WCP598

[1]

[in ARW’s hand] Ansd

Hazelwood

Leigh . on . Sea

6. 1. ‘13.

Dear Sir

I must, first of all, ask you to excuse me troubling you and then I must offer you my heartiest congratulations on the occasion of your birthday.

I am a schoolboy who is an enthusiastic collector of the signatures of great & famous men & women & who would be very pleased and greatly honored if you would be kind enough to favour him with your autograph. I could assure you that it would be placed in good company for my collection only numbering 115, contains most of the greatest people of the day.

It is not everybody who can appreciate autographs but I am glad to say I can and so it will be a great disappointment if you don’t see your way to greatly enhance the value of my [2] collection by allowing me to add your signature to it. But I don’t think you will disappoint me and I sincerely hope not — please don’t!

Again apologising for worrying you.

I am | Yours truly | Maurice G. Wells¹ [signature]

Dr. A. Russel Wallace