On the 10th November, 1879, Miss Savage, having been ill, wrote to
Butler:


I have been dipping into the books of Moses, being sometimes at a
loss for something to read while shut up in my apartment. You know
that I have never read the Bible much, consequently there is
generally something of a novelty that I hit on. As you do know your
Bible well, perhaps you can tell me what became of Aaron. The
account given of his end in Numbers xx. is extremely ambiguous and
unsatisfactory. Evidently he did not come by his death fairly, but
whether he was murdered secretly for the furtherance of some private
ends, or publicly in a State sacrifice, I can't make out. I myself
rather incline to the former opinion, but I should like to know what
the experts say about it. A very nice, exciting little tale might be
made out of it in the style of the police stories in 'All the rear
Round' called "The Mystery of Mount Hor or What became of Aaron?"
Don't forget to write to me.


Butler's people had been suggesting that he should try to earn money
by writing in magazines, and Miss Savage was falling in with the idea
and offering a practical suggestion. I do not find that he had
anything to tell her about the death of Aaron. On 23rd March, 1880,
she wrote:


Dear Mr. Butler: Read the subjoined poem of Wordsworth and let me
know what you understand its meaning to be. Of course I have my
opinion, which I think of communicating to the Wordsworth Society.