Ɛpsilon

WCP269

Letter (WCP269.269)

[1]

Parkstone, Dorset.

March 3rd, 1896

My dear Violet1

I send you 3 orchid flowers as a sample, several others are coming on. No particular news here. Some of the orchid General Dunn gave me will flower soon. A poet has called on us. He lives at Torquay but is staying at Bournemouth. His name is Doveton.2 He wants admiration! After he had called here he wrote to ask [2] whether I was disappointed in him! He has send me a book of short essays & sketches3 — efforts at being funny mostly, others showing that he is an author, & is a poet &c. &c.. When I don’t write to butter him up, he writes to say he feels hurt!!! He is a psychical researcher, but does not know much about it, & is sometimes [3] amusing but likely to be a dreadful bore. Fortunately he does not live here.

Just had a letter from Will:4 he is still at Hull & has been to see Beverley Minster — that is all his news.

Ma’s5 eyes are much better. Poor Mrs. Marshall Hall6 seem to be worse as she had an operation on her throat. I have had 2 lbs. of bacon [4] sent but no bill. I send you s2/- for it. Send me the address & I will order more when I want it. It is very good.

Kind remembrances to Eleanor.7

Your affectionate Pa | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]

P.S. Have you sent Will "Jungle Books" yet. Pray do! I want him to read Mogwgli. Little Bagherra is more Bagheraish than ever!

A.R.W.

1
Wallace, Violet Isabel (1869-1945). Daughter of ARW; teacher.
2
Doveton, Frederick Bazett (1841-1911). Army officer, author and poet.
3
Doveton, Frederick Bazett. 1886. Sketches in prose and verse. London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington.
4
Wallace, William Greenell (1871-1951). Son of ARW.
5
Wallace (née Mitten), Annie (1846-1914). British. Wife of ARW; daughter of William Mitten.
6
Wife of Hall, Marshall (1831-1896). Captain in the Royal East Middlesex Militia. J.P. for Wilts. Created the International Glaciers Commission 1894 Congress in Zurich.
7
Sidgwick (née Balfour), Eleanor Mildred (1845 - 1936). Psychical researcher; principal of Newnham College of the University of Cambridge; wife of Henry Sidgwick.

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Letter (WCP269.269)]

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

Revision history

Transcribed by Noriega, Melisa [2013-07-11] Transcription checked by Catchpole, Caroline [2013-07-11] Transcription checked by Chua, Christine [2024-11-11]

Please cite as “WCP269,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP269