WCP418

[1]

Parkstone, Dorset.

Sept^r. 28th. 1897

My dear Annie¹

I send your knife & a letter. There is no particular news. On Sunday Mr. Murray the spiritualist called & had 3 cups of tea &c. & in the middle of our talk Mrs. Sconce! & another lady called, & I had to go up to them. Mrs. S. came to tell me — and did tell me at least half a dozen times — that General Minchin² had come to live here (at ^Inglewood) for the winter & perhaps permanently & that he was a chess player, brother to the great Minchin of Bournemouth, & she was sure I would ^like to know [2] him, & that Mrs. Minchin was very nice, & that they were of very good family — &c. &c. &c. &c. &c. &c. &c...Luckily in about a quarter of an hour she went, & I was again at peace!

Yesterday I went to Poole to see a book in the library, & bought some trellis. In the evening I went to Bournemouth & got a case of the last scissors & sent off to Mr. Casson for Mrs. D’Orsay, — who, though "just working people" as Will³ says, have such an aristocratic name that no doubt they are also of "good family". [3] To day the man comes to repair kitchener. I have got in my 6 tons of Cooperative coal which seems very good. I enclose sample of my new cards. This morning I have a letter⁴from Rudyard Kipling,⁵ — says he hopes to call some day — & thats the sum total of the news.

Tell your Pa⁶ that Mr. Linton called for the grass on Saturday afternoon when I was out, but left word that he was very much obliged to us both for it!

Love to all.

Your ever affectionate | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]