WCP180

[1]

Old Orchard —

July 8th. 1903

My dear Will¹

I have just finished going over your notes and corrections of last 4 chapters². I can’t think how I was so stupid to make the mistakes in figures which you corrected. In almost all cases I have made some modification in accordance with your suggestions and the book will be much improved thereby. I have put in a new par [paragraph] about the stars in other parts than the Milky Way & Solar Cluster, — but there is really nothing known about them. I have also cut out the first reference to Jupiter altogether.

Of course a great deal is speculative but any reply to it is equally speculative. The question is, which speculation is most in accordance with the known facts, & not with prepossessions only.

[2] Considering that the book has all been read up, & written in less than 3 months, it cannot be expected to be as complete & careful as if 3 years had been expended on it — but then it is fresher perhaps. The bit about the pure air came to me while writing & I let myself go. Why should I not try & do a little good & make people think a little on such matters, when I have the chance of perhaps more readers than all the other books?

As to my making too much of man, — of course that is the whole subject of the book! And I look at it differently from you, because, I know facts about him you neither know nor believe yet. If you once get convinced of the [3] facts & teachings of Spiritualism, you will think more as I do. As soon as I have read over & finally corrected these 4 chapters I shall send them all to the publishers. Then I have to write a second article a Reply to Criticism³- for the "Fortnightly" — in which I shall also refer to the book & the new matter it contains.

Did you not have a terrific day on Monday? Here it was a north-westerly gale so cold & strong that I could hardly stand out in it. It is not all over yet.

As soon as the new article was arranged for I saw an advert^t. of a 2 ½ inch Telescope by Cooke of York — long the first-makers in the kingdom — for £.10. So I had it on approval, & have bought it. It is not very new but in excellent [4] condition, and all parts beautifully finished — Brass tripod stand — 3 ast. [astronomical] eye piece — & a diagonal. also steadying rod. In⁴a mahog. [mahogany] case with handles easily carried. Altogether I expect better than the one I had before & about half the weight. I am having a strong tripod table made to stand it on in the verandah or garden. I have only tried it once on Longfleet Church — beautiful definition. When you or Violet⁵ come we will try it on some planets, star cluster &c.

I have been also helping Fred. Birch⁶ (the young "born naturalist" of Liverpool) to try & get a post as Museum Curator in the Malay Federated States. He got 12 very good testimonials, & we are now anxiously waiting to know the result.

It was advertised for in Nature from the Colonial Office — Salary £240 & house or rooms.

Your affectionate Pa | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]