41 St. John's Wood Park. Oct 1st [1871].
My dear Sir,
your kind letter, so full of sympathy touched the very depths of my heart, my brothers, my sister and myself thank you much for the genuine and warm feeling you express for my very dear father. When your previous letter arrived with your photograph, you will imagine what I felt, he had only been dead a few days. How gladly I thought would he have we1comed this.
Many friends will miss him, all his family, of course, but I his eldest daughter particularly, for I was always with him since I was quite a little thing and have always shared his joys and sorrows, his latter days were much clouded by domestic and business cares, and I have never been separated from him, so that this is a dreadful parting for me. I am at present in the house we have occupied several years together, and I have a dreadful pang every time I look upon his vacant chair and that I remember I have him no longer to cherish. You know probably that he died at Ramsgate very soon after he dictated to me his letter to you. The nervous irritation was so great in consequence of great physical weakness that he could hardly have patience to allow me to write the words, the moment the thought came it must be on paper, and this increased to a dreadful extent; he dictated to me six or seven letters a day, all with the greatest clearness of brain, and coriected proofs and got through an immense quantity of literary labor. His bright spirit literally at last kept his poor frail body alive. One of his last pleasures was hearing your book "The Story af My Life" read aloud to him by me, it was the only work that interested and diverted him from languor, and he and I often stopped and talked of you, and he said all sorts of warm and affectionate things of you. There were' still a few pages to finish when he died, now I open the bo ok again you will guess iny feelings. We are necessarily now much scattered, alas! I am going to have a suite of apartments in this neighborhood with a member of our clergyman's family, but wherever we are, be assured we shall all be delighted to see you again and shake you by the hand. Some of my funniest recollections are connected. with the time you spent with us. Would that it might return!
We all send you very hearty greetings, and Believe me, my dear Sir,
Very sincerely yours,
Annie Bentley.
