第67部分(第1/7 页)

and　appointed　my　old　friend　and　neighbour；　Captain　Meade　of　Earsham　Hall；　to　act　for　me　when　I　was　away。　I　was　touched　at　this　evidence　of　their　regard　and　confidence。

In　1895　the　mittee　did　me　the　honour　to　elect　me　to　the　Athenaeum　Club　under　Rule　2；　and　in　the　following　year　I　was　chosen　Chairman　of　mittee　of　the　Society　of　Authors；　a　post　which　I　held　until　1898。

About　this　time　I　made　the　acquaintance　of　one　of　the　most　interesting　of　all　my　friends；　Major　F。　R。　Burnham；　D。S。O。；　concerning　whom　and　whose　career　I　should　like　to　say　a　few　words。　Burnham　is　an　American；　born　among　the　Indians　on　the　frontiers　of　Minnesota　in　1861；　and　one　of　the　best　specimens　of　that　great　people　whom　I　have　ever　met。　Indeed；　taking　him　altogether；　I　am　not　sure　that　when　the　circumstances　of　his　upbringing　and　life　are　considered；　he　is　not　the　most　remarkable　man　whom　it　has　been　my　privilege　to　know。　He　belongs　to　the　seventh　generation　of　pioneers；　as　his　family　went　to　America　from　England　in　1635。

In　personal　appearance　he　is　small　and　quiet…mannered；　with　steady；　grey…blue　eyes　that　have　in　them　a　far…away　look　such　as　those　acquire　whose　occupation　has　caused　them　to　watch　continually　at　sea　or　on　great　plains。　He　does　not　smoke；　fearing；　as　he　told　me；　lest　it　should　injure　the　acuteness　of　his　sense　of　smell；　and　he　drinks　less　liquid　perhaps　than　anyone　else。　One　wineglass　of　water；　or　perhaps　claret；　is　the　amount　he　will　consume　during　a　long　meal。　He　has　trained　himself　to　this　abstinence　in　order　that；　when　scouting　or　travelling　where　there　is　no　water；　he　may　still　be　able　to　exist；　with　the　result　that　on　one　occasion　at　least　he　survived　when　all　or　nearly　all　of　his　panions　died；　I　think　in　the　deserts　of　Arizona。　He　is　not　at　all　municat