282 



MY LIFE 



[Chap. 



with him when he was taken ill, and did all he could in getting 

 medical assistance and helping to nurse him. But just when 

 my brother was at his worst, two days before his death, he 

 was himself attacked with the same disease, which rendered 

 him absolutely helpless for ten days, though, being of a 

 stronger and more hardened constitution, he finally recovered. 

 Mr. Miller, the Vice-consul, with whom I and Bates had stayed 

 when we arrived at Para, was with my brother when he died. 

 This gentleman had severe brain-fever not long afterwards, 

 and also died ; but he told Mr. Bates that a few hours before 

 my brother's death he had said that " it was sad to die so 

 young." In one of his last letters home he had spoken quite 

 cheerfully, saying, " When I arrive in England I have my 

 plans, which I can better tell than write." And then referring 

 to his brother John's emigration to California, and some idea 

 that he, Herbert, might go there too, he says, " I do not like 

 the Californian scheme for many reasons. I should like to 

 have seen John's first letter. No doubt he is sure to get on. I 

 wish I was a little less poetical ; but, as I am what I am, I must 

 try and do the best for myself I can." I rather think he had 

 the idea of getting some literary work to do, perhaps on a 

 country newspaper or magazine, and it is not unlikely that 

 that was what he was best fitted for. 



I may here briefly explain why he had no regular employ- 

 ment to fall back upon. Owing to the fact that I left home 

 when I was fourteen (he being then only seven and a half), 

 and that when I happened to be at home afterwards he was 

 often away at school, I really knew very little of him till he 

 came to me at Para. Until I left school he had been taught 

 at home by my father, and afterwards went for a year or two 

 to a cheap boarding school in Essex. As it was necessary 

 for him to learn something, he was placed with a portmanteau 

 and bag-maker in Regent Street, where he was at first a mere 

 shop-boy, and as he showed little aptitude for learning the 

 trade, and was not treated very kindly by his master, he was 

 rather miserable, and was taken away after a year. My 

 brother William then got him into the pattern-shop at the 

 Neath Abbey Iron Works soon after I had gone to Leicester. 



