Page:Tex; a chapter in the life of Alexander Teixeira de Mattos (IA texchapterinlife00mcke).pdf/184



''This is one of the days on which I feel like nothing on earth. Yet I must answer your three letters to the best of my enfeebled power I want a Catholic Dictionary''

or

Drummond's Life of Erasmus

or

''a second-hand copy of either will be quite acceptable: the second is an old book and probably out of print.''

''five fumable cigars "from stock"; but a present I must have because I am working a stunt about the immense number of birthday gifts which I am sure of receiving. The Cleveland Club is being canvassed with this intent and the members urged to make canvass-backed ducks and drakes of their money: oh, how like nothing on earth I feel after being brought to bed of this joke! I am to have a cake with 56 candles in it from my doctor's wife, which her name is Phyllis Twigg; so let no one send me an other. If I ate more than 56 candles at my age, I should have to go in cossack-cloth and ashes for the rest of my life; oh, like nothing on earth, Stephen, like nothing on earth!''