the days of my life-第103章

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Downing　Street：　January　31；　1905。
Sir；　—　I　am　directed　by　Mr。　Secretary　Lyttelton　to　inform　you　that　he　has　nominated　you　to　be　a　missioner　to　proceed　to　the　United　States；　and　to　inspect　and　to　report　to　him　upon　the　conditions　and　character　of　the　Agricultural　and　Industrial　Settlements　which　have　been　established　there　by　the　Salvation　Army；　with　a　view　to　the　transmigration　of　suitable　persons　from　the　great　cities　of　the　United　States　to　the　land　and　the　formation　of　Agricultural　munities。
2。　It　appears　to　the　Secretary　of　State　that；　if　these　experiments　are　found　to　be　successful；　some　analogous　system　might　with　great　advantage　be　applied　in　transferring　the　urban　populations　of　the　United　Kingdom　to　different　parts　of　the　British　Empire。
3。　You　should　pay　special　attention　to　the　class　of　persons　taken　by　the　Salvation　Army；　their　training　and　success　as　agricultural　settlers；　and　the　general　effect　upon　character　and　social　happiness；　you　should　also　consider　the　financial　aspects　of　the　experiments。
4。　It　would　be　desirable　that；　after　you　have　inspected　the　several　Settlements；　you　should　proceed　to　Ottawa　and　discuss　the　subject　with　Lord　Grey；　who　has　taken　great　interest　in　it；　as　well　as　with　such　local　authorities　as　may　be　indicated　to　you　by　the　Governor…General　as　likely　to　aid　you　with　advice　and　assistance　as　to　the　application　of　the　system　in　a　British　Colony。
5。　The　Rhodes　Trustees；　with　whom　the　suggestion　of　the　Inquiry　originated；　and　by　whom　Mr。　Lyttelton　has　been　asked　to　nominate　a　missioner；　have　made　a　grant　of　300　pounds；　including　all　travel　expenses；　to　meet　the　cost　of　the　Inquiry。
I　am；　Sir；
Your　obedient　servant；
Fred。　Graham。
H。　Rider　Haggard；　Esq。
I　remember　that　when　I　went　to　see　the　Colonial　Secretary　to　receive　his　verbal　instructions　before　sailing；　by　some　accident　I　missed　the　right　entrance　to　the　Colonial　Office　and　finally　obtained　admission　through　a　little　back…door。　At　the　time　this　circumstance　struck　me　as　curiously　emblematic　of　my　position。　For　after　a　cessation　of　twenty…six　years　was　I　not　once　again　entering　the　official　service　of　my　country　through　a　back…door；　by　means　of　this　unexpected　mission　with　which　I　was　now　honoured？
I　inspected　the　Salvation　Army　colony　at　Hadleigh。　Also　I　had　a　long　interview　with　General　Booth；　and　in　due　course　I　arrived　at　New　York　acpanied　by　my　daughter　Angela；　who　acted　as　my　secretary。　Here　I　was　seized　upon　by　interviewers；　one　instance　of　which　I　must　record；　because　it　is　amusing。　In　the　Waldorf　Hotel　we　had　three　rooms　—　my　daughter’s；　my　own；　and　a　place　for　sitting。　About　two　o’clock　one　night　the　telephone　in　each　of　these　rooms　（every　room　in　an　American　hotel　has　a　telephone）　began　to　ring　furiously。　I　leapt　from　my　bed　and　tried　to　attend　to　two　of　them。　While　I　was　doing　so　my　poor　daughter　arrived　shivering　in　her　nightgown　（there　were　many　degrees　of　frost）；　exclaiming；　“Oh；　Dad；　do　e　here！　There　is　a　lunatic　on　the　telephone　who　says　he　wants　me　to　e　out　walking　in　the　streets。”
It　turned　out　that　some　enterprising　newspaper　was　distributing　food　to　the　New　York　poor；　and　thought　that　it　might　get　an　advertisement　by　our　presence　at　the　process。
After　this　the　young　lady　in　question　became　artful。　When　she　went　to　bed　she　took　the　receiver　off　the　telephone。　After　I　had　cut　my　foot　open　in　a　sudden　and　sleepy　midnight　rush　to　that　instrument；　so　did　I！
Having　paid　some　official　visits　we　went　to　Philadelphia；　where　I　inspected　the　vacant　lots　which　a　local　society　enabled　poor　people　to　cultivate。　Also　I　was　entertained　at　lunch　by　the　Franklin　Club；　a　society　of　gentlemen　connected　with　literature；　of　which　Dr。　Weir　Mitchell；　the　great　nerve　specialist；　was　the　venerated　president。　This　was　a　truly　delightful　meal；　and　one　of　which　I　shall　always　retain　most　grateful　recollections。
