The Life of Fred Archer 225 
convulsions, which continued until she died. She did not 
know me and never spoke to me again.' 
" He had to stop here again for a moment, but controlling 
himself by a big effort he went on to say, ' Do you know what 
my only real consolation is now ? ' Not waiting for an answer, 
he continued : ' I don't mind telling you that it is in prayer^ 
I have, like other men, been careless about that sort of thing 
at times in my life, but since poor NeUie's death, when I am 
alone I spend most of my time upon my knees in earnest 
prayer. I get out of bed in the night when everything is 
still, and kneel and pray. It is such a comfort to do this — 
the only comfort I have now, in fact. I know it is what she 
would like me to do — she was so good, you know. 
" ' And do you know, I think she is with me at those times.' " 
When asked by his friends why he did not marry again, 
he would reply : " Oh, if I could only love a woman half so well 
as I loved her, I would, but I could not." 
A friend of Archer's who lived on the Cotswolds said that 
Fred never had that very sad expression, so far as he remembers, 
before the death of his wife, and that it is particularly notice- 
able in the photograph Archer had taken in Dublin not long 
before he died. This friend said also that Mrs. Archer's death 
broke Fred up altogether ; he was never the same man after- 
wards. 
Mrs. Archer was only twenty-three when she died, and 
the greatest sympathy was shown by high and low in England, 
and in fact practically all over the EngUsh-speaking world. 
The following letters speak for themselves : — 
" I, Powis Square, Brighton, 
" November 22, 1884. 
" My Dear Archer, 
" Ever since we first read in Saturday's evening paper 
a fortnight ago of the sad and grievous loss you have sustained 
you have been very constantly in our thoughts, and most 
