WCP1661

[1]

Hurstpierpoint.

Feb[ruar]^y. 27. 1867.

Dear Mrs. Sims

Mr. Wallace tells me you have found some diplomas of mine, in a black carton case, and I write to ask you to be so good as to wrap it up in paper and despatch [one illeg. word crossed out] the case and its contents to me by Post. I enclose stamps for the postage — if they are not sufficient I will gladly remit the surplus.

I trust you have passed unscathed through the glacial period of January and the semi-tropical one of February. Already they are bringing me nosegays of wild flowers — primroses, violets & buttercups.

Some time ago I invited Mr. Sims¹ to come & pass a day or two with me. He replied by reading me a lecture on the necessity of making Sunday a day of rest — surely unneeded for me, who am ever ready to pray, after the fashion of Gilbert Elliott²,

Lord, grant to poor o'er-laboured³ man

More Sabbath and less Church!⁴

One day's rest in seven is in fact not enough for very hard-worked men[.] — I would have them able to take one day to rest and half a day to recreation, [two illeg. words crossed out] or wicey warsey⁵, according to the nature of the work or the conscientious scruples of the worker.

[2] I tried the Stereoscope Mr. Wallace sent me with all sorts of eyes — young eyes & old eyes — eyes set closer together than my own (like Mr. Mitten's⁶) and eyes very wide apart — but to all it was the same — two pictures & not one were invariably seen. I then measured the focal length of the lenses — compared it with the length of the tubes & the way they were mounted, & found that ^only except for the very shortest sight (and even then with a good deal of straining) was it possible the two images could be combined. The true remedy w[oul]^d have been to make a new case; however, with the aid of a joiner I have so modified the old one that now eyes of all ages can see perfectly with the instrument.

I presume you continue to deal in the spirit line — a branch of business unknown here[.] — During that sharp frosty weather, one evening when I had reposed half an hour after taking any tea, I got up to pace the room, & feeling myself unusually light I set to and danced several steps of a hornpipe, by the space of 10 minutes, to the great astonishment of my "nuss"⁷! I did the same thing again on a following night — & I must add that at the end of the 10 minutes I felt my legs gradually (as it were) [one illeg. word crossed out] crumbling under me and sank into my chair — not exhausted, but fallen back into my usual [3] state of torpor. I have since in vain attempted to repeat this saltatorial experiment & at the present moment I might as well try to fly as to dance. Now, if you could connect this singular phenomenon with any incantation of your magic circle, it w[oul]^d go far to convince me that one living body may act on another at a distance beyond the limit of possible perception by the senses.

With best regards to Mr. Sims & the famille⁸ Wallace, believe me, Dear. Mrs. Sims, | Yours very respect[full]^y | Rich[ar]^d Spruce. [signature]