MAIFONI 261 



organising some little party or picnic for their pleasure. 

 The little yrima donna, Ina Milne, about fourteen years 

 of age, had a most wonderful album in which she was 

 collecting signatures, sketches, and verses from all her 

 friends, British and Boer ahke. The interesting collection 

 contained such famous names as Roberts and Kitchener, 

 and many Boer leaders also, among them, I believe, 

 De Wet. My brother, who had a pretty knack for writing 

 verse, inscribed the following anagram, writing the first 

 letter of each line in decorative character, suggesting 

 Chinese. 



" If I write like the people of China 



Now, I'll fill the whole length of this page 



Attempting to name and define a 



Most brilliant star of the stage. 



If their methods are better than mine are, 



Leastways it's as clear as the sun 



Not more than three letters spell INA, 



Even less in the symbol 'Al.'" 



But I had not these lines in mind when I commenced to speak 

 of the company of little friends. Rather, I was thinking of 

 the occasion at the end of the war, when they had a farewell 

 party at Durban on the eve of his departure for England 

 and theirs for iVustralia. I know he felt the parting very 

 much and once more he wrote in his little friend's book a 

 few Unes, with which I will conclude this brief note on his 

 personality. 



" My children, if before Life's curtain falls 

 You'd all engage to join the Heavenly choir, 

 I'd turn a leaf and book eternal stalls 

 And save me from the pit of endless fire." 



