WCP3022

[1]

The Hollies

Clapham Common

S.W.

Feb. 21^st. 1873

My dear Sir,

Many thanks for your letter of the 17^th inst¹ proposing an article for the "Contemporary Review."² If you will be so kind as to let me see it, I shall be greatly obliged — and may ask this before definitely[?] saying more on account of the subject being perfectly certain that in every sense and way whatever you may write will be most acceptable to our readers — provided the subject itself does not happen to be [2] one on which we have already given them them enough. I do not anticipate that this would be so in the present case — but for[?] me you will know me for my editorial caution.

I wrote to you a few weeks since to Barking — making use of the introduction which my friend Prof. Huxley³ kindly gave me to you — but my letter was returned through the Post office with a notice that your address was not known. I was anxious to beg of you a review of Mr Darwin's⁴ last book⁵ — may I now repeat my petition and will you allow us to send you the volume if you do not happen to have it? [3]

The bold idea has occurred to me — that it might be just possible to give M^r. Tennyson⁶ (the poet Laureate) who is a great friend of mine a pleasure which he much desires — viz. — of having some conversation with yourself.

M^r. Tennyson will be dining here tomorrow ^(Saturday) evening at 7 o'clock — & I tentatively[?] agreed with him that I would "draw a bow at a venture"^{7 in writing to yourself as I had to} in case you should be able and willing to come and meet him — I hope very much that you will not think me taking too great a liberty with yourself[?] as a [one word illeg.] ( hurriedly[?] ) to me — in asking this — and [4] shall deem it a great honor[sic] if you can & will give us the pleasure of your company — there will be no party[?] —

Believe me | my dear sir | yours truly | James Knowles [signature]

^To Alfred R. Wallace Esq.[?]