“Well,” said Mr. Rogers, laughing, “it will be infinitely preferable to Populism, and it certainly will be all in the law of progress. Every American, even the Populist, wants to be rich, and as soon as he is rich he wants to be cultivated beyond his original condition. After that stage democracy is a retrogression and there is nothing to do but go on and become an aristocrat. As you say, when there are enough of them, monarchy is only a step further.” And there the conversation ended. I think this letter is thick enough to go--don’t you? Ever yours, HELEN. P. S. The evening post came just after I had finished, and brought me a welcome letter from you. I open this for a few lines of answer. Freddy must be _mad_. I hope to God, V. R. will keep his head. Can’t you persuade him to go to South Africa? As long as you have made up your mind not to see him till all is over, I should think it would be a positive relief to have him where you _can’t_ see him. And if there is danger--do pack him off. Who do you suppose can be putting Freddy up to such devilment?--that creature? She may see revenge in it. Do be careful. If you came a cropper now--I read your letter to Bertie and he says he wishes you would chuck the whole thing and come over here to us, and wait patiently for Freddy’s several diseases to finish him. But I told him he never had been deeply in love--and he said he was jolly glad he hadn’t. Well, I’ll say a prayer for you, out in the forest--although I don’t believe it does a bit of good to pray for any one but yourself. My theory is that by the intense absorption, concentration, and faith of prayer, you put yourself into magnetic communication with the great Divine Force pervading the Universe and draw some of its strength into yourself. Sometimes the strength is physical, or rather is directed to physical ends, as when one prays a pain out; and at others one draws strength enough to endure and overcome anything--but not without that intense concentration. The mere babbling of a petition does no good. There you have the result of my inner observations. Try it for yourself. Letter IV _From the Lady_ HELEN POLE _to the Countess of_ EDGE _and_ ROSS. _Boulder Lake_, July 2d