MYDEARCOLVIN，-WehavehadquiteaninterestingmonthandmostlyinconsiderationofthatroadwhichIthinkItoldyouwasabouttobemade。Itwasmadewithoutahitch，thoughI
confessIwasconsiderablysurprised。Whentheygotthrough，Iwroteaspeechtothem，sentitdowntoaMissionarytobetranslated，andinvitedthelottoafeast。Ithoughtagooddealofthisfeast。Theoccasionwasreallyinteresting。I
wantedtopitchitinhot。AndIwishedtohaveasmanyinfluentialwitnessespresentaspossible。Well，asitdrewtowardsthedayIhadnothingbutrefusals。Everybodysupposeditwastobeapoliticaloccasion，thatIhadmadeahiveofrebelsuphere，andwasgoingtopushfornewhostilities。
TheAmanuensishasbeenill，andaftertheabovetrialpeteredout。Imustreturntomyown，loneWaverley。Thecaptainrefused，tellingmewhy；andatlastIhadtobeatupforpeoplealmostwithprayers。However，Igotagoodlot，asyouwillseebytheaccompanyingnewspaperreport。Theroadcontainedthisinscription，drawnupbythechiefsthemselves:
’THEROADOFGRATITUDE。’
’ConsideringthegreatloveofTusitalainhislovingcareofusinourdistressintheprison，wehavethereforepreparedasplendidgift。Itshallneverbemuddy，itshallendureforever，thisroadthatwehavedug。’Thisthenewspaperreportercouldnotgive，notknowinganySamoan。ThesamereasonexplainshisreferencestoSeumanutafa’sspeech，whichwasnotlongandWASimportant，foritwasaspeechofcourtesyandforgivenesstohisformerenemies。Itwasverymuchapplauded。Secondly，itwasnotPoe，itwasMataafa(don’tconfusewithMataafa)whospokefortheprisoners。
Otherwiseitisextremelycorrect。
Ibegyourpardonforsomuchuponmyaboriginals。Evenyoumustsympathisewithmeinthisunheard-ofcompliment，andmyhavingbeenabletodeliversosevereasermonwithacceptance。ItremainsanicepointofconsciencewhatI
shouldwishdoneinthematter。Ithinkthismeeting，itsimmediateresults，andthetermsofwhatIsaidtothem，desirabletobeknown。Itwilldoalittlejusticetome，whohavenothadtoomuchjusticedoneme。Atthesametime，tosendthisreporttothepapersistrulyanactofself-
advertisement，andIdislikethethought。Query，inamanwhohasbeensomuchcalumniated，isthatnotjustifiable？I
donotknow；bemyjudge。Mankindistoocomplicatedforme；
evenmyself。DoIwishtoadvertise？IthinkIdo，Godhelpme！Ihavehadhardtimeshere，aseverymanmusthavewhomixesupwithpublicbusiness；andIbemoanmyself，knowingthatallIhavedonehasbeenintheinterestofpeaceandgoodgovernment；andhavingoncedeliveredmymind，Iwouldlikeit，Ithink，tobemadepublic。ButtheotherpartofmeREGIMBS。
IknowIamataclimactericforallmenwholivebytheirwits，soIdonotdespair。ButthetruthisIamprettynearlyuselessatliterature，andIwillaskyoutospareST。
IVESwhenitgoestoyou；itisasortofCOUNTROBERTOF
PARIS。ButIhoperatheraDOMBEYANDSON，tobesucceededbyOURMUTUALFRIENDandGREATEXPECTATIONSandATALEOFTWO
CITIES。Notoilhasbeensparedovertheungratefulcanvas；
anditWILLNOTcometogether，andImustlive，andmyfamily。Wereitnotformyhealth，whichmadeitimpossible，IcouldnotfinditinmyhearttoforgivemyselfthatIdidnotsticktoanhonest，common-placetradewhenIwasyoung，whichmighthavenowsupportedmeduringtheseillyears。
Butdonotsupposemetobedowninanythingelse；only，forthenonce，myskilldesertsme，suchasitis，orwas。Itwasaverylittledoseofinspiration，andaprettylittletrickofstyle，longlost，improvedbythemostheroicindustry。Sofar，Ihavemanagedtopleasethejournalists。
ButIamafictitiousarticleandhavelongknownit。Iamreadbyjournalists，bymyfellow-novelists，andbyboys；
withthese，INCIPITETEXPLICITmyvogue。Goodthinganyway！
foritseemstohavesoldtheEdition。AndIlookforwardconfidentlytoanaftermath；Idonotthinkmyhealthcanbesohugelyimproved，withoutsomesubsequentimprovementinmybrains。Though，ofcourse，thereisthepossibilitythatliteratureisamorbidsecretion，andabhorshealth！IdonotthinkitispossibletohavefewerillusionsthanI。I
