Page:Tex; a chapter in the life of Alexander Teixeira de Mattos (IA texchapterinlife00mcke).pdf/97



''mo', 'arf a brick, half a gale. Apart from that, we are well and send our love.''

Commenting on a house-party which I had described, he adds:

All we can do, my dear Stephen, is to ask you to remember the old adage:

Birds of a feather flock together; and the modern variants:

''Birds of a beak meet twice a week; Birds of a voice share a Rolls-Royce; Birds of a kidney are Alf and Sydney; Birds of a tail are hail-fellow-hail; Birds of a crest are twins of the best; Birds of a gizzard are witch and wizzard; Birds of a chirrup are treacle and syrup; The hawk and the owl sit cheek by jowl.''

''Yours ever, Alexander and Lily Tex.''

The next letter was from his wife and brought the news that Teixeira's health had taken an unexpected turn for the worse. His life was not in immediate danger, but hence-*forward he must regard himself as an invalid and must work under the conditions imposed by his doctor.