oking a cigarette. He had a keen sense of humour,
and on every matter about which he cared to form an opinion he spoke
clearly and decisively." And his old brother officer, Sir Gerald
Graham, thus speaks of him:--

"Pictures have been drawn of Gordon as a gloomy ascetic, wrapped up
in mystic thoughts, retiring from all communion with the world, and
inspiring fear rather than affection. I can only describe him as he
appeared to me. Far from being a gloomy ascetic, he always seemed
to me to retain a boyish frankness, and to long to share his ideas
with others. Our intimacy began when we were thrown together in
mining the docks of Sebastopol during the winter of 1855-56--a
period Gordon always delighted in referring to whenever we met, by
calling up old scenes, and even our old jokes of that time. Like
all men of action, more especially soldiers, Gordon disliked
argument with subordinates when once he had resolved on his course
of action; otherwise he invited discussion, and I always found him
most tolerant in listening to arguments against his own views, even
on subjects in which he, of course, possessed a knowledge far
exceeding any I could pretend to. To show the impression he made
upon me at the time of my last seeing him, in 1884, I will quote
from a letter which I wrote shortly after: 'Charlie Gordon's
character is a very fascinating one; he has so much of the natural
man about him. To his friends--and he treats all as friends whom he
knows and trusts--his charm of manner is irresistible. It is
utterly unlike the charm of a polished man of the world; it is the
charm of a perfectly open mind, giving and demanding confidence,
sometimes playfully, sometimes earnestly, and sometimes with
touching humility."

There were various reasons which made him avoid worldly society; one
was the incessant grumbling in which many indulge, who have little
cause to complain. Writing from the Soudan, he says:--

"I have not patience with the groans of half the world, and declare
there is more happiness among these miserable blacks, who have not
a meal from day to day, than among our own middle classes. The
blacks are glad of a little handful of maize, and live in the
greatest discomfort. They have not a strip to cover them; but you
do not see them grunting and groaning all day long, as you see
scores and scores