Discusses William's letter of December 16th [1898] and his plans for winter in America, advice to go south to New Mexico; comments on his news of Mac; Mac's coal-measuring machine; plans for electric tram from Bournemouth to Poole, ARW objects to line through Parkstone; no electric light at Parkstone; damage to garden when drains connected; disadvantages of growing under glass; American papers Coming Nation, American Fabian and The Commonwealth; The Clarion, McGinnis, Robert Blatchford; plans to start work in about a years time on new edition of Wonderful Century and to start autobiography soon; Violet at the Schulz's, enclosing some verses by her and a card from her showing villages near Pössneck (neither present).

William's letter from America describing Mack's (sic) machine; misinterpretation of ARW's letter, he does not think William wasting his time in America but should move somewhere more interesting; ARW's health better, asthmatic cough going away; planting in garden; search for details of Wallace Scottish ancestors and Greenell family for autobiography, information from headmaster of Hertford Grammar School; fate of three family portraits, Mr and Mrs Gorringe, the current owners of one of the architect William Greenell refuse permission for it to be photographed, asks William to intercede on his return; Miss Evans wants American stamps; William's finances; Socialism in America.

William's letters from America, death of his horse, snowshoes, severe winter in New York; "Ardmore" still not sold; gathering material for autobiography, does William know whereabouts of steel seal and inscription on family ring, intends to visit a Dorset clergyman who owns a painting of a member of the Wallace family and if possible photograph for the book; bulbs and seeds ordered for garden; apparent loss of books and magazines in post; William's intention to start a business in Bournemouth [with Ma]); ARW writing on white men in the tropics for the New York Independent; writing on Craig's History of Ralahine, Irish cooperative farm 1831-33, to publicise a successful experiment in Socialism.