Ɛpsilon

WCP3329

Letter (WCP3329.3297)

[1]1

Herford

Westfalen

Germany

(Deutschland)

5/4 13

Sir!

I [sic] different German newspapers there were concerning your 90th birthday some essays of your important expeditions; and especially the Malayan Archipelago was pointed to. I have bought the book2 and have read it with the greatest pleasure. I have got your address by Mr Muller3 who was so fortunate to as to call on you in England in your Home. I hope you will be so happy, still for years, to live over in remembrance, for a second time, your blissful and industrious life in peace and [2] happiness. There are not many people who share in this happiness. Besides you, I know in Germany only our venerable Alexander v. Humbolt4 who has created himself an eternal life by his great knowledge and labour. Your name, as well as him [sic], will be known and talked of, as long as there are intellectual nations in the world.

I was fore [sic] two years teacher in Powick Court, near Worcester. 59 years ago.5I love England, the life there, and the climate, and I always think with pleasure of this time. England is simply beautiful, the Eng. ought to travel in their own country, ther [sic] are splendid sceneries.

[3] I have also your likeness, but only one of the newspaper, and such pictures are generally not well done. I shall put your likeness near Alexander v. Humboldt's, Darwin's,6 Prof. Ernst Haeckel7 of Jena the [sic] I shall have my friends together. In this letter I wanted to thank you for the treat I have had in reading your book, and to congratulate you on your beautiful old age.

Respectfully yours | Frau Elise Schönfeld8 [signature]

1

In ARW’s handwriting, “Sent new book”. Wallace, A. R. 1913. Social environment and moral progress. London, New York, Toronto & Melbourne: Cassell & Co., Ltd.

The letter has not been found.

2
Wallace, A. R. 1913. The Malay Archipelago: The land of the orang-utan, and the bird of paradise. A narrative of travel, with studies of man and nature. London: Macmillan and Co.
3
Muller has not been identified.
4
Humboldt, Alexander von (1769-1859). Prussian geographer, naturalist and explorer.
5
This sentence was written vertically up the left hand side of page 2.
6
Darwin, Charles Robert (1809-1882). British naturalist, geologist and author, notably of On the Origin of Species (1859).
7
Haeckel, Ernst Heinrich Philipp August (1834-1919). German biologist and philosopher.
8
Schönfeld, Elise (-). German teacher.

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Letter (WCP3329.3297)]

For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon

Revision history

Transcribed by Paterson, Gavin [2019-01-09] Transcription checked by Paterson, Gavin [2019-01-09] Transcription checked by Sherwood, Danni [2020-08-10] Transcription checked by Chua, Christine [2026-04-18]

Please cite as “WCP3329,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP3329