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done　it　unto　the　least　of　these；　ye　have　done　it　unto　Me。'



As　I　recall　the　dispersal　and　disappearance　of　nearly　all　the

participators　in　this　once　famous　shipwreck　（a　mere　handful　being

recovered　at　last）；　and　the　legends　that　were　long　afterwards

revived　from　time　to　time　among　the　English　officers　at　the　Cape；

of　a　white　woman　with　an　infant；　said　to　have　been　seen　weeping

outside　a　savage　hut　far　in　the　interior；　who　was　whisperingly

associated　with　the　remembrance　of　the　missing　ladies　saved　from

the　wrecked　vessel；　and　who　was　often　sought　but　never　found；

thoughts　of　another　kind　of　travel　came　into　my　mind。



Thoughts　of　a　voyager　unexpectedly　summoned　from　home；　who

travelled　a　vast　distance；　and　could　never　return。　　Thoughts　of

this　unhappy　wayfarer　in　the　depths　of　his　sorrow；　in　the

bitterness　of　his　anguish；　in　the　helplessness　of　his　self…

reproach；　in　the　desperation　of　his　desire　to　set　right　what　he　had

left　wrong；　and　do　what　he　had　left　undone。



For；　there　were　many；　many　things　he　had　neglected。　　Little　matters

while　he　was　at　home　and　surrounded　by　them；　but　things　of　mighty

moment　when　he　was　at　an　immeasurable　distance。　　There　were　many

many　blessings　that　he　had　inadequately　felt；　there　were　many

trivial　injuries　that　he　had　not　forgiven；　there　was　love　that　he

had　but　poorly　returned；　there　was　friendship　that　he　had　too

lightly　prized：　there　were　a　million　kind　words　that　he　might　have

spoken；　a　million　kind　looks　that　he　might　have　given；　uncountable

slight　easy　deeds　in　which　he　might　have　been　most　truly　great　and

good。　　O　for　a　day　（he　would　exclaim）；　for　but　one　day　to　make

amends！　　But　the　sun　never　shone　upon　that　happy　day；　and　out　of

his　remote　captivity　he　never　came。



Why　does　this　traveller's　fate　obscure；　on　New　Year's　Eve；　the

other　histories　of　travellers　with　which　my　mind　was　filled　but

now；　and　cast　a　solemn　shadow　over　me！　　Must　I　one　day　make　his

journey？　　Even　so。　　Who　shall　say；　that　I　may　not　then　be　tortured

by　such　late　regrets：　that　I　may　not　then　look　from　my　exile　on　my

empty　place　and　undone　work？　　I　stand　upon　a　sea…shore；　where　the

waves　are　years。　　They　break　and　fall；　and　I　may　little　heed　them；

but；　with　every　wave　the　sea　is　rising；　and　I　know　that　it　will

float　me　on　this　traveller's　voyage　at　last。







THE　BEGGING…LETTER　WRITER







THE　amount　of　money　he　annually　diverts　from　wholesome　and　useful

purposes　in　the　United　Kingdom；　would　be　a　set…off　against　the

Window　Tax。　　He　is　one　of　the　most　shameless　frauds　and　impositions

of　this　time。　　In　his　idleness；　his　mendacity；　and　the　immeasurable

harm　he　does　to　the　deserving；　…　dirtying　the　stream　of　true

benevolence；　and　muddling　the　brains　of　foolish　justices；　with

inability　to　distinguish　between　the　base　coin　of　distress；　and　the

true　currency　we　have　always　among　us；　…　he　is　more　worthy　of

Norfolk　Island　than　three…fourths　of　the　worst　characters　who　are

sent　there。　　Under　any　rational　system；　he　would　have　been　sent

there　long　ago。



I；　the　writer　of　this　paper；　have　been；　for　some　time；　a　chosen

receiver　of　Begging　Letters。　　For　fourteen　years；　my　house　has　been

made　as　regular　a　Receiving　House　for　such　communications　as　any

one　of　the　great　branch　Post…Offices　is　for　general　correspondence。

