MEMOIR. xxi 
valuable life, difficult as it is to realize it, has been 
cut short; — Luke was drowned in the river yesterday, 
having gone alone, quite contrary to his custom, in a 
whiff. It seems that he was near half an hour in the 
water, and dead when taken out. This sad accident, 
coming so suddenly, must throw a damp over the 
feelings of many ; and if there is any gratitude 
amongst men, there must have been many a sigh 
for him last night. I heard the news before six 
o'clock, and it had reached Christ Church some time 
before, the accident having happened about four. 
You may imagine my horror when, on entering my 
rooms to put on my cap and gown for hall, I was 
met by my scout, and asked if I had heard that Mr. 
Luke was drowned. In an hour or two I should 
have been reading with him." 
And now enough may have perhaps been said 
to give some insight into Frank Oates's life at 
Oxford, and with one more quotation from his 
letters, this period of his history shall be closed. 
His first year at college an attack upon his chest 
in early spring had prevented his residence during 
the summer term at the University, and led to his 
spending as much of the succeeding winter as the 
Oxford terms admitted of in Italy, where he 
gathered many pleasant reminiscences. The follow- 
ing spring, too, he was late in coming up, owing to 
a return of his ailment during the Easter vacation, 
