WCP557

[1]¹

National Canine Defence League.²

Telephone — Gerrard 8528.

Head Offices: 27 Regent Street,

London, S. W.

(Close to Piccadilly Circus)

Manchester Centre

21, Oxford Road Address

(M^rs.) W. Bently Capper Hon[orary]. Sec[retary].

8^th Jan[uary] 1913

Dear Sir,

Though quite unknown to you personally will you allow me to be one of the great number to heartily congratulate you on attaining today your ninetieth birthday³, and to sincerely hope you will be spared to your friends and country for which you have done so much grand work during your long & useful lifetime — for many a year to come. I want to ask you a very great favour & [2]⁴ feel sure you won[’]t refuse my request if only you can find an odd moment in which to grant it. I am, and have been for the last ten years, a convinced anti-vivisectionist, and anti-vaccinist, and am thankful to say that my husband is the same. And from what I have read in "The Abolitionist"⁵, & other animal magazines from time to time, I know Sir, that with all your wonderful gifts are allied that best of all "Humanity"! And I shall feel more grateful than ever I can express in mere words if only you will, please, write something which may prove helpful to me on the subject of "Vivisection" (and Vaccination, too, if you wish) in the two little books I am screwing up my courage to send to you. Please do — oh do, forgive my audacity in daring to ask of you this great favour. I may say I have the honour of knowing D^r Hadwen⁶ & D^r Pinder[?]⁷, of Manchester & to my mind — & that of may more — D^r Hadwen is one of the grandest champions of the helpless animals living! But so also is D^r Pinder[?], and thank goodness there are plenty more who have given up almost everything to work for anti-vivisection. I myself have been privileged to obtain almost 26,000 signatures to petition against vivisection but it has taken rather more than 10 years to collect them and propaganda work [3]⁸ is always going on from here which is often no easy task, as my husband is a Druggist⁹, and we live on a very busy thoroughfare & on the same road as the University (Owen’s College)¹⁰, & York Place (only ¼ hours walk from here), at both of which places alas! Vivisection is carried on and one has had to put up with many an insult from the students & older men, too, for having the courage of our convictions — but there are compensations for the flag is always kept flying [4] and many a convert has been made by of people who have come in and taken away & read the free literature, always at hand, & who have come again later and signed either the National Canine Defence League’s or the Total Abolition petitions against the torture of Vivisection.

Pardon this lengthy letter but I was anxious that at least you should be assured of my bona fides regarding my personal attitude towards this grave and pressing question of vivisection which some of us would if need be give our very lives to sweep away root & branch.

With renewed most cordial wishes for very many happy returns of your birthday.

Yours faithfully | E. J. Capper¹¹ [signature] (Mrs. W. Bently Capper).

Prof[essor]. Alfred Russel Wallace