WCP3477

[1]^1,2

Hotel Bellevue, Paris

39, Ave de l’Opera.

June 26th 1910.

Dr. Alfred Russel Wallace, England,

My Dear Dr. Wallace,

For many years it has been the dream of my life, or the prayer of my life, or both, to meet you. Perhaps it is not a prayer to be granted in this present state of life, and I am not impatient regarding it, —

" I can wait Heaven’s perfect hour

Through the innumerable years"

as our Emerson says. Of course my name is unknown to you ; ^and this little printed data I enclose merely to explain the better that in many of my books I have allowed myself the privilege of enriching them by quoting from you; and Dr Richard Hodgson³ who was (is, I trust I may say) one of my nearer friends, and I, used to so often speak of you in our talks.

My home is in Boston, U.S.A., but for the past fourteen years I have spent a part of every year in Europe, usually passing the winter in Italy, the spring in Paris and London, and then returning to write my book, and see it through the press, and then sailing again. This last winter I landed at Genoa the last day of January, and divided the time between Florence and Rome until June, when I came here. I go on to London on July 2nd, and I am [2] 2 venturing (pray pardon, if yuu [sic] cannot grant, my petition,) but I am ventureing to ask, dear Dr. Wallace, whether you would let me meet you for a brief talk? In reading your interesting and most fascinating autobiography,⁴ I noted down your present residence; but this ^{the memoranda} has been left in Florence, so I now sending this to "Light" to forward, but I have the impression you are not very far from London.

I have all my life been deeply interested in that extension of our life here in the eteral ethereal, — in fact, it is a sort of ever-present consciousness with me rather than any thing phonmenal [sic], and its realities are a part of daily experience. I have written a good deal, first and last, in this line, — my first book having been published in 1894, and my nineteenth, "Life Trans-figured",⁵ being now in press (at my Boston publishers, Little, Brown and Co.) to appear this autumn.

For some years past I have been having many letters from Dr. Hiram Corson,⁶ of Cornell University, New York, — now Professor Emeritus of literature, — a vererable [sic] and dastinguised [sic] scholar and especially an interpreter of the great poets, and these letters are largely filled with ^{his own} remarkable psychic experiences. It has often been in my mind that I wished I might show some of these to you. Dr. Corson was a personal friend of Browning’s, and in that connection there is much that is impressive.

[3] 3 After July 2nd, I shall be in rooms at our (women’s) Lyceum Club,— 128, Piccadilly, W. — and whether is^t is convenient, or the reverse, to you, dear Dr. Wallace, to permit me this privilege, in either case I am equally grateful, and equally glad to beg you, to let me tell you, here, how I feel the value, the beauty, the enrichment of your noble life and work, and permit me to remain, withe devoted regards,

Most Faithfully Yours | Lillian Whiting⁷ [signature]