Well，thereisgoldinthedust，whichisafineconsolation，since-well，Ican’thelpit；nightormorning，Idomydarndest，andifIcannotchargeformerit，Imuste’enchargefortoil，ofwhichIhaveplentyandplentymoreaheadbeforethiscupisdrained；sweatandhyssoparetheingredients。
WeareclearingfromCarruthers’Roadtothepigfence，twenty-eightpowerfulnativeswithCatholicmedalsabouttheirnecks，allswipinginlikeTrojans；longmaythesportcontinue！
Theinvoicetohand。Erethisgoesout，Ihopetoseeyourexpressive，butsurelynotbenignantcountenance！Adieu，O
cullerofoffensiveexpressions-’anda’-tobeaposytoyouraindearMay！’-Fannyseemsalittlerevivedagainafterherspasmofwork。Ourbooksandfurniturekeepslowlydraininguptheroad，inasadstateofscattermentanddisrepair；IwishthedevilhadhadK。byhisredbeardbeforehehadpackedmylibrary。Oddleavesandsheetsandboards-athingtomakeabibliomaniacshedtears-arefishedoutofoddcorners。ButIamnobibliomaniac，praiseHeaven，andIbearup，andrejoicewhenIfindanythingsafe。
However，Iworkedfivehoursonthebrute，andfinishedmyLetterallthesame，andcouldn’tsleeplastnightbyconsequence。Haven’thadabadnightsinceIdon’tknowwhen；dreamedalarge，handsomeman(aNewOrleansplanter)
hadinsultedmywife，and，dowhatIpleased，Icouldnotmakehimfightme；andwoketofinditwastheeleventhanniversaryofmymarriage。Aletterusuallytakesmefromaweektothreedays；butI’msometimestwodaysonapage-I
wasoncethree-andthenmyfriendskickme。C’EST-Y-BETE！
Iwishlettersofthatcharmingqualitycouldbesotimedastoarrivewhenafellowwasn’tworkingatthetruckinquestion；but，ofcourse，thatcan’tbe。Didnotgodownlastnight。Itshoweredallafternoon，andpouredheavyandloudallnight。
Youshouldhaveseenourtwenty-fivepopes(theSamoanphraseforaCatholic，layorcleric)squattingwhentheday’sworkwasdoneonthegroundoutsidetheverandah，andpouringintheraysofforty-eighteyesthroughthebackandthefrontdoorofthedining-room，whileHenryandIandthebosspopesignedthecontract。Thesecondboss(anoldman)woreakilt(asusual)andaBalmoralbonnetwithalittletartanedgingandthetailspulledoff。Itoldhimthathatbelongtomycountry-Sekotia；andhesaid，yes，thatwastheplacethathebelongedtorightenough。AndthenallthePapistslaughedtillthewoodsrang；hewasslashingawaywithacutlassashespoke。
Thepictureshavedecidedlynotcome；theymayprobablyarriveSunday。
SIR，-Toyou，underyourportrait，whichis，inexpression，yourtrue，breathingself，anduptonowsaddensme；intime，andsoon，Ishallbegladtohaveitthere；itisstillonlyareminderofyourabsence。Fannyweptwhenweunpackedit，andyouknowhowlittlesheisgiventothatmood；IwasscarceRomanmyself，butthatdoesnotcount-Iliftupmyvoicesoreadily。Thesearegoodcomplimentstotheartist。
Iwriteinthemidstofawreckofbooks，whichhavejustcomeup，andhaveforoncedefiedmylabourstogetstraight。
Thewholefloorisfilledwiththem，and(what’sworse)mostoftheshelvesforbye；andwheretheyaretogoto，andwhatistobecomeofthelibrarian，Godknows。Itishotto-
night，andhasbeenairlessallday，andIamoutofsorts，andmyworksticks，thedevilflyawaywithitandme。WehadanalarmofwarsincelastIwrotemyscreedstoyou，anditblewover，andistoblowonagain，andtherumourgoestheyaretobeginbykillingallthewhites。Ihavenobeliefinthis，andshouldbeinfinitelysorryifitcametopass-IdonotmeanforUS，thatwereotiose-butforthepoor，deludedschoolboys，whoshouldhopetogainbysuchastep。
Nodiarythistime。Why？youask。IhaveonlysentoutfourLetters，andtwochaptersoftheWRECKER。Yes，buttogettheseIhavewritten132pp。，66，000wordsinthirtydays；
2200wordsaday；thelaboursofanelephant。Godknowswhatit’slike，anddon’taskme，butnobodyshallsayIhavesparedpains。Ithoughtforsometimeitwouldn’tcomeatall。Iwasdaysanddaysoverthefirstletterofthelot-
