31. VIII. 17 13 Norham Gardens, Oxford. Dear Jacobs How I wish I could have spared you the grief that the sad news will give you & dear Mrs. Jacobs. We have been preparing for the blow. I knew it would come. Long delayed the Fates have hit me hard at last. It is [END PAGE ONE] [BEGIN PAGE TWO] not surprising after all these long years of prosperity in heart & head. No man living have ever been so blest in his friends. Poor laddie! He is at peace, out of the hell of a war he loathed, only his love for us & a sense of duty took him among the combatants. Everything about war revolted his feelings. Fortunately he has been much happier of late, [END PAGE ONE] [BEGIN PAGE TWO] and has been devoted to his men for whom he had the greatest admiration. Harvey Cushing was with him, which is the greatest consolation to us. We have no details but Harvey wired yesterday at 4:30 dangerously wounded, & at 9 am the W.O. [War Office] telephoned that a message had come thru from the Director Gen. Sloggelt that he was dead. We are heart broken. He & I had become such [END PAGE THREE] [BEGIN PAGE FOUR] cronies with the same tastes & habits that it makes the blow all the harder. He had developed surprisingly & had become so keen about all that was best in literature & with such good sense. We have had a very happy life with him. I suppose few fathers can say that they never spoke a cross word to a son — but I never had occasion to. Blessings on you both for your kind sympathy. We shall face the blow bravely. Sue Chapin is here fortunately. Ever yours affectionately, Wm. Osler