She said herself, "Strength, health, and nerve I
had hitherto looked upon as a sort of right of nature, and supposed that
everybody had them; I never felt grateful for them as a blessing, but I
began to learn what suffering was from this date." Henceforth we see her
not as the woman who was ready to share any dare-devil adventure or hair-
breadth escape, and who revelled in a free and roving life of travel,
but rather as the wife, whose thought now turned more than ever to the
delights of home, and how to add to her husband's domestic comforts.
Expressions of sympathy and goodwill were called forth by her accident
from friends far and wide. Among others, Lady Salisbury wrote:
"CHALET CECIL, PUYS, DIEPPE, September 22.
"DEAR MRS. BURTON,
"We were all very sorry to hear of your misfortunes, and I hope that the
Viennese doctors and their baths have now cured you and restored you to
perfect health. It was indeed most trying to have that accident at Paris
just as you were recovering from your illness in London. I suppose you
are now thinking of the preparations for your Egyptian trip, unless the
new Khedive has stopped it, which he is not at all likely to have done,
as its success would redound so much to his own advantage. We have been
here for the last two months, and are beginning to think our holiday is
over, and that we ought to go back to England again.
"Of course we have all been talking and thinking of nothing but Cabul
lately.
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