rs very sincerely,

G. K. CHESTERTON.

P.S. This has been delayed even longer than I thought, for business
bothers of my own and the paper's, plus finishing a book and all my
journalism, are bewildering me terribly.

DEAR FATHER KNOX,

Please excuse this journalistic paper, but the letter-block seems
undiscoverable at this time of night. I ought to have written before;
but we have been in some family trouble; my father is very ill, and
as he is an old man, my feelings are with him and my mother in a way
more serious than anything except the matter of our correspondence.
Essentially, of course, it does not so much turn the current of my
thoughts as deepen it; to see a man so many million times better than
I am, in every way, and one to whom I owe everything, under such a
shadow makes me feel, on top of all my particular feelings, the
shadow that lies on us all. I can't tell you what I feel of course;
but I hope I may ask for your prayers for my people and for me. My
father is the very best man I ever knew of that generation that never
understood the new need of a spiritual authority; and lives almost
perfectly by the sort of religion men had when rationalism was
rational. I think he was always subconsciously prepared for the next
generation having less theology than he has; and is rather puzzled at
its having more. But I think he understood my brother's conversion
better than my mother did; she is more difficult, and of course I
cannot bother her just now. However, my trouble has a practical side,
for which I originally mentioned it. As this may bring me to London
more than I thought, it seems possible I might go there after all,
instead of Wycombe, if I knew to whom to go. Also I find I stupidly
destroyed your letter with the names of the priests at Wycombe to
whom you referred me. Would it bother you very much to send me the
names again, and any alternative London ones that occur to you; and I
will let you know my course of action then. Please forgive the
disorder of my writing--and feeling.

Yours sincerely,

G. K. CHESTERTON.

DEAR FATHER KNOX,

I was just settling down three days ago to write a full reply to
your last very kind letter, which I should have answered long before,
when I received the wire that called me instantly to town. My father
died on Monday; and since then I have been doin