daysanddayswritinganddeletingandmakingnoheadwaywhatever，tillIthoughtIshouldhavegonebust；butitcameatlastafterafashion，andtherestwentathoughtmoreeasily，thoughIamnotsofondastofancyanybetter。
YouropinionastothelettersasawholeissodamnatorythatIputthemby。Butthereisa’hellofawantof’moneythisyear。AndtheseGilbertIslandpapers，beingthemostinterestinginmatter，andformingacompactwhole，andbeingwellillustrated，Ididthinkofasapossibleresource。
ItwouldbecalledSIXMONTHSINMELANESIA，TWOISLANDKINGS，-MONARCHIES，GILBERTISLANDKINGS，-MONARCHIES，andIdaresayI’llthinkofabetteryet-andwoulddividethus:-
Iwishyoutowatchtheseclosely，judgingthemasawhole，andtreatingthemasIhaveaskedyou，andfavourmewithyourdamnatoryadvice。Ilookupatyourportrait，anditfrownsuponme。Youseemtoviewmewithreproach。Theexpressionisexcellent；Fannyweptwhenshesawit，andyouknowsheisnotgiventothemeltingmood。Sheseemsreallybetter；Ihaveatouchoffeveragain，Ifancyoverwork，andto-day，whenIhaveovertakenmyletters，Ishallblowonmypipe。TellMrs。S。IhavebeenplayingLECHANTD’AMOUR
lately，andhavearrangedit，afterawfultrouble，ratherprettilyfortwopipes；anditbroughtherbeforemewithaneffectscarceshortofhallucination。Icouldhearhervoiceineverynote；yetIhadforgottheairentirely，andbegantopipeitfromnotesassomethingnew，whenIwasbroughtupwitharoundturnbythisreminiscence。Wearenowverymuchinstalled；thedining-roomisdone，andlookslovely。Soonweshallbegintophotographandsendyouourcircumstances。
Myroomisstillahowlingwilderness。Isleeponaplatforminawindow，andstrikemymosquitobarandrollupmybedclotheseverymorning，sothatthebedbecomesbydayadivan。Agreatpartofthefloorisknee-deepinbooks，yetnearlyalltheshelvesarefilled，alas！Itisaplacetomakeapigrecoil，yetherearemyinterminablelaboursbegundailybylamp-light，andsometimesnotyetdonewhenthelamphasoncemoretobelighted。Theeffectofpicturesinthisplaceissurprising。Theygivegreatpleasure。
Awordmore。Ihadmybreakfastthismorningat4。30！Mynewcookhasbeatenmeand(asLloydsays)revengedallthecooksintheworld。IhavebeenhuntingthemtogivemebreakfastearlysinceIwastwenty；andnowherecomesMr。
Ratke，andIhavetopleadformercy。Icannotstand4。30；I
amamerefeveredwreck；itisnowhalf-pasteight，andIcannomore，andfourhoursdividemefromlunch，thedeviltaketheman！Yesterdayitwasabout5。30，whichIcanstand；daybefore5，whichisbadenough；to-day，Igiveout。ItislikeaLondonseason，andasIdonottakeasiestaonceinamonth，andthenonlyfiveminutes，Iambeingworntothebones，andlookagedandanxious。
WehaveRiderHaggard’sbrotherhereasaLandCommissioner；
anicekindofafellow；indeed，allthethreeLandCommissionersareveryagreeable。
MYDEARCOLVIN，-YoursfromLochinverhasjustcome。YouaskmeifIameverhomesickfortheHighlandsandtheIsles。
ConceivethatforthelastmonthIhavebeenlivingtherebetween1786and1850，inmygrandfather’sdiariesandletters。IHADtotakearest；nousetalking；soIputinamonthovermyLIVESOFTHESTEVENSONSwithgreatpleasureandprofitandsomeadvance；onechapterandapartdrafted。ThewholepromiseswellChapterI。DomesticAnnals。ChapterII。
TheNorthernLights。ChapterIII。TheBellRock。ChapterIV。AFamilyofBoys。Chap。V。TheGrandfather。VI。AlanStevenson。VII。ThomasStevenson。Mymaterialsformygreat-grandfatherarealmostnull；formygrandfathercopiousandexcellent。Name，apuzzle。ASCOTTISHFAMILY，AFAMILY
OFENGINEERS，NORTHERNLIGHTS，THEENGINEERSOFTHENORTHERN
LIGHTS:AFAMILYHISTORY。Advise；butitwilltakelong。
Now，imagineifIhavebeenhomesickforBarraheadandIslandGlass，andKirkwall，andCapeWrath，andtheWellsofthePentlandFirth；Icouldhavewept。
Nowforpolitics。Iammuchlessalarmed；IbelievetheMALO
