"I yesterday heard awful tidings of widespread murrain in the sheep of these parts (Somerset and Monmouth and all between) ascribed to last summer's wet. One farmer (as a specimen) has lost 1000 sheep; the hotel- keepers are bidden to _beware of mutton._ This I have from an associate of our society. "Indoors I am happy; but I am so gloomy for the prospects of the country that I do not like to talk about them. Kind regards to Mr. Kingsley. "I am, most truly yours, "F. W. Newman." "Weston-s.-M., _19th Oct._, 1880. "Dear Mrs. Kingsley, "Behold me (in imagination, as I really am) still at home on our great vegetarian day. "I warmly thank you for your kind letter, and was purposing to write, but in heaps of letters could not find yours with the new address, which I have now entered in my book. "I have finally resolved not to bustle about so late in the year, and have resigned my place as President in consequence. But it is reported to me that the Executive will prefer to exempt me from attendance in this month.... "Public affairs make me very melancholy. Mr. Gladstone is not to blame for the state of Ireland; but both in Afghanistan with India and in South Africa, I think he has allowed his colleagues to neutralize his public professions, and has made compromises most calamitous. "The ministry seems to me not worthy of the Parliament. I do not doubt that the plutocracy in the next ten or even five years will have a heavy and deserved fall, but with how much convulsion and suffering in Ireland, in India, and in South Africa, all inflicting miseries on us--you will live to see: I fear it cannot be small, and that our institutions, called Fundamental, will be very gravely shaken. "I honour your Piscarian position, and with our society would recognize it; but the discovery that you all eat fish forbids me to glory that I have converted a family to our Rules! With kind regards to Mr. Kingsley and the rest, I am, "Your sincere friend, "F. W. Newman." "Weston, "_26th April_, 1883. "Dear Mrs. Kingsley, "... I am apparently assuming the position of one who (like the Pope) makes an ALLOCUTION to all _who will listen._ Each of us may imitate him. I have given away eighty copies to make my allocution known. I suppose I ought to have sent one to you, but circulation is hard work. Alas, it costs a shilling! Can you get it put into any Manchester Library? (Trübner my publisher.) It is called _A Christian Commonwealth_ and is as much against our unjust wars as a Quaker could desire. "In haste, ever yours, "F. W. Newman." "Kind regards to all yours." "Weston-super-Mare, _9th April_, 1884. "My dear Friend, "... My dismay and disgust at the proceedings of a ministry, of which Mr. Gladstone must bear the _full responsibility_--which indeed he accepts by defending all its atrocious proceedings--have disinclined me to write, more than I must, on any but private or literary topics....