Parkstone, Dorset.
June 29th. 1895
My dear Annie
I had your letter this morning from Grindenwald & am very glad you have enjoyed yourselves & seen some good flowers at last. As you say nothing about it I suppose you did not get any live plants or ferns. I am getting things ready for our journey. See that your pa has his strongest walking shoes well nailed or I will not be responsible for him. Please bring with you [2] the Guide Book Bessie1 has & ask your Pa if I may cut out of it any maps that are better than those I have. I am arranging the small kettle & lamp in a strong card book box for our use. I have had George Silk2 with me for a week. He left this morning. As you like Meiringen so much we may stay there a night or two & then perhaps walk over the Scheideck3 to Grindenwald [3] staying a night at Rosenlain on the way. Did you walk up from Grindenwald to the Great Schiedeck[sic]? It is nearly 3000 feet higher, & I should have thought far too much for you unless the mountain air invigorated you. I have arranged with Dr. Allman’s4 gardener to come every evening & water the orchids. We have at last had a fine rain, all night, & the garden begins to look grand. I had a visit from Mr. [4] Comerford Casey5 & his daughter (two of whom came with the Bournemouth Botanists) He is a very nice man was at Nice during the great Earthquake is very fond of plants, and, although a parson, is quite open minded, & even a Socialist! He is a great invalid & may come to Parkstone but fears it is not bracing enough. I have also, yesterday, had a visit from the young student of Spiritualism & his wife, a very pretty woman who went off into a trance, & after being first a weepy lady, then a nigger-woman, afterwards was my mother, & would hold my hand very tight while I was being photographed & said she would try to appear! Perhaps6 we shall see something!
Your affectionate | Alfred [signature]
Status: Draft transcription [Letter (WCP410.410)]
For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon
Envelope addressed to "Mrs. Wallace c/o W. Mitten Esq, Hurstpierpoint | Sussex", with stamp, postmarked "PARKSTONE | F | JUL29 | 95". [Envelope (WCP410.1491)]
Please cite as “WCP410,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 27 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP410