Parkstone, Dorset.
August 9th. 1901
Dear Mr. Cockerell
Thanks for the sketch of William Morris, his life & work. It is very well done, & shows what a remarkable man Morris was. But the writer shows I think great prejudice at p.14, in is absurd remarks on Bellamy’s1 work, which I expect he really never read. To my mind "Looking Backwards"[sic]2 is a better story than "News from Nowhere"3, & gives a sketch of a far truer & more practicable, & also more enjoyable socialistic regime than that sketched out by Morris. I find that most of the people who speak of it as Mr Mackail4 does have never read it through! It demonstrated to [2] me the practicability of Socialism, while in its sequel[?] & conclusion — "Equality" — the whole theory of Socialistm is worked out, and a mode of bringing it about indicated which would quite accord with Morris' great maxim, by "making socialism" in consequence of the visible material advantages of its action when partially at work.
With your letter came one from a friend here to whom I had lent Mr. Blunt's5 "Times" letter The Shame of the 19th. Cent[ury] asking how he can get some to give away. Is it for sale? or if not can you send me a dozen copies for distribution. I greatly [3] enjoyed Mr. Blunt's visit. I hope he will not forget to obtain details about the one-armed boy. His letter about the Fox-hunting which I have cut from the Daily News, is admirable.
Believe me | Yours very truly | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]
Status: Draft transcription [Letter (WCP3234.4226)]
For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon
Parkstone,
Dorset
August 9 1901
Thanks for the sketch of "William Morris, his life and work".1 It is very well done and shows what a remarkable man Morris was. But the writer shows, I think great prejudice at p.14, in his absurd remarks on Bellamy's work, which I expect he really never made. To my mind "Looking Backwards" is a better story than "News from Nowhere", and gives a sketch of a far truer and more practicable, and also more enjoyable socialistic regime than that sketched by Morris. I find that most of the people who speak of it as Mr Mackail2 does have never read it through! It demonstrated to me the practicability of Socialism, while in its sequel and conclusion,— "Equality",— the whole theory of Socialism is worked out, and a mode of bringing it about indicated, which would quite accord with Morris' great maxim, by "making socialists" in consequence of the visible material advantages of its action when partially at work. [2]
letter of Aug 9 1901 contd
With your letter came one from a friend here to whom I had lent Mr Blunt's "Times" letter "The Shame of the 19th Century",3 asking how he can get some to give away. Is it for sale? or if not can you send me a dozen copies for distribution[?] I greatly enjoyed Mr Blunt's visit — I hope he will not forget to obtain the details about the one-armed boy. His letter about the Fox-hunting which I have cut from the Daily News, is admirable.
Status: Draft transcription [Transcription (WCP3234.3202)]
For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon
Please cite as “WCP3234,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 29 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP3234