“I had tried to get out of that engagement, but the chautauqua people held me to it, and I went via Fort Wayne and South Bend, and made my speech at Battle Creek on the 25th. I started for home the next morning. I took a G. R. & I. at Kalamazoo and spent the hottest day of my life going to Cincinnati (through Fort Wayne again). I there had to take an upper berth to Roanoke and got to Hollins at noon the next day, pretty much played out. “I rested all afternoon, slept next day until 10 o’clock, and while eating breakfast with Mrs. Kern about 10:30 and discussing with her the good times we were going to have, the telephone rang and here came a long distance message from my New York parties that their business was ripe, and that it was of the highest importance that I should meet them in Washington the next morning. Well ... I took the noon train for Washington. “I met the parties the next morning and I concluded it would take ten days to dispose of the business and made arrangements to stay. We got it going in good shape when I was taken sick. For two days I had high fever and was confined to my room, but the doctor was with me every day, and I would get out for an hour and take a pull at my case, and so on until we had gone as far as we could at the present time. The doctor fixed me up and told me that when I got to Kerncliffe and relaxed I would be all right. “Well, I came here and relaxed and at the same time collapsed, and was very sick for several days and have not been away from the house yet. The doctor was out to see me to-day and says I am much improved, but that I had so overtaxed myself for two months it would take a good while for me to get back to my normal strength. “Now that is a true account of my doings since May 1st, written down with more or less difficulty to the end that ‘the truth of history may be vindicated’.... You can never complain now that I have never written you a long letter. I did not know I had the strength or the nerve to string one out to this length when I began.” It is characteristic of the man that during his really serious illness in Washington he concealed it from his family; quite as characteristic that in the midst of his illness, with the doctor calling daily, and he by sheer will power dragging himself from his bed for an hour’s “pull” at an important legal matter, did not lose sight of the fact that the birthday of John, Jr., was almost at hand. “WASHINGTON, July 5, 1917. “MY DEAR BOY JOHN: “I hope to be with you on the 7th, but for fear of a slip-up will send this check ahead, so that your mother will have the use of it a little earlier.