1890 LAST DAYS AT GEANIES 265 



Geanies : October 31. 



I will not disappoint you about the sonnet, which 

 you expect to be in the vein of ' Weltschmerz,' and 

 therefore send you the first of the series which I wrote 

 in the small hours, after reading your favourite Psalm. ^ 

 There was only one verse that remained appropriate 

 to me, so I took it as a text. 



The principal thing that has happened to-day is 

 my having seen on the shore a sea otter. It was 

 lying on a rock, and I came upon it at such close 

 quarters I could have hit it with a stone. But it 

 was so quick that I had not even time to fire my 

 gun. 



I may return the compliment as to letters. I 

 did not intend to send the sonnet even to you when 

 I wrote it, but afterwards thought I ought to have 

 no secrets. 



Fritz ^ and Ernest came out shooting. I am all 

 right as to hitting ; ^ and my head is perfectly well. 

 Jack* has been very Jackish. I told him we 

 were all going to leave Geanies. He said, ' Geanies 

 belongs to us.' I answered, ' No, it belongs to the 

 Murrays.' ' Part of it belongs to me,' he continued. 

 ' How is that ? ' said I. ' Because I was born here.' 

 What would Victor Horsley say to this for early 

 appreciation of rights conferred by birth ? 



Ernest and Gerald are very happy. I allow them 

 to play with the fire when they are with me, and 

 this I find to be very popular. 



' Psalm xxvii. " A pet name for his daughter. 



' He had sHpped on the rocks and hurt his arm. 

 * His third son. 



