Item 23 - Letter from C. Kegan Paul to Henry Sidgwick

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Expresses his desire to know about Sidgwick's scheme for correspondence teaching. Wanted to invite him to their house during the summer, but their plans were upset by Paul's catching the small pox early in August. Refers to the amusement he derived from the reports of his death, and from some of the views passed on his character and conduct while alive, and refers to the fact that the clergy of a clerical society to which he no longer belongs 'thought of attending [his] funeral, and then recoiled at the thought of the possible danger of infection'. Asks Sidgwick to recommend 'any simple book of applied mathematical problems...which takes e.g. the 3 first Bks of Euclid, and gives practical applications of the various problems. Remarks that 'Nancy shows a remarkable aptitude for Mathematics, but becomes impatient of theory, and wants to see how the things she learns have a bearing on life and its doings.' Suggests that if Sidgwick can tell him of such a book, it can be sent to him by Deighton and Bell. Asks Sidgwick's opinion on the Dialectical Society's "Report on Spiritualism". Does not think a great deal of it 'if one subtract Mr Home and Mrs Guppy'. Believes the latter to be 'an [arrant] humbug', and remarks that she '[brought] flowers in the dark, but then so did Mr S[ ] the conjuror in the light, at [ ] a few evenings ago.' Asks how things are at Rugby. Refers to the case of two boys who are orphans there.