Accept my most grateful thanks for your kind words of sympathy. As you
say, this war, with all its terrible consequences, "had to be," and it
is some comfort to us to know that our sons, meant for other things
than violence, took their part in it serenely and cheerfully, with no
misgivings.
I often think of your dear boy and of what he said about the war in
that sonnet. But what I most often think of him, as I can of my own
son, is "Blessed are the pure in heart."
(_Signed_) A.K. COOK.
I had looked forward myself to a great career for him: he had so many
qualities to ensure success: a sharp, keen mind, which proved its
literary quality also at Oxford, an unfailing earnestness and high
purpose and a white character: no one could deny the brilliance and
the steadiness of his gifts.
(_Signed_) M.J. RENDALL.
I have just received the "Wykehamist War Roll" and _The Wykehamist_
and in it find the sad news of your boy. I did not know definite news
had been received and was still hoping. May I add my letter of
sympathy to the many you will have had from all his friends, for
though sympathy does not do much good it does sometimes help a little
I believe, and say how very, very much I feel for you and Lady
Selborne in your loss. He was my senior prefect my first year at
"Cook's," and there never was a kinder, fairer and more liked prefect
by the small boys all the time I was there, and indeed I think I have
never met a better fellow anywhere.
(_Signed_) F. LUTTMAN-JOHNSON.
I have only just learned from the announcement in to-day's papers that
you have no longer any ground for hoping against hope. I did not mean
to write to you, but the sense of the loss and of how England will
miss him in the years to come has been so strongly in my mind all day
that I thought perhaps you would not mind my trying to put it into
words. I did not see very much of him, but I have never forgotten the
first impression of him that I got as external examiner at Winchester,
when he was in Sixth Book and how I felt he was marked out for big
work, and I had always looked forward to getting to know him better.
It makes one feel very, very old when those on whom one relied to
carry on one's work and ideas are taken. But it is a happiness--or at
least a sort of shining consolation--to think that one will always
remember him as radiantly young. I have lost so many pupils who will
never grow up and always be just pupils.
Please do not think of replying and pardon this intrusion.
(_Signed_) A. ZIMMERN.
Bobby was gold all through--for head and heart one in a million. Of
all the undergraduates I have known at Oxford during my twenty years
of work there, he struck me as most certain by reason of his breadth
and sobriety of judgment, intellectual force and sweetness of
disposition to exercise a commanding influence for good in the public
affairs of the country. Everyone admired and liked him and I know that
his influence among his contemporaries, an influence exercised very
quietly and unobtrusively, was quite exceptional from the very first.
(_Signed_) HERBERT FISHER.
Those of us who knew Bobby at Univ. and saw him afterwards in London
knew that one way or another he would give his life to the country.
The war has only determined the manner of his giving and made the life
much shorter, but his memory the more abiding.
(_Signed_) ALEC PATERSON, _2nd Lieut_.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: MAP ENCLOSED IN LETTER OF JAN. 10.]