Three generations

330 MEN AND WOMEN MET BY THE WAY
correctly legal form, devising the bulk of her fortune
to her mother, a large legacy to the cancer hospital,
and among smaller legacies one of £2,000 to me —
an unseen friend, with regard to whom she had
doubtless heard, among other things, that I was not
passing rich. The will was disputed in court by her
father's relations, and cancelled on account of the
terms of his will, constituting something like a case
of mortmain. The law in dealing with mortmain on
a large scale, and treating of long periods of years,
has abolished it; but in an instance like this, when
the deed of the earlier testator has only extended over
one life, it would seem the law does not prohibit the
prior will over-ruling the later.
Mr. Williams had left his fortune to his daughter and
to her children after her ; failing her and her children,
it was left to his kindred in the Colonies, with whom
he had kept up little connection. Indeed, he was
believed to be on bad terms with them, and to the
kindred the money was adjudged.
But there are things that the letter of the law cannot
overturn. One was, that in the last sad hour of the
awful reverse of her fortunes the poor young soul had
still room for an unseen friend, and that the intention
remained in all its sweetness and goodwill, though it
had been frustrated in its fulfilment.
Sadie's literary work was collected and published
after her death. But a slim volume of the poetic
remains of an unknown, immature writer had little
chance of attracting much attention ; nevertheless,
two of the poems, one on the text, " I have many
things to tell you, but ye cannot bear them now," and
another to Baal, were well worthy of preservation.
It is nearly forty years since the little work was