the days of my life-第71章

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I　have　been　for　some　time　past　very　unwell；　and　two　months　ago　they　sent　me　down　here　for　change　of　air。　I　am　not　to　go　back　till　the　end　of　this　month　or　the　beginning　of　next。　Meanwhile　the　change　is　doing　me　great　good；　and　I　feel　better　and　stronger　than　I　have　felt　for　several　years。　I　had　begun　to　lose　a　great　deal　of　interest　in　passing　events；　and　felt　unable　to　enjoy　much　of　life；　but　all　this　has　now　changed　for　the　better；　I　am　glad　to　say。　。　。　。　If　ever　you　have　a　moment　to　spare　I　should　be　glad；　so　glad；　to　hear　how　the　friends　are　who　were　so　kind　to　me　at　your　good　old　father’s　house。　I　am　glad　you　had　an　opportunity　of　talking　to　old　Osborn。　He　is　expected　to　arrive　here　in　a　day　or　two；　and　I　shall　have　the　chance　of　hearing　from　him　all　about　you。　I　am　very　proud　of　my　Transvaal　colleagues；　every　one　of　them　has　distinguished　himself　in　one　way　or　another。　Captain　James　and　Fynney；　poor　fellows；　have；　as　the　Zulus　say；　“gone　beyond。”　I　always　feel　indebted　to　you　all　for　your　loyal　support　and　zealous　fellow…working　in　the　Transvaal。　This　mail　brought　me　with　your　letter　one　from　the　editor　of　Greater　Britain；　calling　my　attention　to　an　article　in　the　July　number　of　that　periodical　entitled　“Many　Lands；　One　People”　and　asking　my　views　upon　it。　I　shall　write　him　a　very　short　answer；　for　I　am　sorry　to　say　I　am　as　yet　unable　to　see　anything　practical　in　the　proposals　of　Imperial　Federation。　I　am　afraid　you　will　think　me　old…fashioned　and　heterodox；　but　I　cannot　as　yet　see　anything　stronger　than　the　bond　which　ties　the　members　of　a　family　together。　Love　to　you　both　from　yours　always　sincerely；
T。　Shepstone。
In　due　course　the　dedication　was　finished　and　sent。　Charles　Longman　always　thought　it　one　of　the　best　things　I　had　ever　written；　and；　when　I　told　him　the　other　day　that　I　was　engaged　upon　this　task；　he　especially　asked　me　to　insert　it　here。　Therefore　I　do　so。
DEDICATION
Sompseu：
For　I　will　call　you　by　the　name　that　for　fifty　years　has　been　honoured　by　every　tribe　between　the　Zambesi　and　Cape　Agulhas；　—　I　greet　you！
Sompseu；　my　father；　I　have　written　a　book　that　tells　of　men　and　matters　of　which　you　know　the　most　of　any　who　still　look　upon　the　light；　therefore；　I　set　your　name　within　that　book　and；　such　as　it　is；　I　offer　it　to　you。
If　you　knew　not　Chaka；　you　and　he　have　seen　the　same　suns　shine；　you　knew　his　brother　Panda　and　his　captains；　and　perhaps　even　that　very　Mopo　who　tells　this　tale；　his　servant；　who　slew　him　with　the　Princes。　You　have　seen　the　circle　of　the　witch…doctors　and　the　unconquerable　Zulu　impis　rushing　to　war；　you　have　crowned　their　kings　and　shared　their　counsels；　and　with　your　son’s　blood　you　have　expiated　a　statesman’s　error　and　a　general’s　fault。
Sompseu；　a　song　has　been　sung　in　my　ears　of　how　first　you　mastered　this　people　of　the　Zulu。　Is　it　not　true；　my　father；　that　for　long　hours　you　lay　silent　and　alone；　while　three　thousand　warriors　shouted　for　your　life？　And　when　they　grew　weary；　did　you　not　stand　and　say；　pointing　towards　the　ocean：　“Kill　me　if　you　wish；　men　of　Cetywayo；　but　I　tell　you　that　for　every　drop　of　my　blood　a　hundred　avengers　shall　rise　from　yonder　sea！”
Then；　so　it　was　told　me；　the　regiments　turned　staring　towards　the　Black　Water；　as　though　the　day　of　Ulundi　had　already　e　and　they　saw　the　white　slayers　creeping　across　the　plains。
Thus；　Sompseu；　your　name　became　great　among　the　people　of　the　Zulu；　as　already　it　was　great　among　many　another　tribe；　and　their　nobles　did　you　homage；　and　they　gave　you　the　Bayete；　the　royal　salute；　declaring　by　the　mouth　of　their　Council　that　in　you　dwelt　the　spirit　of　Chaka。
Many　years　have　gone　by　since　then；　and　now　you　are　old；　my　father。　It　is　many　years　even　since　I　was　a　boy；　and　followed　you　when　you　went　up　among　the　Boers　and　took　their　country　for　the　Queen。
