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n。 Love and lots of it。
DICK。
CAIRO； March 11； 1893。 DEAR MOTHER：
In a famous book this line occurs； 〃He determined to go to that hotel in Cairo where they were to have spent their honeymoon；〃 or words like that。 He is now at that hotel and you can buy the famous book across the street。 It is called 〃Gallegher。〃 Soin this way everything comes to him who waits and he comes to it。 〃Gallegher〃 is not the only thing you buy in Egypt。 You ride to the Pyramids on a brake with a man in a white felt hat blowing a horn； and the bugler of the Army of Occupation is as much in evidence as the priest who calls them to prayer from the minaret。 I left the people I liked on the Sultey last Thursday in the Suez Canal and came on here in a special train。 It is very cold here； and it is not a place where the cold is in keeping with the surroundings。 You see people in white helmets and astrakan overcoats。 It is an immense city and intensely interesting； especially the bazaars； but you feel so ignorant about it all that it rather angers you。 I wish I was not such a very bad hand at languages。 That is ONE THING I cannot do； that and ride。 I need it very much； traveling so much； and I shall study very hard while I am in Paris。 Our consul…general here is a very young man； and he showed me a Kansas paper when I called on him； which said that I was in the East and would probably call on 〃Ed〃 L。 He is very civil to me and gives me his carriages and outriders with gold clothes and swords whenever I will take them。
It is so beastly cold here that it spoils a lot of things； and there are a lot of Americans who say； 〃I had no idea you were so young a man；〃 and that； after being five years old for a month and playing children's games with English people who didn't know or care anything about you except that you made them laugh； is rather trying。 I am disappointed so far in the trip because it has developed nothing new beyond the fact that going around the world is of no more importance than going to breakfast； and I am selfish in my sightseeing and want to see things others do not。 And if you even do see more than those who are not so fortunate and who have to remain at home； still you are so ignorant in comparison with those who have lived here for years and to whom the whole of Africa is a speculation in land or railroads； it makes you feel like such a faker and as if it were better to turn correspondent for the N。 Y。 Herald； Paris edition； and send back the names of those who are staying at the hotels。 That is really all you can speak with authority about。 When you have Gordon and Stanley dishes on the bill…of…fare； you feel ashamed to say you've been in Egypt。 Anyway； I am a faker and I don't care； and I proved it today by being photographed on a camel in front of the Pyramids； and if that wasn't impertinence I do not know its name。 I accordingly went and bought a lot of gold dresses for Nora as a penance。
As a matter of fact； unless I get into the interior for a month and see something new； I shall consider the trip a failure； except as a most amusing holiday for one； and that was not exactly what I wanted or all I wanted。 After this I shall go to big cities only and stay there。 Everybody travels and everybody sees as much as you do and says nothing of it； certainly does not presume to write a book about it。 Anyway； it has been great fun； so I shall put it down to that and do some serious work to make up for it。 I'd rather have written a good story about the Inauguration than about Cairo。
I am well； as usual； and having a fine loaf； only I don't think much of what I have writtenthat's all。
DICK。
CAIRO； March 19th； 1893。 DEAR MOTHER：
I went up the Pyramids yesterday and I am very sore today。 It sounds easy because so many people do it； but they do it because they don't know。 I have been putting it off； and putting it off； until I felt ashamed to such a degree that I had to go。 Little had never been either； so we went out together and met Stanford White and the Emmetts there； and we all went up。 I would rather go into Central Africa than do it again。 I am getting fat and that's about itand I had to half pull a much fatter man than myself who pretended to help me。 I finally told them I'd go alone unless the fat man went away； so the other two drove him off。 Going down is worse。 It's like looking over a precipice all the time。 I was so glad when I got down that I sang with glee。 I hate work like that； and to make it worse I took everybody's picture on top of the Pyramid； and forgot to have one of them take me； so there is no way to prove I ever went up。 Little and I hired two donkeys and called them 〃Gallegher〃 and 〃Van Bibber〃 and raced them。 My donkey was so little that they couldn't see himonly his ears。 Gallegher won。 The donkey…boys called it Von Bebey； so I don't think it will help the sale of the book。
Today we went to call on the Khedive。 It was very informal and too democratic to suit my tastes。 We went through a line of his bodyguard in the hall； and the master of ceremonies took us up several low but wide stairways to a hall。 In the hall was a little fat young man in a frock coat and a fez； and he shook hands with us； and walked into another room and we all sat down on chairs covered with white muslin。 I talked and Little talked about me and the Khedive pretended to be very much honored； and said the American who had come over after our rebellion had done more for the officers in his army than had anyone else； meaning the English。 He did not say that because we were Americans； but because he hates the English。 He struck me as being stubborn； which is one side of stupidness and yet not stupid； and I occasionally woke him to bursts of enthusiasm over the Soudanese。 His bursts were chiefly 〃Ali。〃 Little seemed to amuse him very much； and Little treated him exactly like a little boy who needed to be cheered up。 I think in one way it was the most curious contrast I ever saw。 〃Ed〃 Little of Abilene； Kansas； telling the ruler of Egypt not to worry； that he had plenty of years in which to live and that he would get ahead of them all yet。 Those were not his words； but that was the tone； he was perfectly friendly and sincere about it。
This place appeals to me as about the best place with which to get mixed up with that I know； and I've gone over a great many maps since I left home and know just how small the world is。 So； I sent the Khedive my books after having asked his permission； and received the most abject thanks。 And as Cromer called on me； I am going to drop around on him with a few of them。 Some day there will be fine things going on here； and there is only one God； and Lord Cromer is his Prophet in this country。 They think that Mohammed is but they are wrong。 He is a very big man。 The day he sent his ultimatum to the Khedive telling him to dismiss Facta Pasha and put back Riaz Pasha； he went out in full view of the Gezerik drive and played lawn tennis。 Any man who can cable for three thousand more troops to Malta and stop a transport full of two thousand more at Aden with one hand； and bang tennis balls about with the other； is going in the long run to get ahe