirling　pit　and　the　blackness。　I　suppose　that　it　was　like　death；　only　I　hope　that　death　is　not　quite　so　dark！
From　this　blackness　I　awoke　in　a　state　of　utter　intoxication　to　find　the　nurses　of　the　establishment　gathered　round　me　with　sheets　of　paper　and　the　familiar；　hateful　autograph　books　in　which；　even　in　that　place　and　hour；　they　insisted　I　should　write。　Heaven　knows　what　I　set　down　therein：　I　imagine　they　must　have　been　foolish　words；　which　mayhap　one　day　will　be　brought　up　against　me。
Another　question：　Why　cannot　the　public　authorities　establish　really　suitable　nursing　homes　for　paying　patients？　This　would　be　a　great　boon　to　thousands；　and；　I　should　imagine；