Why　did　you　do　this；　my　father？　I　will　answer；　who　know　the　truth。　You　did　it　because；　had　it　not　been　done；　the　Zulus　would　have　stamped　out　the　Boers。　Were　not　Cetywayo’s　impis　gathered　against　the　land；　and　was　it　not　because　it　became　the　Queen’s　land　that　at　your　word　he　sent　them　murmuring　to　their　kraals？　To　save　bloodshed　you　annexed　the　country　beyond　the　Vaal。　Perhaps　it　had　been　better　to　leave　it；　since　“Death　chooses　for　himself；”　and　after　all　there　was　killing　—　of　our　own　people；　and　with　the　killing；　shame。　But　in　those　days　we　did　not　guess　what　we　should　live　to　see；　and　of　Majuba　we　thought　only　as　a　little　hill。
Enemies　have　borne　false　witness　against　you　on　this　matter；　Sompseu；　you　who　never　erred　except　through　over　kindness。　Yet　what　does　that　avail？　When　you　have　“gone　beyond”　it　will　be　forgotten；　since　the　sting　of　ingratitude　passes　and　lies　must　wither　like　the　winter　veldt。　Only　your　name　will　not　be　forgotten；　as　it　was　heard　in　life　so　it　shall　be　heard　in　story；　and　I　pray　that；　however　humbly；　mine　may　pass　down　with　it。　Chance　has　taken　me　by　another　path；　and　I　must　leave　the　ways　of　action　that　I　love　and　bury　myself　in　books；　but　the　old　days　and　friends　are　in　my　mind；　nor　while　I　have　memory　shall　I　forget　them　and　you。
Therefore；　though　it　be　for　the　last　time；　from　far　across　the　seas　I　speak　to　you；　and　lifting　my　hand　I　give　you　your　“Sibonga”18　and　that　royal　salute；　to　which；　now　that　its　kings　are　gone　and　the　“People　of　Heaven”　are　no　more　a　nation；　with　Her　Majesty　you　are　alone　entitled：
Bayete！　Baba；　Nkosi　ya　makosi！
Ngonyama！　Indhlovu　ai　pendulwa！
Wen’　o　wa　vela　wasi　pata！
Wen’　o　was　hlul’　izizwe　zonke　za　patwa　nguive！
Wa　geina　nge　la　Mabun’　o　wa　ba　hlul’　u　yedwa！
Umsizi　we　zintandane　e　zihlupekayo！
Si　ya　kuleka　Baba！
Bayete；　T’Sompseu！19
and　farewell！
H。　Rider　Haggard。
To　Sir　Theophilus　Shepstone；　K。C。M。G。；　Natal。
13th　September　1891。
18　Titles　of　praise。
19　Bayete；　Father；　Chief　of　Chiefs！
Lion！　Elephant　that　is　not　turned！
You　who　nursed　us　from　of　old！
You　who　overshadowed　all　peoples　and　took　charge　of　them；
And　ended　by　mastering　the　Boers　with　your　single　strength！
Help　of　the　fatherless　when　in　trouble！
Salutation　to　you；　Father！
Bayete；　O　Sompseu！
Here　is　the　touching　letter　in　which　Sir　Theophilus　acknowledges　it。　It　is　bound　up　with　the　manuscript　of　“Nada；”　and　is　the　last　that　I　ever　received　from　him；　for　he　died　during　the　following　year。
Durban；　Natal：　July　13；　1892。
My　dear　Haggard；　—　Your　gift　reached　me　when　I　was　very　seedy　and　unable　to　do　much　in　the　writing　way。　I　have　e　down　here　for　change　from　the　cold　of　Maritzburg；　and　am　much　better。
I　need　not　say　how　gratifying　to　me　that　gift　was；　nor　how　deeply　touching　to　me　the　kind　words　of　the　Dedication　were。　Indeed　you　give　far　more　credit　than　I　am　entitled　to。　Your　kindly　expressions；　however；　vividly　brought　to　mind　a　whole　chapter　of　the　pleasant　past　between　us；　the　exact　counterpart　of　which　will；　I　suppose；　never　occur　to　any　other　two。　I　feel　extremely　grateful　to　you　for　your　affectionate　remembrances；　and　for　your　plucky　avowal　of　them；　for　I　do　not　think　that　at　present　it　is　fashionable　to　look　either　upon　myself　or　my　work　with　much　approval。
I　cannot；　however；　help　thinking　that　if　some　of　my　views　and　advice　had　been　acted　on　we　should　have　avoided　both　the　national　disaster　and　disgrace　that　took　place　after　the　“pleasant　past”　that　you　and　I　spent　together　in　the　Transvaal。
The　Boers　did　not　really　want　to　fight；　and　we　are　always　pusillanimous　enough　before　we　make　up　our　minds　to　begin；　so　we　did　not　want　to　fight　either；　but　it　appears　that　the　Home　Government　did　want　to　undo　the　annexation。　Nothing　could　have　been　done　more　easily；　or　have　looked　more　gracious　to　those　concerned。　Why　not　have　plainly　told　me　their　wish　and　authorised　me　to　carry　it　out？　We　should　have　parted　with　embraces　and　the　best　of　mutual　good　feeling；　as　it　is　we　have　earned　the　contempt　as　well　as　the　hatred　of　the　Boers；　and　very　much　puzzled　the　native　races；　who　from　considering　us　their　staunchest　and　most　powerful　protectors　have　e　to　look　upon　us　as　the　most　unreliable　of　friends。　And　very　good　cause　they　have　for　their　change　of　view：　look　at　the　last　twelve　or　fourteen　years’　history　of　Zululand。　But　I　did　not　want　to　go　into　polemics。　As　the　Zulus　would　say；　it　is　only　my　way　of　think