432 DAVID LIVINGSTONE. [chap. xxi. 



challenged his truthfulness ; some of the newspapers 

 affected to treat his whole story as a myth. Stanley says 

 frankly that this reception gave a tone of bitterness to 

 his book — How I Found Livingstone — which it would not 

 have had if he had understood the real state of things. 

 But the heart of the nation was sound ; the people be- 

 lieved in Stanley, and appreciated his service. At last 

 the mists cleared away, and England acknowledged its 

 debt to the American. The Geographical Society gave 

 him the right hand of fellowship "with a warmth and 

 generosity never to be forgotten." The President apolo- 

 gised for the words of suspicion he had previously used. 

 Her Majesty the Queen presented Stanley with a special 

 token of her regard. Unhappily, in the earlier stages of 

 the affair, wounds had been inflicted which are not likely 

 ever to be wholly healed. Words were spoken on both 

 sides which cannot be recalled. But the great fact 

 remains, and will be written on the page of history, that 

 Stanley did a noble service to Livingstone, earning 

 thereby the gratitude of England and of the civilised 

 world. 



