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Thanks his father for his letter. Thinks G[eorge] is happy and 'quite at home' [at Wixenford]. Mr Arnold has told Robert to ask Charlie how much he will have to know when he goes to Harrow; wrote to him a few days ago. Likes the Virgil and Euripides' "Iphigenia" very much. Hears that Welldon has been chosen for Harrow [as headmaster]; hopes he is a 'nice man'. He and George are getting on well in their work. Asks his father to thank his mother for her letter and the umbrella. Tomlin 'took Up[p]er Shell'. [Nugent] Hicks is going to Harrow next term. Has written to Grandpapa T[revelyan]. Sends love to all, 'Spider included'.

Decorated with transfer stickers of a fly, beetle and moths [?]. Is well and happy, hopes his family are too. Is 'going to try for the chess compitition [sic]', and Smith says he has 'a chance'. Asks what sort of bird Georgie caught. [James?] Tomlin gave him a moth. Thinks there are 'only more 60 days in the term'. Has 'bought the buterflie [sic] book from Browning' which he was meaning to buy anyway, for thirteen shillings: Newman's British Butterflies and Moths. Is going to write to Georgie soon. Sends love to all.

Thanks his mother for her letter. They played Mortimer yesterday and 'licked them 3 to 0'. Tomlin got one and Whitlaw and Archie another. The 'Christmas number' of the [school] paper will come out next Saturday, not yesterday, as 'there is so much more to print'.; he thinks there will be four more pages. It rained for half of the match yesterday. Is getting on 'very well', and is glad the holidays are so near. Adds a postscript saying he supposes he is going 'via Waterloo'.

Expects she got his postcard on Saturday; thanks her for her letter. Shares his bedroom with Law, Lewin, and Booth, though they thought they would have O'Brien. The new boys are Lyall, Barneby and Whitelaw minor. He is now in the Lower First, which consists of Smith, Leveson, Archie, Lawrence and himself; Tomlin and Hales [? are in the Upper First. Lewin comes today. Asks his mother if he can send his stamp book, which he left on a shelf in the night nursery in London. Hopes his father will make a 'successful speech'. A boy here is collecting 'old crests [?]' so asks if she can find any. Hopes Charlie 'has got a good place'.

[On headed notepaper for 8 Grosvenor Crescent, S.W.]:- Wishes he had written before to say how sorry he is about his grandfather's death; thinks it best that he and Charlie should go to the funeral. Would 'almost rather go home on speech day', as he will see the rehearsal, and he can see the real event another year.

Yesterday was the last stage of the reading prize, held in 'Speecher' at 9. Heyward jun[ior - Bernard Heywood?] came first in the fifth form prize; [James?] Tomlin was in the last stage but did not win. It was governor's speech day today and Saunders [actually R. A. Sanders] read the Contio [Latina]; Robert does not think the reading was very good, but Sanders had 'written it very well'.

Regrets that both he and Charlie must ask for one pound more: Robert had to pay almost two pounds at the beginning of term for a 'school sub, for the new boys pay extra'; in addition, 'all the necessary things, such as a chair, a table-cloth etc. cost a great deal'. Has not been spending as much recently. Thinks he may not be first [in his form] this fortnight, as he will 'lose a lot of marks for forgetting the boy who answered last, or where we got down to [in translating a passage?]', which the head of the form is supposed to do. Hopes this will be the only time. It is getting warmer, after having been very cold.

[On headed notepaper for 8 Grosvenor Crescent, S.W.]:- Is getting on 'very well'. Has had a letter from Georgie, who also seems well. Went to 'ducker' [the swimming pool] on Friday and Saturday, and 'did not find it half so cold' as he expected. Went into the Grove this morning; a boy 'dropt his watch chain into the pond, and it sank into the mud' so Robert does not think he will get it back. A bench collapsed at dinner today: 'there was a crash, and several boys fell over onto the floor'. Went for a walk with Tomlin and Hicks this morning, and will walk with Charlie after school. His room is 'quite full of flies'.

Has paid his cricket subscription, 15 shillings, and another 'which all new boys pay'. His watch has come and 'goes well'. Adds a postscript to say that he will be 'placed next Sunday', and has got his 'blue coat and flannel trousers'.

Wixenford, Eversley, Winchfield:- Has been meaning to write for 'some days', but has spent 'the last few lovely days almost entirely outdoors', as he hopes Bobbie has also done. Knows Bobbie does not need to be told how 'greatly delighted' Arnold is that all his work has been 'rewarded with success'. They tried their best to 'persuade one another.. it did not so much matter which way things went in the [Harrow entrance] examination', but Arnold is 'not too proud to confess' that since success is 'one of the most practical tests of good work', he at least 'hold[s] greatly to results'. Thanks Bobbie for his 'kind letter' and the postcard sent from Oxford, and offers congratulations.

Is 'much interested by the papers'; probably by now Bobbie will have seen what Mr Bowen said in a letter Arnold sent to Mrs Trevelyan. This was 'not all praise', and Bobbie 'shocked the examiners with blunders', as well as Arnold, but he 'also delighted them all through'. Arnold will 'sadly.. miss' their 'pleasant lessons together'. Thinks that what delighted the examiners is the 'permanent part', and that Bobbie will 'entirely get over' the errors which shocked them if he works hard over the next few years; 'Precision and accuracy is not a talent [Bobbie has] by nature', but he should take courage from the 'great strides' he has already made and feel it is in his power to fit himself 'for the highest achievements' over the next eight or nine years before he takes his degree at Cambridge. Arnold thinks that success which comes from hard work is superior to that which come only from talent without much effort.

Has had good news from Tomlin and from Leveson and Lawrence at Eton. