WCP302

[1]

Parkstone, Dorset.

January 23rd. 1898

My dear Violet

As I have given you your birthday present in advance, I now wish you many happy returns of the day, and that the hearts of the Directors may be moved to generosity and add £.15 to your salary. We have had no letter from Will¹ since that which came in January more than 3 weeks back, & I can only account for it by supposing that they have finished their job & gone back to Denver & then rushed away to Pike’s Peak, — but still he might have found time to send a postcard.

I have been very busy with my [2] books and bothered with the Diagrams. They sent me four diagrams so badly done that I would not have them. They looked as if done by some schoolboy & were far rougher than my copies. Then they sent them to a man at Cambridge, & on Friday they came beautifully drawn, — so now they have only to print them, and send me a revise of the proofs & I hope in a week or ten days more the Vaccination Book will be out.

I have also very nearly finished the Century Book & have then to go over it all, and rewrite parts wherever required; but I want to someone to read either the MSS. or the Proofs so that I as to find out any mistakes [3] or bad grammar, or anything unintelligible. It has just occurred to me that if Mrs. Fisher²has any one to read to her she might like to do it, as it would be more interesting to her than merely reading ^{as it would give her something to do.} Has she any one constantly with her now? or how does she manage? Please let me know whether you think it will be any good writing to her about it. If she cannot do it, do you know any one in Liverpool, among your friends who has both leisure & ability to do it, & who would like to do it. I am now reading Bellamy’s³ new book "Equality" It is a little [4] dry as it is mostly argument, but it is wonderfully clever and convincing.

Mrs. Wallace of Stockton has written ^{to Ma} to know where Will is, as they are all most anxious to see him. We shall probably have a letter next Wednesday or Thursday which will be a month since his last.

Tell me if you gave Mrs. Fisher the list of Chapters of my book, & what she said about finding poetical or prose headings for these.

There is really no news here as writing reading & orchids take up all my time.

Your affectionate Pa | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]