He felt his health failing .
He wrote a farewell letter on 2 August 1880 in touching terms to the boys for whom he had written so much and so long , and died three days later at Stormont Lodge , Willesden , near London .
Feeling his health failing , he wrote a farewell letter on 2 August 1880 in touching terms to the boys for whom he had written so much and so long , and died three days later at Stormont Lodge , Willesden , near London .