Ɛpsilon

WCP788

Letter (WCP788.960)

[1]1

Mr Bates2

Many years have now passed without an opportunity of thanking you for your kindness to my dear Herbert3 in a foreign land — — accept my thanks now though late — I have enclosed 2 pieces of writing his composition — it shews a more contemplative mind than I gave him credit for[.] I have many more written at various times but so imperfectly that it is with difficulty I have been able [2] to make out the meaning of many of them — someday I will shew you my manuscripts of mostly written on his journeyings through the Country — — say nothing to my son Alfred he is peculiar and may not like my troubling you with things long past [sic] away[.]

Yours truly | M A Wallace4 [signature]

May 11th 1863

[in pencil in unknown hand] A. R. WALLACE’S MOTHER

1
Senders address not shown.
2
Bates, Henry Walter (1825-1892). British naturalist, explorer and close friend of ARW.
3
Wallace, Herbert Edward ("Edward") (1829-1851). Brother of ARW and assistant to him in Brazil.
4
Wallace, (née Greenell) Mary Ann (1792-1868). Mother of ARW.

Editorial information

Status: Edited (but not proofed) transcription [Letter (WCP788.960)]

For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon

Revision history

Transcribed by Shapland, Lesley [2012-10-03] Transcription checked by Lucas, Paula [2020-03-19] Transcription checked by Chua, Christine [2024-12-24]

Please cite as “WCP788,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP788