258 MY LIFE [Chap. 



the rug to talk to Mrs. Cox. Afterwards I had a long con- 

 versation with him on all the subjects that interested us most, 

 and was delighted with his geniality no less than with his 

 intense human sympathy, especially in the case of the cruelly 

 disinherited Highlanders. 



Although I had for many years been a great admirer of 

 Charles Mackay's Songs and Poems, and that I was quite 

 near him while we lived at Dorking, from August, 1876, to 

 March, 1878, I did not make his acquaintance till some years 

 afterwards, as, owing to my constitutional shyness, I do not 

 think I ever made the first overtures to any man, or even 

 called upon any one without some previous correspondence 

 or introduction. But several years later I sent him a copy 

 of my " Land Nationalization " (I think probably on the 

 suggestion of some one who knew him), with a letter begging 

 his acceptance of it. This brought me three letters in rapid 

 succession — one acknowledging it, saying he had been very 

 ill for six months, but adding that he had been an adherent 

 of our cause for forty years, and referring me to his poem, 

 " Lament of Cona for the Unpeopling of the Highlands." 

 Five days later he wrote again, saying — 



" I have read every line of your admirable volume on 

 * Land Nationalization ' with the greatest interest and profit. 

 I agree with every one of your arguments, which are all 

 incontrovertible, and not only lucidly, but triumphantly 

 placed before the reader. They must convince and make 

 converts of every unprejudiced person who will attentively 

 study them with the sole view of arriving at the truth." He 

 then refers to his own writings in the same direction of forty 

 years before, naming " The Cry of the People " — and there 

 are many others — concluding, " I am afraid that age and ill- 

 health will not allow me to labour much further in the cause ; 

 but what I can do, I will do. If my name is of any use to 

 your society, you are free to it. 



" Believe me, with the highest esteem and regard, 

 " Yours most cordially, 



"Charles Mackay." 



