WCP247

Letter (WCP247.247)

[1]

Parkstone, Dorset.

March 11th. 1894

My dear Violet1

I have been persuaded to go to Cambridge tomorrow to attend a Conversazione of the Camb[ridge]. Univ[ersity]. Nat[ional]. Science Club— (500th meeting) and read a paper. I am going to stay with Mr. Myers2 & shall meet Prof[essor]. & Mrs. Sidgwick.3,4 They wanted to give me a degree— another "Dr.!"— but I declined with thanks!

I suppose Mr. Lund’s party is to go next August or July so there is plenty of time. I dare say I can "stump up" half, as you elegantly observe, & take it out in Alpine plants. [2] Ask him if he will take Ma5 as well, & then she can collect the plants & send to me.

I met Capt[ai]n Burton6 several times, & once spent an evening, I think, at his rooms in London not very long after he was married. I was also there — at the Dialectical Society7 — when he read a paper, I think. Mrs. Burton8 is a fine writer — better than he was.

We shall be at home at Easter & shall be glad to see Miss Lund. By all means get a better engagement, if you can, but do not do [3] anything towards giving up Liverpool till you have secured something else. The longer you stay there the better chance you will have of getting something good, as experience always counts for a great deal.

I have got my "Social Economy" article — which Harris refused after it was set up & proofs corrected — sold for £.10. to form part of a book on the new Reforms &c.. but I shall not be sure of the money till I get it!

[4] Of news here there is more. Last week there was a lecture on the Ober Ammergau9[sic] Passion play with Lantern Illustrations— 2/610 tickets, for Church &c. We all went thinking of course it would be good. At the very beginning the lecturer said he would devote an hour to preliminary matter, & another hour to the play. He began showing a view of the steam ship he went over in! & told us the dinners were good!! Then views of Hamburgh,[sic] & of some pictures in the churches there— All the time he was simply gabbling, almost unintelligibly, so after 5 minutes I got up and walked home. The rest staid[sic], of course, the room was crammed, but he "gabbled" to the end, only about a quarter of the exhibition was devoted to the play itself — so I was glad I cut it.

Your affectionate Papa | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]

1
Wallace, Violet Isabel (1869-1945). Daughter of ARW; teacher.
2
Myers, Frederic William Henry (1843-1901). British poet, classicist, philologist, and founder of the Society of Psychical Research.
3
Sidgwick, Henry (1838 - 1900). Philosopher and author; professor at University of Cambridge.
4
Sidgwick (née Balfour), Eleanor Mildred (1845 - 1936). Psychical researcher; principal of Newnham College of the University of Cambridge; wife of Henry Sidgewick.
5
Wallace (née Mitten), Annie (1846-1914). British. Wife of ARW; daughter of William Mitten.
6
Burton, Richard Francis (1821-1890). British soldier, explorer, and author.
7
London Dialectical Society, founded in 1867, to investigate the claims of spiritualism.
8
Burton (née Arundell), Isabel (1831 – 1896). English writer, explorer and adventurer; wife of Captain Richard Francis Burton.
9
The Ober Ammergau was a passion play traditionally performed by inhabitants of the village of Oberammergau, Bavaria, Germany since 1634.
10
Notation for 2 schillings/6 pence.

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Letter (WCP247.247)]

For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon

Revision history

Transcribed by Tew, Alison [2006-07-08] Transcription checked by Catchpole, Caroline [2011-11-23] Transcription checked by Catchpole, Caroline [2013-01-15] Transcription checked by Siewert, Betsy [2020-12-17]

Please cite as “WCP247,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 30 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP247