Monday
Sep
September
20
My dearest boy
I expected the French mail in today – but as it has not come I begin my letter.
Last one was I fear a total disappointment to you – a short letter – no news of
the Ogilvies & no
magazines. The parcel was sent to
GS too late. – however you
rarely get these disasters – & much put up with them for once. It is not
likely to happen again. – About the
Ogilvies, she has misdirected her letter – it reached me afterwards
with a message to you, that she had had three happy days with
Mrs. A Allen – so your helping
her to make up her mind was all right.
I wrote
her again saying when I would be home & inviting her &
Miss Horne
to
Wildwood next day –
but they left for the
Isle of
Wight the day before – so for 3 weeks longer the grand meeting
is deferred. – Then she has promised to come – & bring the watch she has
sent the
Phos
Photos
– which are perfectly lovely – I never see any finer anywhere. I was
looking at some in the old
Liverpool shop-windows – yours are just as fine. You will see
when you come to contrast them with English
Phos
Photos
how amazingly you have improved since you went out. I think some of
those with water are as good as
Macpherson's Roman ones
that everybody praises so – real works of art. There
can be no doubt you the lead henceforth as a photographer – & be able to
make your own terms – & earn
£500 a year
– or much more. – You are a prosperous young man now – you are never likely to
be “hard” up again. – The
Aloe
– & the
Ogilvies house
– & the bridge where you walked across the girders at night – strike me as
about the best – except the
Consulado where the architecture
comes out wonderful – I have had so few
Phos
Photos
lately that these quite startled me by the improvement in them – if
the Emperor’s
are as good – you certainly ought to get a diamond
ring. – You will certainly now keep up the family glory – & I may retire
mildly into a corner which is what I always wanted to do. – About
papa – He wrote me letter
after letter to
Liverpool – & finally took new lodgings in
Stafford – having borrowed as
I told you from the warder of the jail – He refused me his address & forbade
my coming to see him but I got the address from
Major Fulford & went.
There I found him in most thriving condition – good lodgings – well-dressed –
looking about 60 only – & talking like anything – Really quite splendacious.
He was pleased at my coming – forgot all his wrath – & treated me politely
as a literary character – He fancies he has been offered by Government a pension
– at all costs he had applied for it & believed it is sure & he is very
grand accordingly – of course nothing will come of it – & he will get into
debt in the strength of it. – But nothing can be done – At all events he is
comfortable now – & with the shirts & the new clothes looks exceedingly
gentlemanly & venerable – quite like a papa in a play. He is deaf rather –
but that is the only sign of age about him. – He sent you a book which will come
in next parcel. – I heard in Liverpool that he had said he & I were away to
Ireland – &
Major Fulford,
who had come in to see me & was civil – informed me he was glad to hear
papa & I were
going together to winter in
Italy & be at the opening of
Mr. Sankey's railway! –
Papa’s
“imaginations” are something enormous. – Oh
Ben if you had been the least
like your father in anything but your love of wandering – which you are not – I
do think I should have gone clean mad. – and rather than see one of your
children the least like him I think I would put it in the water-butt
– Yet anybody more entirely agreeable & gentlemanly than he
is still – could not be. – He beats every old gentlemen I know. –
I went to see the Reades –
Longfield is two
charming houses – so tastefully built & furnished – such capital gardens. –
Mr. Reade is laid
up with rheumatism – will never work again - & Tom & Will keep the house between
them. Tom is
thriving in his profession – earned £400 the
1st year – yet he got
in a state of mind about keeping his father. Will who only gets his salary
of £120 insisted on paying his equal half –
said he’d want anything but he’d pay as much as Tom did – good honest
Will. – He comes
home every night – devotes himself to his patients – the garden - & little
Muriel – but
Tom is not
quite so steady-going. However, they all seem very comfortable – Lizzie & her husband
specially happy - & the baby so pretty – There is a likeness of you in every
room - & they have taught Muriel to jump at it - & “Kiss Uncle Ben” – which she does
with great unction. She is an uncommon
nice baby,
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very like aunt. Lizzie
has had her legacy from Emma & I received mine also yesterday £ 960. – My week with Albert & Clara was very nice – we had
quite a lively time – visitors almost every evening & tremendous
talking – Best
twice – the organ & Hall as lovely as ever.
It was so strange to go about the old place – I would have gone to Linacre – but had not
time – I have always a kindly feeling to Liverpool – it was on the
whole as peaceful & happy a year as ever I had in my life.
I went one day to New
Brighton to see Mrs.
Mott – & Annie
Dowie – née Chambers – it was close by the New Brighton light which we
used to watch between Walton & Linacre. Albert & Clara are not a bit changed –
except that she is stronger brighter, & more managing like in the house. We
used to talk often about you – they have just the old feeling towards you &
are looking forward to seeing to again when you come home. – Alfred Taylor has got to
be surveyor at Waterloo
– Where Tom
Reade goes to see him & Mrs. Alfred & the baby are
in a sort of rivalry with Lizzie & Muriel. – Greg & Sophia have two children to Clara's four. Annie Dowie has three. So
there’s no likelihood of Liverpool being unpopulated. Mrs. Andrew Stewart has
also another baby – indeed the lot of new babies I had to admire was something
quite alarming. Mrs. William
Lovell is expecting No 3 & William has got £200 a year additional – which is as well. – I was
over there today – & also at Upper
Terrace Lodge – but Marian
is away to Sydney &
Emily: – till the
month’s end. The Dobells are,
I told you – at
Aberystwith
Aberystwyth
. Nora has got better – & they are all enjoying themselves
very much. They go home the end of the month – & then George Craik pays them a
visit – He & Dr.
& Mrs. Craik
have been with me a few days here – en route to Bristol – His leg is still
unhealed & he goes upon crutches – & the railway have refused him all
compensation but he bears all as brave & firm as a rock. – I think my
intense respect for George
Craik is something quite inexpressible – I do believe if he could
cut himself up into little pieces for my sake he would do it – which isn’t
always the feeling of people one has done things for – generally very much
t'other – Nor is it always the result of people living constantly together for
nearly nine months – & consequently finding out all one another’s weak
points. They certainly are a most capital family – but the best of them all as
they themselves agree, is George. They are going to see the Aunts at Bath, as I told you – the Aunts having a special
reverence for Henry
Craik the uncle – and now I must stop – happy for tomorrow’s
letter –
– Friday. My letter came – as sure as clockwork – but I am terribly
sorry about your ankle. I am sure though you complain so little that is must be
very bad – & a sprain is a most serious business. I wish I was with you – my
poor boy – it’s awful to be lame with so much to do – and you who hate sitting
still – I am much afraid you will try to walk too soon – Don’t. – Better tie it
up entirely & take to crutches – you don’t know how easily one learns to get
about on crutches – for a whole month – or two even – than run the risk of years
of lameness – Remember Mama’s
three years. – & Mr.
Warren of Moor
Park who had about 5 years of it. Don’t play any tricks – it’s a
serious risk – I hope that agree is not serious – but there’s
no doubt the sooner you get away from the Tropics the better – however a little
time may settle that – I am more vexed than ever about your missed magazines –
however I have been trying to get them out by the French Mail. If nothing
results it is not for want of trying. And I shall now be steadily at home. I
think every time I leave it I get more attached to Wildwood – and more disposed
to stick at it. I pity your packing up & flitting – whatever all you do. I
hope
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