- Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/4/24
- Natural History Museum, London: NHM WP1/4/24
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Mild weather; son William's cough; visit from George Silk, playing chess, visiting Stevens to play billiards; Primula japonicus; reaction of kitten to new surroundings; asks for a letter from Violet.
Annie and son William's health; Sir David Wedderburn coming to visit to talk with ARW about Java; new black kitten for Annie; outing with Violet to Selsdon, Hamsey Green and Riddlesdown, primroses in flower; Miss Buckley's anticipated visit.
Annie's safe arrival at Malvern; lunch with Sir Reginald and Lady Palgrave, the Watkins, Dr Allman and Miss Travers at Mr Dugmore's, ARW left early as all talking "Primrose League"; arrangement of refurbished study; tea at Mrs Barnes's with the Nichols, Mrs Cooper, the Pocock family and Mrs Maitland; Violet doing gymnastics; the Huddlestone's renting a house at Bournemouth; sending a copy of Natural Science containing photos of Coral reefs for Miss Shaen; will send Fortnightly on; London Library; Annie's health regimen; cooking.
Arrival of her letter from Grindenwald, is preparing for journey (with her father William Mitten), asks her for guide book with maps and to ensure Mitten's boots well nailed, will visit Meiringen and other places on Annie's recommendation; Dr Allman's gardener to care for orchids in ARW's absence; visit from Comerford-Casey and his daughter, visit by George Silk; visit by a student of Spiritualism and his wife who went into a trance and behaved as various characters including ARW's mother, photographs taken, possibly (a spirit) may be seen.
Sending a box of plants, including Gentians, gathered at the Furka Pass, detailed instructions for planting in greenhouse, plans to put out on new rockery; Pa (Annie's father William Mitten) finding lots of curiosities including miniature willows; plans to go on to Grimsel Hospice and Meiringen.
Arrival and journey with her father (William Mitten) by steamer and train, food, and plans to go on to Stangerbourn; her father's health.
Walk (with William Mitten) over Grimsel Pass, collecting Soldanellas and a Primula; plants boxed and sent off; plans to walk to Handeck to botanise and see a fine waterfall.
Walk with Annie's father (William Mitten) from Grimsel Hospice; visit to Reichenbach Falls and gorge of the Aar; sending a box of plants collected including a beech fern and some Asplenium septentrionale (fern); plans to go to Wengern and stay a week; Mitten collecting mosses; cost of postage of newspapers from England.
Plans for Annie's father (William Mitten) and ARW to tour in Switzerland after her return; expects many rare plants in the mountains, possibility of visiting Pilatus or Stanzenhorn, asks Annie to enquire about hotel rates there, and about a hotel in Lucerne for day of their arrival; regards to Bessie; asks for news of her tour and fellow-travellers; receipt of letter from Miss Jekyll enclosing an enquiry from another correspondent re effect of sea-air on plants at Lyme Regis; mosquitoes at Rhone glacier.
Her arrival at Adelboden and receipt of her letter and Violet's card; work in garden and orchid house, box of orchids expected from Singapore shortly, teaching Kate [housemaid] how to care for orchids in his absence; his tickets and luggage labels (for Switzerland) have arrived with list of party, including Mr Le Gallienne, a poet and alleged Socialist; will stay on arrival at Hotel Victoria Davos Platz; looks forward to going on to Adelboden.
His tour in Switzerland and return journey, hoping her trip was as enjoyable; orchids and garden generally in good condition but orchids from Singapore mostly dead and smashed due to bad packing; belladonna lilies in beautiful flower, greenhouse a bower; news of Miss Armstrong, General and Miss Dunn, Mr Sharpe and the Jacombs; letter from son William; love to Violet and all the Mitten family.
Visits from Mr Murray the spiritualist and Mrs Sconce, news that General Minchin, a chess player, to live nearby; visit to Poole library; gardening supplies; sent off to Mr Casson for Mrs D'Orsay; repairs to kitchen; delivery of Cooperative coal; new [visiting] cards; receipt of a letter from Rudyard Kipling expressing hope he can visit one day; Mr Linton's thanks to ARW and Mitten for [specimen of] grass.
Letters from William; local walks; his health; visit from Miss Ree, a friend of Mrs G Davies of Godalming; Rose (Mitten) and Miss Horn at a local bazaar for E. Africans.
Search for house and land [with Mr Swinton], nearby Mayfield prettier and less built on; have seen an ideal farm with barns and orchards, have contacted agent; can visit area again in daughter Violet's holidays if farm lost.
Sending zoo tickets for herself and Miss Armstrong; daughter Violet forwarding son William's letters; Meldola's letters; Australian water-lilies sent by ARW to (Royal Botanic Gardens) Kew have flowered, requests Annie to visit Kew and ask if dying of off leaves normal; purchase of a barrel (144 pounds weight) of apples for 18 shillings and a chicken and duck from Roscommon, Ireland, advertised at 3/6 in T.P's Weekly.
Sea voyage from England, a week of rough weather and seasickness followed by five days of calm; ships food; passengers, one American an accomplished comic actor and singer; charades, concerts and deck quoits; chess with ships doctor and an American passenger; New York harbour, delay at customs, Mr Browne not there to meet him; hotel recommended by Mr Wood, hotel rooms and food; meeting with Mr Browne and transfer to his house; Mrs Browne; meeting with Mayoral candidate Mr George; visit to Central Park; plans to go to Boston on Thursday; Statue of Liberty very fine.
Lack of news from her; weather; good audiences at the four lectures so far given; portrait artist Mrs Noa; unexpected meeting with Mr and Mrs Mirlees visiting the site of their son's death with their daughter; Dr Holmes the "one-hoss-shay" man at dinner; meeting arranged with a lady spiritualist; any news of letting of house at Godlaming; requests Annie to send photos of ruined temples of Java given to ARW by Mr Woodbury, wants to compare with models and photos of similarly decorated Mexican temples at Cambridge (Massachusetts) museum; American museums the finest in the world; plans to go to Baltimore and Washington with a return to Boston in between; opinion of ARW's agent Mr Williams of earlier lecturer Mr Wood and his possible effect on ARW's potential audience; Harvard College celebration.
Receipt of her letter after a month without news; visit to Williamstown, sending plants of fern Polystichum acrostichoides growing near a waterfall there and some moth cocoons for son William, moths should emerge in spring, instructions for care; stay with Dr Carter, President of the (Williamstown) College, and his daughter, invitation to return to view spring flowers; orchids including Cypripedum spectabile common; has sent gentian seeds to her papa (William Mitten); fears for his voice as has a cold, will wear respirator whenever going out, to travel 100 miles to lecture tomorrow; people becoming "oppressively kind and respectful.".
Disappointment at lack of lecture engagements on return (from Baltimore), agent Williams not managing well, but some interest from Ohio, advertisements now in some scientific journals and new circulars sent out, sending copy of circular and some local bills of fare to Violet, hopes to get enough lecturing to cover costs of travel to California in spring or summer but journey more expensive than to London, thinks people bored with natural history and want more exciting subjects; will spend winter in Washington and live more cheaply; has been visiting American museums and will write an article on them for Harris; problem of continual packing of clothing and sundries, will leave some in storage, lifebelt and picnic basket useless but overshoes a boon; freezing weather, ribald reaction of people in the street to his fur coat; assumes Annie will spend new year at Hurst, receipt of her letter of Dec 1.