Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-05-15

are many little stories. amusing enough
Ill thei- way, which give color 10 the RI
port. one Of these the truth Of when
am able to vouch for, is quite delight
lul
"Oh. Mr. Rhodes cried an lmpulsivc
lady to whom he mad shown some kind
ness. your garden is beautiful. How
should love TO come and walk in it By
"By iii means come" replied her host
cordially: come tomorrow evening add
ing little slyly. # leave for the North
hui i do not think he ever resented any
thing that was straightforward and sim
pie. A certain young lady-it Is only fa!r
him one day if he. would tell her quite
| truly why ne had never married.
| Certainly / will tell you" he replied
without a moments hesitation. at I5
this way: When ! was young man, and
ought 10 have married-Whcn J was IN the
mood. so to speak, to get married. was
50 poor that ! could not afford ~ anG
now since / have been richer-well- upon
my honor, | have not had time to think
| about it,
| late years. probably due to the sam
trouble which eventually caused his death,
| M was sometimes irritable ana somewhat
IcXacting. particularly when any one ar
nOyed him with some shallow remark pr
| unkind gossip. and / have no doubt tina.
/ this often occurred in his relations with
women as well with men. but ] can
| only say that during the i've years III
which / saw him constantly, can never
| remember q single instance in Which ht
was otherwise than perfectly courteous
and kindly to those who accosted him
! with reason and simplicity
! And Ierhaps. / may add that, when one
remembers how many English ladies
| there are 70 whom Mr.. Rhodes has show.
the greatest kindness-who have stayed
been treated in every way with the great
| est consideration and SenerusIJy-it
| seems a little puzzling to understand
why such a report has ever been allowed
no bc commonly accepted as true.
/ have just touched on Mr.. Rhodes
great love Of nature. II was, indeed, one
Of the strongest Influences in his life.
| / RENE mber meeting him one morning
lin his Beautiful grounds at Groote Schur.
ara saying impulsively, perhaps a little
thoughtlessly. that | tet sure that no one
Iloved his garden as | loved it.
| can recall his curious. half-wistful
smile. and his quiet words: All, well,
perhaps 50, but you must let me run you
| pretty close
Muizenberg. the !:ttle village on the
seacoast where he died. he had always
And it is quite good to remember that.
although the little cottage in which he
breathed his last was bare ana comfort
iIess-hard.V more. in fact. than 4 slight
| wooden shanty al )se to the road. and
near 10 all the noise OF the railway line.
Vet from his bed he must have been able
to lie and look out on a scene OF unfl-
vailed beauty, to watch the sun rise over
the pale gray tops Of the distant Blaaw-
berg mountains, and to note the Grim
son shell burn gray over the ocean AZ
Isunset.
Very beautiful is a little story which T
once heard told OF Mr.. Rhodes BY Mr.. q.
lWyndham. Beautiful, because it con-
tains the simple expression Of i great
thought. said quite simply. and without
any desire to produce effect, in private 10
a friend.
Mr.. Wyndham told how, during his last
visit to Africa, they rode together on 10
the summit of a hull in the MatOppoS.
which commanded a view Of fifty miles
in every direction.
CirclinG his hands about the horizon.
Mr.. Rhodes said:
Homes, more homes; that is what
work for"
And the work win not be in vain. AL
ready homesteads are springing up on et-
cry side Of the great country which bears
his name, and in them will arise a new
generation who shall call his name
blessed -Westmnster Gazette.