
for the Insane London. Ontario London, Ont., 13 May 1889
So our old dear friend O'Connor is gone at last. Thank God that he died peacefully, without pain. My
great regret is that with his magnificent abilities he should have done so
comparatively little to keep his name alive. However he will be long
remembered—if for nothing else—for the "Good Gray Poet" which will not
be forgotten for a while yet. His death will be a great
grief and also a great relief to Mrs O'C. The care of him was
almost more than she could bear. She will of course grieve bitterly but for her sake
I am glad his life was not prolonged if it had been she must have broken down and
that would have made
things worse than ever. I believe, dear Walt, that it is all right and as it should
be—and I trust when I come to die myself, as I must and ought in a little
while, that I shall say the same thing. "We shall go to him though he will not come
back to us" and when we do go to him we shall see that
there things are better managed than they would be if we had our way with them.
Mrs O'Reilly (wife of the Inspector of Asylums) died yesterday morning—I go to Toronto to the funeral tomorrow—back next day.
So we go one after the other—but it is all right—what good would it be to stay?
Your friend R M Bucke
