226 The Life of Fred Archer 
truly and sincerely have we sympathised with you. I much 
value the portraits of your wife and of yourself which she kindly 
sent me in the September of last year, and now I shall place 
with them the memorial card, for which I now wish to thank 
you, and which is a beautiful memorial of her short and bright 
life. Her portrait is so bright and so winning that I almost 
seem to have known her, and so to be better able to estimate 
your great loss. 
" My inclination was to write to you on first hearing the 
sad news, but I am sure you must have been overwhelmed with 
letters, and I only now write to thank you for the card, and 
beg that you will not think of being at the trouble to send 
any reply. May God bless you and comfort you, and believe 
me always very sincerely yours, 
"J. Baghot De la Bere." 
" My Dear Young Friend, 
" It grieves me very much to think of your sad loss. 
Pray bear up as well as you can. You have indeed my most 
sincere sympathy. 
" Yours very truly, 
" Marie HiU, Cheltenham." " W. La Terri]&re. 
" Switzerland. 
" Archer, 
" I am so shocked and grieved at hearing the sad news 
I do to-day that I must write and tell you how sincerely I 
sympathise with you in your sorrow. News travels so slowly 
to us ; it was only the other day I wrote to you, and now Lady 
Falmouth writes to me of your terrible loss. 
" It seems hard to think that all is for the best — so easy to 
despair ; but you, I am sure, even after such a blow as this, 
will think it and try to reaUse it. 
" I know how deeply you will feel this, but there may be 
some little consolation in the thought that all your friends 