I　ought　to　know　something　of　the　Begging…Letter　Writer。　　He　has

besieged　my　door　at　all　hours　of　the　day　and　night；　he　has　fought

my　servant；　he　has　lain　in　ambush　for　me；　going　out　and　coming　in；

he　has　followed　me　out　of　town　into　the　country；　he　has　appeared　at

provincial　hotels；　where　I　have　been　staying　for　only　a　few　hours；

he　has　written　to　me　from　immense　distances；　when　I　have　been　out

of　England。　　He　has　fallen　sick；　he　has　died　and　been　buried；　he

has　come　to　life　again；　and　again　departed　from　this　transitory

scene：　he　has　been　his　own　son；　his　own　mother；　his　own　baby；　his

idiot　brother；　his　uncle；　his　aunt；　his　aged　grandfather。　　He　has

wanted　a　greatcoat；　to　go　to　India　in；　a　pound　to　set　him　up　in

life　for　ever；　a　pair　of　boots　to　take　him　to　the　coast　of　China；　a

hat　to　get　him　into　a　permanent　situation　under　Government。　　He　has

frequently　been　exactly　seven…and…sixpence　short　of　independence。

He　has　had　such　openings　at　Liverpool　…　posts　of　great　trust　and

confidence　in　merchants'　houses；　which　nothing　but　seven…and…

sixpence　was　wanting　to　him　to　secure　…　that　I　wonder　he　is　not

Mayor　of　that　flourishing　town　at　the　present　moment。



The　natural　phenomena　of　which　he　has　been　the　victim；　are　of　a

most　astounding　nature。　　He　has　had　two　children　who　have　never

grown　up；　who　have　never　had　anything　to　cover　them　at　night；　who

have　been　continually　driving　him　mad；　by　asking　in　vain　for　food；

who　have　never　come　out　of　fevers　and　measles　（which；　I　suppose；

has　accounted　for　his　fuming　his　letters　with　tobacco　smoke；　as　a

disinfectant）；　who　have　never　changed　in　the　least　degree　through

fourteen　long　revolving　years。　　As　to　his　wife；　what　that　suffering

woman　has　undergone；　nobody　knows。　　She　has　always　been　in　an

interesting　situation　through　the　same　long　period；　and　has　never

been　confined　yet。　　His　devotion　to　her　has　been　unceasing。　　He　has

never　cared　for　himself；　HE　could　have　perished　…　he　would　rather；

in　short　…　but　was　it　not　his　Christian　duty　as　a　man；　a　husband；

and　a　father；　…　to　write　begging　letters　when　he　looked　at　her？

（He　has　usually　remarked　that　he　would　call　in　the　evening　for　an

answer　to　this　question。）



He　has　been　the　sport　of　the　strangest　misfortunes。　　What　his

brother　has　done　to　him　would　have　broken　anybody　else's　heart。

His　brother　went　into　business　with　him；　and　ran　away　with　the

money；　his　brother　got　him　to　be　security　for　an　immense　sum　and

left　him　to　pay　it；　his　brother　would　have　given　him　employment　to

the　tune　of　hundreds　a…year；　if　he　would　have　consented　to　write

letters　on　a　Sunday；　his　brother　enunciated　principles　incompatible

with　his　religious　views；　and　he　could　not　（in　consequence）　permit

his　brother　to　provide　for　him。　　His　landlord　has　never　shown　a

spark　of　human　feeling。　　When　he　put　in　that　execution　I　don't

know；　but　he　has　never　taken　it　out。　　The　broker's　man　has　grown

grey　in　possession。　　They　will　have　to　bury　him　some　day。



He　has　been　attached　to　every　conceivable　pursuit。　　He　has　been　in

the　army；　in　the　navy；　in　the　church；　in　the　law；　connected　with

the　press；　the　fine　arts；　public　institutions；　every　description

and　grade　of　business。　　He　has　been　brought　up　as　a　gentleman；　he

has　been　at　every　college　in　Oxford　and　Cambridge；　he　can　quote

