WCP203

[1]

Corfe View, Parkstone, Dorset.

June 30th. 1889

My dear Violet

For the last ten days (ever since we met in the streets of London) I have been working hard from morning till night & have now, at last, got one room straight in our new house where I am now writing. On Monday the house was cleared of furniture, (Ma having gone to Hurst on Saturday) — & all Monday & Tuesday I had a man digging up plants while I packed them. On Monday I breakfasted square, lunched in the ash-pit!, aft^[ernoo]n tea with the Pooles’ (strawberries & cream!) Supper with the Marshalls & bed. Tuesday d[itt]o. but lunched with the Pooles. Wednesday came here, & have been getting straight in house & garden since, & shall be at least 2-3 week more before [2] we are straight.

Willie took Crumpet to Mrs. Musson’s when he was at home, and the very next day, as he will perhaps have told you Flunkie disappeared. We heard no more of her till Ma was gone, when Mrs. Marshall told me she had been seen in her garden shed at the cottage. I enquired of Mrs. Beaues[?] & she said the cats had been about most of the week sitting on the fence or the water tank but not coming into the house. At Mrs. Sharp’s the servants had seen her & had fed her. Both Mrs Sharp and Mrs. Marshall thought that as we none of us petted her she had gone away from Peperharow Road, & that if we took her to Parkstone she would be sure to run away & be lost, and they both agreed to look [3] after her & feed her. I thought it better therefore to leave her there, & then, when you go to bring Bertha Burrell here in the holidays you can ask them to give you a bed for a night & bring her ^(Flunkie) here with you. Now for your questions — I wrote all my address to the L[and].N[ationalisation]. Soc[iety]. except the last two pages, in one morning right off. I have not read "John Ward". We will have new stair carpets & Hall carpet, just what ma chooses: Also some new carpets for best bedrooms &c. I hope the "How & Why" will convert Mr. & Mrs. Boole — Ask for my book at the Institute till they get it. I enclose you a cheque for £5 for your first quarter. I have been so busy & in such confusion that I could not send it before. No doubt Mrs. Boole [4] or Mad[ame]. Michaelis will charge of it for you, & then you can put all you do not want in the P[ost].O[ffice]. bank.

I hope you got over your exam satisfactorily & will come out first class. I suppose it was pretty easy as it was only an entrance. This fearful dry weather for transplanting my plants & I fear some will die as the ground is like dust.

I expected you would be at the door when I came out, & I would have come to look for you after the meeting.

Believe me. | Your affectionate father | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]

You will have to sign your name on the back of the cheque before you get it cashed. A.R.W. [signature]¹