CONCLUSION. 335 



to walk a short distance. So that to pass next 

 winter in warmth seems almost like life, besides 

 the great possibility of complete recovery. 

 There would be also the pleasure of the sights 

 and scenes of Algiers or South Africa. In 

 short, it has been a very great temptation, and 

 I am sure it was most kind of you to think of 

 me. But the Eoyal Literary Fund is a thing 

 to accept aid from which humiliates the re- 

 cipient past all bounds ; it is worse than the 

 workhouse. If long illness ultimately drove 

 me to the workhouse, I should feel no disgrace, 

 having done my utmost to fight with diffi- 

 culties. Everyone has a right to that last 

 relief. If this fund were maintained by press- 

 men, authors, journalists, editors, publishers, 

 newspaper proprietors, and so on, that would 

 be quite another matter. There would be no 

 humiliation rather the contrary and in time 

 one might subscribe some day and help some- 

 one else. It is no such thing. It is kept up 

 by dukes and marquises, lords and titled 

 people, with a Prince at their head, and a 

 vast quantity of trumpet-blowing, in order 

 that these people may say they are patrons 



