WCP44

[1]

Parkstone, Dorset.

March 16th, 1902

My dear Will¹

In case I should forget I will now advise you in case you or any of your friends should catch Small-pox, — to take a hot bath at once for about 20 minutes, then drink a half pint of tolerably strong salt and water, (a small teaspoonful in a tumbler) repeat twice a day, bath & salt, & you will probably be well in two or three days.

Acetylene. I have got two independent opinions, both quite favourable. The Hon. Rollo Russell² gave me a letter from a friend of his near Haslemere who has his house lighted, and it is quite successful, & no difficulty whatever — His is "Thorn & Hoddle [2] Acetylene Co. Limited — The "Incanto" Generator.

The other is a friend of my friend, Mr. Bernard, who has his stables & coachman’s Cottage lighted with it. The coachman tells him that he has tried all kinds of lighting ^{in various places} & this is the best next to electric, & no difficulty whatever. I see there ^is a Parliamentary Report just issued on Acetylene Lighting, which I will get.

House goes on satisfactorily. The first truck load of Bridgewater bricks have come, & look well, Mr. Curtis Sen^r. was at Broadstone on Friday & we settled several matters of detail, such as a few ornamental bricks for string course details of windows &c, and I think all will now go on well & much [3] quicker. Your plan of the glass ventilators over the doors is excellent, and Mr. C. says they put them often in their houses now merely for ventilation. It costs little or nothing extra as they are made with the door in one frame, & bricks are saved.

The Auto-biography³ is not begun, but I have just finished the two final chapters on Astronomy for the new edⁿ. of Wond. Cent.⁴ & the most difficult of all, and I have now only corrections & ^{a few} additions to make in the rest of the volume, which I hope to get out of hand in a month. Only yesterday I had a card ^letter from Macmillan saying that it is necessary to reprint my "Malay Archipelago"⁵ & to send corrections at once if there are any. As there are a few this is another bit of work. Strange [4] how this book pleases some people. I have a letter⁶ from an American lately, who says that it is his "bible" — that he has read it through many times, and that he always keeps it by his bed!

There have been some deaths recently from vaccination, but the doctors always persuade coroners & juries that vaccination had nothing to do with it — & they are believed!

I have now no end of work in the Broadstone garden, & must be there every fine day. I am trying to get a donkey to take down clay & bring up leaf-mould & good loam, required for vines & flower borders as the top is often too stiff & poor soil.

Your affectionate Pa | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]