sometimeswishIhadmore。Theyareamusing。ButIcannottakemyselfseriouslyasanartist；thelimitationsaresoobvious。Ididtakemyselfseriouslyasaworkmanofold，butmypracticehasfallenoff。Iamnowanidlerandcumbereroftheground；itmaybeexcusedtomeperhapsbytwentyyearsofindustryandill-health，whichhavetakenthecreamoffthemilk。
AsIwaswritingthislastsentence，Iheardthestridentraindrawingnearacrosstheforest，andbythetimeIwascometotheword’cream’itburstuponmyroof，andhassinceredoubled，androareduponit。Averywelcomechange。Allsmellsofthegoodwetearth，sweetly，withakindofHighlandtouch；thecrystalrodsoftheshower，asIlookup，havedrawntheircriss-crossovereverything；andagentleandverywelcomecoolnesscomesuparoundmeinlittledraughts，blesseddraughts，notchilling，onlyequalisingthetemperature。Nowtherainisoffinthisspot，butIhearitroaringstillinthenighneighbourhood-andthatmoment，I
wasdrivenfromtheverandahbyrandomraindrops，spittingatmethroughtheJapaneseblinds。Thesearenottearswithwhichthepageisspotted！Nowthewindowsstream，theroofreverberates。Itisgood；itanswerssomethingwhichisinmyheart；Iknownotwhat；oldmemoriesofthewetmoorlandbelike。
Well，ithasblownbyagain，andIaminmyplaceoncemore，withanaccompanimentofperpetualdrippingontheverandah-
andverymuchinclinedforachat。TheexactsubjectIdonotknow！Itwillbebitteratleast，andthatisstrange，formyattitudeisessentiallyNOTbitter，butIhavecomeintothesedayswhenamanseesabovealltheseamyside，andIhavedweltsometimeinasmallplacewherehehasanopportunityofreadinglittlemotivesthathewouldmissinthegreatworld，andindeed，to-day，Iamalmostreadytocalltheworldanerror。Because？BecauseIhavenotdruggedmyselfwithsuccessfulwork，andthereareallkindsoftriflesbuzzinginmyear，unfriendlytrifles，fromtheleasttothe-well，totheprettybig。AllthesethattouchmearePrettyBig；andyetnonetouchmeintheleast，ifrightlylookedat，excepttheoneeternalburthentogoonmakinganincome。IfIcouldfindaplacewhereIcouldliedownandgiveupfor(say)twoyears，andallowthesaintedpublictosupportme，ifitwerealunaticasylum，wouldn’tI
go，just！Butwecan’thavebothextremesatonce，worseluck！Ishouldliketoputmysavingsintoaproprietarianinvestment，andretireinthemeanwhileintoacommunisticretreat，whichisdouble-dealing。Butyoumenwithsalariesdon’tknowhowafamilyweighsonafellow’smind。
Ihearthearticleinnextweek’sHERALDistobeagreataffair，andalltheofficialswhocametometheotherdayaretobeattacked！Thisistheunpleasantsideofbeing(withoutasalary)inpubliclife；Iwillleaveanyonetojudgeifmyspeechwaswellintended，andcalculatedtodogood。Itwasevendaring-IassureyouoneofthechiefslookedlikeafiendatmydescriptionofSamoanwarfare。
Yourwarningwasnotneeded；wearealldeterminedtoKEEP
THEPEACEandtoHOLDOURPEACE。Iknow，mydearfellow，howremoteallthissounds！Kindlypardonyourfriend。Ihavemylifetolivehere；theseinterestsareformeimmediate；
andifIdonotwriteofthem，Imightassoonnotwriteatall。Thereisthedifficultyinadistantcorrespondence。
Itisperhapseasyformetoenterintoandunderstandyourinterests；Iownitisdifficultforyou；butyoumustjustwadethroughthemforfriendship’ssake，andtrytofindtolerablewhatisvitalforyourfriend。Icannotforbearchallengingyoutoit，astointellectuallists。Itistheproofofintelligence，theproofofnotbeingabarbarian，tobeabletoenterintosomethingoutsideofoneself，somethingthatdoesnottouchone’snextneighbourinthecityomnibus。
Good-bye，mylord。Mayyourracecontinueandyouflourish-
Yoursever，TUSITALA。
End
