WCP60

[1]

Parkstone, Dorset.

August 14^th. 1902

My dear Will¹

The plasterers being at work, & the hot-water-pipes, & as he does Electric bells &c., I asked him for a price, as it would be much better for him to do it with the pipes. He gave me yesterday, his price. He says you have specified it rather expensively, but if we do not want, ornamental pushes he will do it to your satisfaction for £7. — There are 12 pushes in all — 10 rooms & 2 front & back doors. — I think that is below what you expected, so I shall order him to go on at once. He lives close by, & will keep ^it in order for 6 months. [2] We have a contract for the plastering to be finished in a month from Aug. 6th. When he began, — it includes all the upstairs rooms; the landing, staircase & hall & above a dado; my bedroom above a dado; the kitchen, all offices & vestibule. £28² — labour only The first coat is now just finished, & that first done (about 4-5 days) is as hard & dry as possible,- owing to the lime & sand being both first-rate. It is therefore certain that the rooms will all be habitable a fortnight after the last coat is on — (the 3rd. of September) bringing us to the well within the 20th September when we have agreed to vacate [3] this house. Having so much plastered, will leave a manageable amount of wood-work to do, and if my Study is finished first as our general living room, all the rest can be done after we are in, without any inconvenience, and (to me) with pleasure; as we shall be always there to decide at the moment how any thing is to be done. I shall also be glad to get there in order to begin putting the Garden in order round the house which will be a rather long & laborious job.

Grandpa³ came on Tuesday with Ma⁴. He went to Broadstone with me yesterday, & though it was partly wet we went all over [4] the ground, the woods, & the house, even to the roof, & seemed much pleased, — especially with the mossiness of a good many of the tree trunks, so that it is quite possible he may find a new moss to distinguish our domain.

In haste | Your affectionate Pa | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]