WCP270

[1]

Parkstone, Dorset.

March 18th. 1896

My dear Violet¹

You ask why I don’t write, when I wrote last & was waiting for you to write. I enclosed P.O. for 2/- for the bacon, and asked you for the address so that I could send for more myself, & you say nothing about it & do not answer my question!! But I will answer yours. I have not got Mr. Galton’s² book on visualisation, and I think I only saw what he wrote either in "Nature"³ or in some magazine. I quite forget where. I will remember next time that you prefer snails to orchids and I suppose also pigs to [2] pearls! I will look at beetles, bugs, earwigs, snails, slugs, spiders &c. &c. &c. &c. &c. and put some in the next box I send you. I am glad you are going to read some sensible books at your reading — no Literary Society. By that means you may in time learn something about your Pa’s books! Did you read that splendid letter⁴ of Tolstoy’s in the "Chronicle" yesterday. I have cut it out. It was magnificent. Did you also read the story of the old Scotch preacher preaching on "Humiliation", illustrated by [3] the "Science of Anatomy" and the "Puddus of o’ a Soo"!!

You should get "The Mountains of California" by J. Muir⁵ — to read at your Society. I have just read Besants "Armorel of Lyonesse"⁶ & like it very much, though it is not perhaps quite up to his highest mark.

I think I told you in my last about the Poet⁷who had called upon us, & was "hurt" because I did not admire him enough! He is not a bad fellow, for & he is really a poet, as he has sent me two of his poems, one of which [4] is quite as good as most of our new Poet laureate’s — perhaps better. We have not heard from Will⁸ for more than a fortnight, but suppose he is still very busy at Hull. You had better write & tell him you are not coming home at Easter — if you are not, — as he may possibly, if his job is finished about then, come for his holiday.

Ma⁹ says would you like to have her new green cloak — you know it.

Your affectionate Pa | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]