WCP198

[1]

Old Orchard,

Broadstone,

Wimborne.

Jany. 31st. 1909

My dear Will¹

Violet² will have told you about the Lecture³ &c. & how I got through it much better than I expected as my voice held out & the lecture room with 800 people was very easy to speak in. Sir James Dewar⁴ the resident Prof. of Chemistry was most kind got me hot cocoa & sandwiches directly after the meeting in his private room &c..

On Saturday I went to the Museum in the morning & saw the Dipolodocus [sic], and gorgeous new butterflies & B. of Paradise from N. Guinea[.]

[2] Sir W^m. Preece⁵ & his son came to lunch & I had some talk with the latter about you. Sir W. was very complimentary & said he had been ill & I was the only person he would leave home to see! But he had not much to say.

Mr. Preece said that the best & most healthy work for you now would be in connection with wireless telegraphy. That to get work you should learn the method of signally [signalling], so as to be able to undertake it at once. That those were schools where it can be learnt, or at some stations and that when you leave [3] the Sanatorium and are ready for such training you should learn it at once — That if you will go & see him, or write to him he will give you any further information.

He seemed to think that this was the best opening now, & that those who were familiar with the various forms of apparatus & could do signalling, would have the best chance of engagements.

I hope you are getting on all right.

Your affectionate Pa | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]