The Bemidji pioneer., 1900-08-09
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
! My Fellow Laborer. !
ssscese
] by II. RIDER HAGGARD. I
CHAPTER. V1.--tGoNTrSuED.
1900 esEEGeGEEEeEE

aEEEEEGEEEEEGE.EEEEEESEEGG
CHAPTER VI.--UoNTISUEDi
Exactly six months from that day my
book, The Secret of Life" appeared,
and everybody will remember the ex-
e5famenG that ensued. Of course, prop
tositions SO startling were violently at
tackled, but / only smiled and waited;
aor / knew that my conclusions could
rrs more be seriously disputed than the
raw of gravitation. And now the att.
hackers are all silent, and mankind Ct
say il without false modesty and with
Ont pride) blesses the man VINO
has been the means of demonstrating
Che glorious cause and objects OF our
Hitherto inexplicable existence, and OF
Supplying the key to the mystery o.
life, and the agony of death, that is,
aE the religions foreshadowed, but the
PGrtaI TO the larger and more perfect
Eigfa- Yes, My work is done, and well
esnne, and can die in peace, knowing
chat even here / shall never be for
sntteD.
A week after the book appeared, !
received from Fanny this rather weak
" worded letter:
Dear Godfrey" it began. so you
haus found it! And you have had the
generosity to publicly acknowledge my
share in the wosk. and my name will
aB down to future generations linked
yEifh yours! 1t is more than deserve,
ahCugh 1t is just what should have ex-
.peEfed from you. Had known how
Hf2r we were to success, would new
,er have gone away. ] am very wealthy,
and. in a small, unsatisfactory fashion,
powerful, also, as told you should
he. and shall be more so soon. Joseph
has got into Parliament. where, not
understanding the competition, think
that his entire want of principle ought
80 carry him a long way. And yet,
SseDffrey, miss you as much as ever,
and almost long for the old days. 1t is
hard to have to mix with a set Of fools,
who smile and gable, but cannot even
understand what it is that we, or rath-=
eEt you, have done. / was SO sorry to
bear about John. Well, we must each
In our own fate. Goodbye.
FANNY
m returned no answer to this letter,
ufsr have ] ever seen Fanny since, and
hope never shall see her again! Or
course, everybody has a right to look
after his or her own interests, and on
This ground do not like to think too
hardly of her. / used to believe that
there was great deal Of prejudiced
nonsense talked about women, and
that they we're as capable of real and
good work and of devotion to a single
end as we men are. Many and many
lis the argument that have had with
Fanny herself on this point, for she
YVES wont scornfully to declare that
marriage was the average woman's one
object in life, and the education OF a
family the one thing she was capable
s5f carrying out In a satisfactory man
ner. But now confess that my belief
rs shaken, though know that 1t is un-
i71st to judge a great and widely diff
fering class from the experience OF an
Individual. And, after all, she was well
within her right, and it is impossible
To blame her. had absolutely no
GHaixn upon her, and she was undoubt-
afIty wise to provide for herself in life,
-Mten SO good an opportunity came in
her way 1t was a little abrupt and
her explanations were rather cynical;
Tint I have no cause or complaint. l
cauld not marry her myself; why
should have objected to her marrying
anybody else-even that young man
Joseph?
And yet, ] only say 1t to show how
weak am, am still fond of Fanny
e-Thompson, and still feel sad when
u think OF her sudden and final depart
asre. Next to my wife's death, it has
been the greatest shock OF my life. If
sise had stopped with me, she should
aave had her full share In my triumph,
and of all the honors and good things
that have followed on its heels She
avercalculated herself, she saw too far,
aad yet not far enough. But dare say
that, after all, this is but another form
af the personal vanity to which fear
4 am constitutionally liable, and, as
ssssrh. weakness to be mortified. es-
peciaily when man is hobbling as fast
as / am toward the quiet church-yard
gsaiess. Well, this is the true history of
any relations with Fanny Denelly.
fTHE DND)
. ID .