WCP89

[1]

Broadstone, Dorset

March 26th. 1904

My dear Will¹

To criticise your verses in detail would require more time than I can give now. You last — "April—", is one of the best, but it has some bad faults. The two first verses are excellent — but you should get a better word than "harmoniously" in 2nd. Also "fantastic’ly" is bad. In last verse "solit’ry" is bad. [The following one sentence was written vertically up the left hand side of page] hillside is better than heather which is August.

I think alliteration is overdone. whenever it make ^mars the musical rhythm, as — "breeze breathes" — that is difficult to pronounce — "wind" would there be better. [2] In the "Outcast"² near end "o’erhung" would be better than "o’er grown".

Human Evolution would be very good with a little polishing, and I don’t like only two lines to rhyme. The last two verses are very good in substance but "cruel" is not spelt "crewl" and the line is too long — perhaps "primal" instead of "primeval" would be best. The metre however is rather jerky, & not suitable to such a fine subject.

Violet³ is at home. I think I told you that my portrait was not much of a success [3] & I believe he will come again

In case you are not able to see the "Fortnightly" I send you my Proof of the letter about "Leonainie."⁴ If you read it carefully you will I think see that there is something very queer & very suspicious about the old whole affair. To me it seems incredible, that the man who deliberately prints such incongruities and absurdities as I have pointed out, could possibly have composed so beautiful, & musical an imitation of Poe⁵ as is our version ^{and substantially his.} Please [4] return it when done with, as I may want it to show some one.

Mr. Marriott’s letter-paper has now a fresh heading as follows: -

"The Portico Library"

57, Mosley Street

Manchester.

So if you want to make his acquaintance you can call on him. He will I am sure be glad to see you, and he is at least a library man & perhaps fond of science too. He lives with his father so I presume is not married.

[The following one sentence was written vertically up the left hand side of the page 4] The first half my Bird of Par. [Bird-of-paradise] article will be in next Independent Review.⁶

Your affectionate Pa | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]