WCP319

[1]

Parkstone, Dorset.

Dec^r. 19th. 1898

My dear Violet¹

I send you Will’s² 2 last letters. They have been to Hurst.³ Please return them when read a sufficient number of times. I have been very busy with all sorts of things, & the days are so short that I have hardly time to do them. For more than a week the men have been cutting across the road to 10 feet deep to bring the drain to our garden — the last 20 feet they are tunnelling under the footpath & under the Arbutus and holly tree by the steps. Then, when they have reached the garden path I shall have to get Alner to do the rest, relay our drains so as to pass the cesspool, then empty the cesspool & fill it with earth &c.. I have planted this month 50 parrot tulips, 50 Montbretias and 100 dwarf Gladiolus,— so we ought to have a show next summer & autumn. At present there are no flowers to speak of [2] (2) in the garden, and as the cheapest parcel is a shilling it is hardly worth sending a few common things. I have one of the inspirations of genius to give you. How to keep your down quilt on the bed! Eureka! I have done it! On the two lower corners sew a loop of red braid a few inches long. Put these loops over the tops of the lower bed-posts, and there you are! Tried for a month! Unexampled success! Can be turned back & pulled up again as required. Never falls off! (Q.E.D.)

From what you say, the Scholz’ abode is not the place to learn German. Ma⁴ has told you what I think. but Waste no more precious time (& money) there, but find some large German family to board with where there will be plenty of talking, morning noon & night. That is the one thing needful for learning a language. The rest is comparatively easy. Would not Weimar or Jena be likely places? [3] 3- I have been corresponding with a Mr. Howard⁵ who has written a book describing a model town in "the Garden City"⁶ — to be established and the whole of the land to become the property of the city in 30 years. The City surrounds a park, garden, & Crystal palace; with magnificent boulevards &c. beating anything hitherto conceived by the narrow minds of the existing generation. ^{yet quite practicable.} He has sent me his book & is coming here some day to lecture on it with lantern illustrations. A few weeks back I had a visit from Mr. Hudson.⁷ He is tall, dark, handsome, grizzly, and very pleasant. He has become an anti vaccinator since being in England. He believes (as I do,) that infant vipers run down their ma’s throats, & he has found a minute account of it in a book 200 years old! So we got on very well though he is a little shaky on instinct & bird migrations. He will come again next time he visits Bournemouth. He likes [4] snakes and goes to the New Forest to study them. I expect he is very poor & lives by his writings. He writes novels! ^{(under an assumed name)} He was cheated by his publisher so that he hardly gets anything from his "Naturalist in La Plata."⁸

Another "youthful enthusiast" wants my "paternal advice" about going collecting. He hails from Canterbury, & is coming to see us after Christmas. says he will "walk over". He is 19! Is studying Chemistry (Analytical) & proposes to earn money for 5 years & then start!

That’s about all the news in this village up to date, from

Your affectionate Pa | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]