Page:Adams - A Child of the Age.djvu/144

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A CHILD OF THE AGE
132

of his proposed History of the Oripns of Christianity. On returning home, however, in 18—, I learnt that he had been compelled to abandon his scheme for certain most satisfactory reasons, I therefore laid aside my MS., hoping that events might some day make it possible for him to utilise it as he had originally intended. With that hope I seal it up now.—In case of my death, this packet is to be given to him unopened.

'"February 15th, 18—.

'"My Journal through parts of Arabia was connected with the same scheme, Blake proposing to draw a parallel between the life of the Saviour and that of Mahomet, as illustrating———"[Last two words erased.]


'It seems in some way a little strange to be sitting here copying out these words of a dead man. It would perhaps seem really strange if I realised even now, that he was dead. Is he dead? It seems rather as if he had gone a journey into a far land, and now stays there. I wonder if I shall ever read this after many years to come, and what shall I think of it then?

'I think I should like to go to Palestine some day. Nazareth must be a very beautiful place, from what he says of it, and what so sweet as to wander in that dear land, thinking of——' [Cetera desunt, and this last scratched out.]


A little lower:

'That sheet may originally have been pasted on the outside of the packet; at any rate the packet has been broken open; for the note-books are all mingled with those of the other two journals in the drawer,' etc., etc.


Another entry:

'Books and things from Glastonbury. My Ruperti's Juvenal missing, also my Greek Lex., also several note-books. A distinct nuisance. I have divided my day off as follows—Breakfast, 8.30: Italian, 9 to 10: The Book with Strachan, 10 to 1: Walk, 2 to 5: Greek, 5 to 7: (Supper): Latin, 8 to 10: English, 10 to 11. I find it is the only way to get any real work done. Now and then I go with the Strachans to the