Dear Jasper,

Thank ye for your letter. It was, indeed, a pleasure to hear fron ye and to know we share some common interests.

Ah, a mystery is one of life’s little intricacies that keeps us constantly on our toes. No matter how old we get, there is always an air of mystery surrounding us in one way or another.

I reckon the mundane is something many fall into as a comfort. It takes some gumption and imagination to extract ourselves from that comfortable place and enter a realm that can be downright frightening for many.

Aye, sometimes too much information is a detriment. I’ve always been a curious man myself but am not one to nose into business that doesn’t concern me unless I become privy to such information. It is a good philosophy to follow and ye end up in less of a mess that way.

As far as I’m concerned, I enjoy my life and talking about it to an eager listener. It is the literal truth when I say I am an old Irishman in a young man’s body.

I’ve been an old man for a long time, but there was a period in my life that I looked the part. Ye see, being a bona fide wizard does not stop the aging process. I grew old just like most people and had the aches, pains, and struggles that many elderly people face. When it was my time to depart the physical world, I accepted it, for I understood that life and death is a continuous circle.

In my case, death was not the end. I grew restless in the afterlife and came to know that I was still needed. It is a strange feeling, realizing that I had a rare opportunity.

It was thanks to my Mahtilda for such an opportunity. She is an extraordinary woman, a true goddess.

Even for someone like Mathilda, these things don’t come easy. She had many preparations to make, each one of them needing to be perfect if I was to cross the barrier and return to physical life.

It is said that youth comes by drinking from a certain fountain. In my case, it came from a sparkling valuable bottle.

And so, here I am, an old but ageless and indestructible man married to perhaps the most powerful woman who ever lived. My Mathilda and I have eternity together and I will remain in the bosom of my family for always.

It appears that we do, indeed, share a love of wood. Cedar is certainly one of the most fragrant types and one I do love working with. Lately, however, I’ve taken to working with cherry wood. It’s not a type that many find appealing in this modern time, but I am partial to the fine, classic quality it brings. When working with it, I am brought back to the days when I was married to my first wife, Anne. We had a lovely cherry wood dining table I’d carved for her as a wedding gift. Och, she took such pride in that table, my Anne did.

It is an admirable quality when one is open to greater possibilities. As ye say, there truly is magic in simply Being. The rotation of the Earth, the vastness of space, and the melody and harmony of two beings meshing is magic we all experience. How can it be otherwise?

The greatest magic is love, which I have an abundance of.

But the kind of magic experienced as a wizard is a mystery that even the most seasoned of us finds difficult to explain. It is a sense of knowing that something extra lives within ye. Nay, it’s not like a possession like as in The Exorcist. Some reckon it to being a sort of light that brightens when the magic is released. Others liken it to an extra bit of strength. For me, it is a sense of just…knowing. It is always there even if it is put aside for a period of time. It is just something I know to be there that I can call upon whenever it is needed.

For me, magic is a gift and should be treated as such. It should be used wisely, for if not, it can be lethally dangerous. In unskilled hands, magic can and does seize control, therefore overpowering the unskilled user until there is nothing left. It is something that should be respected and handled with great care.

Loss is something we can never fully prepare for, as, I’m sure, ye be knowing. Being what I am now, loss will come to me, no matter what. It is a strange feeling, knowing I will remain young and fit whilst others around me will wither and eventually die. But, that is the price I must pay for my immortality, and I will have to bear that cross.

The loss of my Maggie was devastating and not a day goes by when I don’t miss her. I be thanking ye for the condolences and be returning same on the loss of your Bess. Life certainly changes dynamically when someone ye adore is no longer with ye in the tangible sense.

Aye, there certainly is something special about a woman who loves Austen as your Bess and my Mathilda do. It is just as ye described; she looks at ye with that wry grin as if to say she knows soe combination to unlock a most obscure treasure. And women being the species they are, perhaps they do possess this combination. Ah, we return to the land of mystery once again, do we not?

Ye have taken a most entertaining and lovely path in cultivating your love of literature. How amazing it is to discover a new work and to open a new book into such a brand new world of discovery! It’s such a privilege to have a window to a soul when reading the diary or journal of a true master.

As my Great Granddaughter, Andrea says, Shakespeare is something that ought to be digested in small amounts. She, too, is fond of Louisa May Alcott and admires the character of Jo in Little Women. It never came as a surprise, for our Andrea possesses similar qualities to Jo. She possesses a spirit of great perseverance and is brave with an air of independence. It is no coincidence that her father, Tyrone, affectionately refers to her as “Steamroller.”

Ah, but I digress. It was Shakespeare we be discussing. It’s nice to read through other works attributed to him, ones that aren’t studied by the populous. My Lenora is quite taken with Pericles, Prince of Tyre and has watched the BBC production of it several times on DVD. She wants to see a live performance of it, but alas, it is one of those plays that is often overlooked.

In this day and age where everyone is in such a hurry, it is refreshing to see someone taking their sweet time with their endeavors. It is healthy to let the mind wander sometimes. My Lenora will often write in stream of consciousness when she feels overwhelmed by a fast-paced world or when she is stuck for an idea.

I will eagerly await your next correspondence. May ye always find love where’er ye walk.

With Warmest Regards,

Liam Kelly