WCP3022

[1]

The Hollies

Clapham Common

S.W.

Feb. 21^st. 1873

My dear Sir/

Many thanks for your letter¹ of the 17^th inst. proposing an article² for the "Contemporary Review." If you will be so kind as to let me see it, I shall be greatly obliged — and only 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 [illeg.] me you will excuse 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 [illeg.] agreed with him that I would "draw a bow at a venture" ^{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 stranger (personally) to me — in asking this — and [4] shall deem it a great honor if you can & will give us the pleasure of your company — There will be no party —

Believe me | my dear sir | yours truly | James Knowles⁷ [signature]

^To/ Alfred R. Wallace Esq.