WCP15

[1]

Parkstone, Dorset.

Oct^r.. 13th. 1891

My dear Will¹

Thanks for your unusually interesting letter. It is the Professor’s salaries that cost the money. Grandpa² & Ma³ returned on Saturday. We went one day to Corfe by rail — Grandma⁴ staid in the vill. [village] which we went after Gentians & found a Cot. Then on Friday I took Grandpa to Christchurch & we visited the young nurseryman & had a long jaw with him, — came back to Bournemouth & walked all through the gardens [2] while Ma & Grandma did Bournemouth by themselves. The bronze cucumber must be lovely!

I have only four ^Zoo. tickets left which I send you. Also two Sundays — the others I had sent to Violet.⁵

The Rain today has heat everything — with wind!

There has been a dreadful event here. Poor Monk’s wife has drowned herself! And all for a mistake! She has a baby 2 months old, and last Wednesday night she woke up [3] and found the baby uncovered and cold — She thought it was dying or dead, & told Monk to go directly for the doctor. He dressed and went, & when he came back she was gone. But the baby was alive, only asleep. He was out looking for her for hours & at last found her dead in the little pond on the top of the hill above his house. There was an inquest on Friday. Temporary insanity. Poor Monk is [4] is dreadfully cut up. We made a small subscription for him. He must have been made — not even to wait for the doctor. She had said that if the baby died she would kill herself, or it would kill her.

I read "Ivanhoe" after you were gone. It is very fine, though not quite so fine as I thought it when I read it before. There is lots of fighting in it, — with Robin Hood & Friar Tuck &c. &c.

Your affectionate Papa | Alfred R. Wallace — [signature]