WCP243

[1]

Parkstone, Dorset.

Nov[embe]^r. 8^th. 1893

My dear Violet¹

No doubt you mentioned and described going to a club for work-girls, but we thought that was a single visit only, & had no idea it was the club you talked of going to afterwards. I am very glad you go there as it will give you some real personal knowledge of how the poor live & work in our great cities. Do you ever talk with the girls & ask them about their work, their earnings, &c. You might get some very interesting information if you make friends with some of them. Tell them how hard you work, teaching! That will give them a fellow-feeling [2] for you.

A £.5 note if detected in a letter can be taken out & changed directly at any shop. It is money & cannot be refused. A cheque is not easily changed as you know! Therefore it is no good stealing it.

I am glad you have met Dr. Herdman². I forgot that I had met him. It will be good to go to the museum with him. As to your shelves if you can get a working carpenter to do them it will not cost much. If the wall is pretty solid the best way would be to have a back board connecting the two shelves, and this could be nailed strongly to the wall [3] The upper shelf should be widest & you could put a little border to it. Something like this.³ The top shelf sh[oul]^d be 11in[ches] the bottom 9 in[ches]. about. Every 3 feet, or 3 1/2 feet there would have to be a bracket under lower shelf and a partition above it to upper shelf to support weight of books &c. The only other safe way would be to have the partitions come down to the floor supporting the shelves. Then it need not be fastened to the wall. Of course [4] it could be black-stained if you liked, & either varnished or kept rubbed. I should think, either way, it would cost about 30/-⁴ or £2. if the room is 10-12 feet wide. But at old furniture shops in Liverpool you would perhaps find some low bookshelves that would do as well and be cheaper, ^{and more useful if you moved.} We shall be glad to have Eleanor at Christmas. You had better get your list of wants neatly printed & enclose in all your letters to friends. My wants are few and simple. I have a sponge. Whittaker’s Almanack⁵, or a Fifty guinea telescope, will be acceptable, or any similar trifle. With kind regards to all enquiring friends.

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