write at all. There is the difficulty in a distant correspondence. It is
perhaps easy for me to enter into and understand your interests; I own
it is difficult for you; but you must just wade through them for
friendship's sake, and try to find tolerable what is vital for your
friend. I cannot forbear challenging you to it, as to intellectual
lists. It is the proof of intelligence, the proof of not being a
barbarian, to be able to enter into something outside of oneself,
something that does not touch one's next neighbour in the city omnibus.

Good-bye, my lord. May your race continue and you flourish.--Yours ever,

TUSITALA.

TO ALISON CUNNINGHAM

For a fuller account of the road-making affair here mentioned, see
pp. 431, 462.

_[Vailima] October 8th, 1894._

MY DEAR CUMMY,--So I hear you are ailing? Think shame to yoursell! So
you think there is nothing better to be done with time than that? and be
sure we can all do much ourselves to decide whether we are to be ill or
well! like a man on the gymnastic bars. We are all pretty well. As for
me, there is nothing the matter with me in the world, beyond the
disgusting circumstance that I am not so young as once I was. Lloyd has
a gymnastic machine, and practises upon it every morning for an hour:
he is beginning to be a kind of young Samson. Austin grows fat and
brown, and gets on not so ill with his lessons, and my mother is in
great price. We are having knock-me-down weather for heat; I never
remember it so hot before, and I fancy it means we are to have a
hurricane again this year, I think; since we came here, we have not had
a single gale of wind! The Pacific is but a child to the North Sea; but
when she does get excited, and gets up and girds herself, she can do
something good. We have had a very interesting business here. I helped
the chiefs who were in prison; and when they were set free, what should
they do but offer to make a part of my road for me out of gratitude?
Well, I was ashamed to refuse, and the trumps dug my road for me, and
put up this inscription on a board:--

"_Considering the great love of His Excellency Tusitala in his loving
care for us in our tribulation in the prison we have made this great
gift; it shall never be muddy, it shall go on for ever, this road that
we have dug!_" We had a great feast when it was done, and I read them a
kind of lecture, which I dare say Auntie will have, and can let you see.
Weel, guid b