Letter from Charles W. Furse, Davos-Platz, to W. E. Henley, 1900 : autograph manuscript signed.

Sharing news of his engagement to Katherine Symonds; saying "Before dealing with general matters I will tell of my personal history - Last Autumn year I had a big break down, a [illegible] five times as big as any I had had before & tubercular disease started showing in my sound lung - The Vets told me I must cure solidly for two years or face the inevitable, so i chose the cure - This Autumn I came out to a new Sanatorium started here by a friend of mine & am doing well - He says 'you will never be an absolutely sound man, but if you live a very quiet & restricted life out of London you may look forward to doing your work & living as long as any one else' - I have lost no weight & quite believe I am on the mend. - Shortly after coming here I met Mrs. Addington Symonds & her unmarried daughter Katherine & promptly got bowled out, off middle & leg stumps lying anyhow & the bail at the boundary - I am not sure I wasn't caught too. I know I was stumped & as soon as [illegible] (the doctor) told me I need not consider my illness as a bar to marrying, I laid siege to the lady & put my flag upon her soaring [illegible];" describing her and adding "You shall know her & judge for yourself if I am liar or fool;" discussing the death of George Steevens and saying about him "I have lost a real friend - I have never known a man who increased in power & character & charm to the extent that he did...Poor lady, she has a sad future to face;" discussing other friends who were also at Ladysmith and asking "...hasn't George Wyndham justified all your prophecies & expectations? You dear old chap I wish I could hear good & cheery news of your health. I was awfully sad to hear such bad accounts last summer;" adding, in a postscript, Have you heard that the dear old father [Charles Wellington Furse, 1821-1900] has had a stroke of Paralysis? He cannot write & can only walk badly & tells me he will never get on a pony again to wander through the woodland ride at Halidon. So the place is going to be let - Sad, isn't it? But the dear old man is strong & gallant as ever & took Bill's [William Thomas Furse, 1865-1953] departure for the front with just the simple [illegible] you would expect of him."