Latin　in　his　letters　（but　generally　misspells　some　minor　English

word）；　he　can　tell　you　what　Shakespeare　says　about　begging；　better

than　you　know　it。　　It　is　to　be　observed；　that　in　the　midst　of　his

afflictions　he　always　reads　the　newspapers；　and　rounds　off　his

appeal　with　some　allusion；　that　may　be　supposed　to　be　in　my　way；　to

the　popular　subject　of　the　hour。



His　life　presents　a　series　of　inconsistencies。　　Sometimes　he　has

never　written　such　a　letter　before。　　He　blushes　with　shame。　　That

is　the　first　time；　that　shall　be　the　last。　　Don't　answer　it；　and

let　it　be　understood　that；　then；　he　will　kill　himself　quietly。

Sometimes　（and　more　frequently）　he　HAS　written　a　few　such　letters。

Then　he　encloses　the　answers；　with　an　intimation　that　they　are　of

inestimable　value　to　him；　and　a　request　that　they　may　be　carefully

returned。　　He　is　fond　of　enclosing　something　…　verses；　letters；

pawnbrokers'　duplicates；　anything　to　necessitate　an　answer。　　He　is

very　severe　upon　'the　pampered　minion　of　fortune；'　who　refused　him

the　half…sovereign　referred　to　in　the　enclosure　number　two　…　but　he

knows　me　better。



He　writes　in　a　variety　of　styles；　sometimes　in　low　spirits；

sometimes　quite　jocosely。　　When　he　is　in　low　spirits　he　writes

down…hill　and　repeats　words　…　these　little　indications　being

expressive　of　the　perturbation　of　his　mind。　　When　he　is　more

vivacious；　he　is　frank　with　me；　he　is　quite　the　agreeable　rattle。

I　know　what　human　nature　is；　…　who　better？　　Well！　　He　had　a　little

money　once；　and　he　ran　through　it　…　as　many　men　have　done　before

him。　　He　finds　his　old　friends　turn　away　from　him　now　…　many　men

have　done　that　before　him　too！　　Shall　he　tell　me　why　he　writes　to

me？　　Because　he　has　no　kind　of　claim　upon　me。　　He　puts　it　on　that

ground　plainly；　and　begs　to　ask　for　the　loan　（as　I　know　human

nature）　of　two　sovereigns；　to　be　repaid　next　Tuesday　six　weeks；

before　twelve　at　noon。



Sometimes；　when　he　is　sure　that　I　have　found　him　out；　and　that

there　is　no　chance　of　money；　he　writes　to　inform　me　that　I　have　got

rid　of　him　at　last。　　He　has　enlisted　into　the　Company's　service；

and　is　off　directly　…　but　he　wants　a　cheese。　　He　is　informed　by　the

serjeant　that　it　is　essential　to　his　prospects　in　the　regiment　that

he　should　take　out　a　single　Gloucester　cheese；　weighing　from　twelve

to　fifteen　pounds。　　Eight　or　nine　shillings　would　buy　it。　　He　does

not　ask　for　money；　after　what　has　passed；　but　if　he　calls　at　nine；

to…morrow　morning　may　he　hope　to　find　a　cheese？　　And　is　there

anything　he　can　do　to　show　his　gratitude　in　Bengal？



Once　he　wrote　me　rather　a　special　letter；　proposing　relief　in　kind。

He　had　got　into　a　little　trouble　by　leaving　parcels　of　mud　done　up

in　brown　paper；　at　people's　houses；　on　pretence　of　being　a　Railway…

Porter；　in　which　character　he　received　carriage　money。　　This

sportive　fancy　he　expiated　in　the　House　of　Correction。　　Not　long

after　his　release；　and　on　a　Sunday　morning；　he　called　with　a　letter

（having　first　dusted　himself　all　over）；　in　which　he　gave　me　to

understand　that；　being　resolved　to　earn　an　honest　livelihood；　he

had　been　travelling　about　the　country　with　a　cart　of　crockery。

That　he　had　been　doing　pretty　well　until　the　day　before；　when　his

horse　had　dropped　down　dead　near　Chatham；　in　Kent。　　That　this　had

reduc