From　Philadelphia　I　proceeded　to　Washington；　where　I　lunched　with　the　late　Secretary　of　State；　Mr。　Hay；　a　most　refined　and　agreeable　man　who；　I　found；　was　a　friend　of　my　brother　William。　His　name　is　now　prominently　before　the　public　in　connection　with　the　Hay　Pauncefote　Treaty　re　the　Panama　Canal。　On　the　9th　of　March　the　Under…Secretary；　Mr。　Loomis；　took　us　to　see　the　President；　Mr。　Roosevelt；　who　was　then　celebrating　his　inauguration。　The　White　House　was　crowded　with　people　waiting　to　shake　hands　with　the　new　Chief　of　the　State；　amongst　whom　I　noted　a　band　of　Indian　chiefs；　men　with　long　black　hair；　copper…coloured　skins；　and　strongly　marked　features。　Mr。　Loomis　took　us　to　the　President’s　private　room；　a　double　chamber　connected　with　a　large　ante…room　by　folding　doors。　These　doors　stood　open；　and　beyond　them　were　gathered　a　number　of　gentlemen　awaiting　the　President。　I　take　it　that　they　were　the　Council　of　State　or　Cabi。
Then　the　President　appeared　and　shook　hands　with　us　warmly。　He　was；　and　indeed　still　is；30　a　short；　stout　man　with　a　fair；　fresh　plexion　and　rows　of　very　even　teeth；　which　he　shows　in　their　entirety　every　time　he　smiles。　In　manner　he　is　frank　and　earnest；　nor　does　he　mince　his　words　and　opinions。
29　Written　in　1912。　—　Ed。
First　he　waved　his　hand　towards　the　gentlemen　in　the　ante…room　and；　pointing　to　the　door；　beyond　which　the　crowds　through　which　we　had　passed　were　gathered；　said　that　there　I　beheld　the　aftermath　of　a　presidential　election　in　a　democratic　country。　Then　he　asked　me　my　views　upon　the　South　African　situation；　adding　that　he　was　himself　of　Dutch　descent。
I　gave　them；　and　he　expressed　his　hope　that　the　Boers　in　South　Africa；　with　whom　he　had　great　sympathy；　would　settle　down；　learn　English；　and　bee　a　dominant　factor　in　that　country　under　the　British　flag　and　rule。　He　added　that　he　had　expressed　these　views　strongly　to　those　of　their　leaders　who　had　visited　him　in　America；　which　shows　that　he；　at　least；　was　not　working　against　us　in　the　South　African　War。
Our　talk　next　turned　upon　matters　connected　with　the　land　and　with　the　absolute　necessity　of　keeping　the　population　on　the　soil　and　not　allowing　it　to　flock　into　the　cities。　I　found　that　his　views　and　mine　upon　this　point　were　identical；　as　he　recognised　the　inevitable　deterioration　of　the　race　which　must　ensue　if　the　land…dwellers　were　to　bee　city…dwellers。　He　spoke　also　on　the　subject　of　the　limitation　of　families；　and　instanced　the　case　of　the　French　Canadians　who；　in　some　districts；　were　crowding　out　the　British…born　folk　in　the　Dominion。　These　Frenchmen；　he　informed　me；　settle　upon　the　land　and　have　large　families；　whereas　the　English　Canadians　draw　to　the　cities。　Also　he　instanced　the　case　of　Australasia。　He　impressed　me　as　a　thoroughly　sound　and　reliable　man　—　one　whose　heart　was　in　the　right　place；　and　who　would　do　the　best　he　could　for　his　nation　during　the　time　it　was　in　his　care；　and　for　humanity　at　large。
A　few　days　later　my　daughter　and　I　were　entertained　at　luncheon　at　the　White　House；　to　which　we　went　straight　from　another　luncheon；　where　we　were　also　entertained　by　citizens　of　note　in　Washington。
It　was　a　most　amusing　meal。　Especially　do　I　recollect　Mr。　Roosevelt’s　ic　sketch　of　the　anticipated　details　of　a　forthing　meeting　between　himself　and　the　Swiss　Minister；　who　was　attending　at　the　White　House　to　present　his　credentials。
“He；”　he　said；　“will　stand　in　a　fine　uniform　and　read　a　lot　of　rot　to　me　in　French；　while　I　shall　stand　opposite　to　him　and　read　a　lot　of　rot　in　English。　And　that’s　what　they　call　the　high　ceremonies　of　diplomacy！”
“It　is　an　odd　thing；　Mr。　Haggard；”　he　said；　as　he　entered　the　private　drawing…room　after　luncheon；　“that　you　and　I；　brought　up　in　different　countries　and　following　such　different　pursuits；　should　have　identical　ideas　and　aims。　I　have　been　reading　your　book；　‘Rural　England；’　and　I　tell　you　that　what　you　think；　I　think；　and　what　you　want　to　do；　I　want　to　do。　We　are　one　man　in　the　matter”；　or　words　to　that　effect。
I　could　only　answer　that　I　was　extremely　glad　to　hear　it。
I　may　add　that　I　was　not　wrong　in　supposing　that　the　President　would　try　to　put　these　ideas　into　action；　as　indeed　is　shown　by　his　famous　Conservation　Act；　the　passing　of　which　he　subsequently　brought　about；　also　by　many　other　of　his　administrative　deeds。　Further；　should　he　ever　return　to　power　again；　I　am