Tragedy in Old Letters.

In Mrs. Sheat's collection of family papers are several letters written by Miss Herford to Mr. Thompson. One letter dated 24th November, 1865, tells of her arrival in London in the middle of June, and of her visit to Adelaide to see her bereaved sister-in-law, with whom she stayed six weeks. “I found everyone there most kind and most friendly,” she wrote, “and I felt glad to know those most nearly connected with my brother. I am at my work, painting in town from soon after nine in the morning. I hope your children are all well. I felt very much gratified to hear that one of them is my namesake.” When this letter was written Miss Herford resided at Rosslyn Terrace, Hampstead, London.

From her studio at 20 Brook Street, Grosvenor Square, London, Miss Herford wrote on 31st July, 1866: “I feel a great interest in my little god-child. I hope both she and your family are quite well, and that Mrs. Thompson is not overwhelmed with so many young cares! (The twins brought the family circle up to ten children). I have the most pleasant recollections of the many kind friends I met with at the Antipodes, and always think I should like to come again and pay New Zealand a longer visit. Very kind regards to Mrs. Thompson and yourself, good wishes for all your circle, and an especially tender greeting for my namesake.”

What a wealth of tragic circumstances are conjured up in the letter which Miss Montgomery wrote on 24th August, 1864—nearly two months page 27 after Major Herford had died—to her nephew, Mr. Thompson, in Nelson! The letter says: “You will have heard or read in the papers that Vernon Herford, whom I recommended to you some time ago, was badly wounded in one of the battles. His sister, Laura Herford, has lived with me for the last seven years, and is an artist— portrait and landscape painter—very dear and very heroic as you may imagine when I tell you that she determined, on hearing of her brother's disaster, to go out to Auckland by the ship Victory to help him and his young wife and little children. I am very anxious about her.”