WCP280

[1]

[in pencil ib unknown hand] Good

Parkstone, Dorset.

Dec^r. 2nd. 1896

My dear Violet¹

I have come to the conclusion that I was intended by nature for a Veterinary Surgeon Do you know Why? Do you give it up? Because, the bible tells us, "the daughter of the horse-leech (= Vet.) cried for more! more! ^{I think it was "}Give Give^"! This is perfectly awful! Now let me tell you what happened yesterday morning!!! Your most ferocious letter-card arrived — (2) Another from Will² (yellow instead of green) asking for immediate despatch of books — "Merrie England"³ & "Bad Timeses" — to be sold about the streets of Southampton by an out-of-work schoolmaster, in order to get him bread & butter, he being a socialist & spiritualist as well as a [2] a man and a brother. So of course I had to hunt up the books, to pack them, to take them to the Post Office, to pay 10 1/2^d for stamps, and to stick the stamps on myself, according to the wise and benevolent arrangements of the best of all impossible governments. Coming home I had to rush to the orchid-house, to read some other letters, to write to Mr. Sharpe⁴ to ask for an old suit of clothes for said out-of-work Schoolmaster, — & then, without a moments relaxation, I sat down and scribbled off the first four pages to satisfy your most outrageous demand. Then, with weary brain & aching brow, from the effort, I rushed to the garden, and devoted my whole energies to the proper arranging [3] and planting of 30 hyacinths bulbs of white, pink, yellow, red, light blue, & dark blue, colours, so as to produce a pleasing effect. Having nearly finished this, the dinner bell rang & it began to drizzle. Now remember that, all this time I had not looked at the Newspaper! A hasty glance during dinner, — 5 minutes afterwards, & then I rushed out again & on bended knees completed my horticultural performances. Then, nature signalised ^{the deed of} my superhuman efforts by sending down a steady rain. Then I read the paper with the satisfaction of conscious rectitude; and orchidised till tea. Then, again to my desk, I rattled off the rest of the preposterous [4] propositions which no doubt all managers of schools & kindergartens will scout as wild, impossible, impractical, and perhaps subversive of constituted authorities. Then at last, I rested from my labours, banished the poor horse-leech & his daughters from my mind, and solaced myself with a solitary game at chess and a rather weak novel for the rest of the evening.

N.B. MSS. enclosed will make one or two papers as you like. Proof must be sent. Fee two guineas a page! Checque due on day of publication!! Please dont ask for more!!! I finished up all my sermon paper, & now it is raining so hard I cannot get more! Now exercise your asking-for-more powers on the Directors!

That is the solemn advice of your affectionate though persecuted Pa — | A.R.W.

P.S.⁵I suppose you have at length found out that I did send you the whole of Nausen's articles!!!