FL4651428

in old England. You mention
my loss of my American friend
Phelps. It is irreparable. So
wise, so true, so genial, so gentle
and yet so firm a friend it
would be hard to find. His
last letter to me was written
in the end of October (ten pages
of note paper) and I answered
it in the beginning of January,
and was expecting a reply
when the heartless telegram
to England flashed his loss
to his friends. The last letter I
received from him ended thus - "And
pray let me hear from you soon.
As ever yours
E J Phelps."

Unless my letter was lost on the way
it must have reached him for
I wrote on the 1st January