From Thomas Archer Hirst   Sunday May 20th /55

Broughton, | Sunday May 20^th /55

My dear John.

Your last letter to me,¹ for which I am told to thank last Sunday’s rain, pleased me as you anticipated it would. I was truly glad to hear you were strong again. I hope your strength is not as temporary as usual but I have my apprehensions. I am glad that you are able and willing to take a good dinner and bitter ale your willingness to do so is more pleasing to me than the act itself. Your lectures you say this morning to Anna cease in three weeks,² what do you do then? When do you go to Paris? Our Queenwood concert will be on the 11^th of course you will be here then. And after that I would advise you to start for the continent, to remain there as long as you possibly can to give up your scientific labours for a time, and to seek the occupation you need in walking and in literature. Try a change in your habits of study, quit molecules (to return to them) and write us a novel, or a description of your tour, or some poetry, original or translated. Let your occupation be what you like but let it be entirely changed. We shall not spend our vacation at Broughton, we shall be away most of the six weeks. I have some thoughts of spending ten days or a fortnight in London, I want to obtain the perusal of some mathematical books which I do not possess and cannot buy. I have been thinking (merely thinking) that if you were absent from London we might occupy your lodgings. Could you obtain permission for me to use the Royal Institution library? In pursuing my physical studies I find it necessary to be acquainted with many of the late expansions in methods of calculation among the rest: Determinants,³ Quaternions,⁴ and the Calculus of Forms and Operations.⁵ I begin to think it would be wisest for me to leave original investigation for a short time and devote myself to the study of what has been done by others bearing on the subject. I could use a fortnight in London well. Affairs at Queenwood as far as the boys are concerned were never more prosperous. As far as Edmondson is concerned the prospect was not cheering a short time ago but is better now. He has had another meeting with his partners⁶ and they have not yet agreed about his salary. Ten days ago he was determined (you know how much his determination is worth) to dissolve the partnership and take a situation (!) or commence a smaller school. I believe the women were persuading him to this, but thanks to us, Wright, Haas and myself, I think he has abandoned the foolish notion. Take a situation! Who would have him? Commence a school! He is not worth 2 pence when his debts are paid. Wright has proved clearly that with a salary of £300 for himself, he & his family considering their style of living, etc. would be receiving virtually an income of about £900. He would find his position miserably worse were he to give up Queenwood, not to mention the actual sin of doing so in its present state of prosperity. But these women, these women! They hate Edmonsons partners, they have but a very imperfect knowledge of Edmondsons financial position, they are hankering after more ease, they hint suspiciously and foolishly at the pleasant kind of life led by M^rs Hirst and M^rs Wright, they dislike the thought of George William⁷ succeeding his father at Queenwood and inheriting his present anomalous position, &c &c. In short with their likes and dislikes they had nearly turned the poor weak man’s head. But thanks to Haas and Wright to whom he has confided his affairs I think he is almost past the perilous crisis. Haas has been let into his confidence on account of the transactions he has lately had with Pare and Finch about a new house for himself. Through Wright & Haas I am perfectly well acquainted with the state of affairs, but Edmonson never speaks to me about them, perhaps because he does not think I know as much as I do. On school matters he is far more communicative than he was but about his own affairs he has not yet said a word to me. God knows were it not for Queenwood and the lads in it whom I love I would be sorry to soil my hands with his petty troubles that have all arisen from his incurable incompetence. But last week I was on the point of breaking through all reserve, to try and rescue him from drowning; luckily matters took a turn through Wright and Haas to whom I can talk and there was no necessity for my interference. For his own sake however I wish he would break down this reserve between us. Anna thanks you for your letter this morning. As usual as she prophesied yesterday that you would come and even made your bedroom ready but as usual she was mistaken. Let us hear again soon and believe me

As ever | Yours | T A Hirst

RI MS JT/1/H/218