Page:A Voice from the Nile, and Other Poems. (Thomson, Dobell).djvu/43

 avow my admiration of it, and of Mr. Thomson's writings generally. The editor handed my note to Mr. Thomson, who thereupon wrote me the following letter:—

",—I have just received from Mr. Bradlaugh your note about myself, and hasten to thank you heartily for your very generous expressions of approval of my writings. While I have neither tried nor cared to win any popular applause, the occasional approbation of an intelligent and sympathetic reader cheers me on a somewhat lonely path.

"You must not blame Mr. Bradlaugh for the delay in continuing my current contribution to his paper As an Editor he must try to suit his public, and the great majority of these care nothing for most of what I write. As for this 'City of Dreadful Night,' it is so alien from common thought and feeling, that I knew well (as stated in the Proem) that scarcely any readers would care for it; and Mr. B. tells me that he has received three or four letters energetically protesting against its publication in the N. R., yours I think being the only one praising it. Moreover, one must not forget that there is probably no other periodical in the kingdom which would accept such writings, even were their literary merits far greater than they are

"While preferring to remain anonymous for the public, I have no reason to hide my name from such correspondents as yourself.—Yours truly, " (B. V.)"

In replying to this letter, I expressed a wish to become personally acquainted with Mr. Thomson. He was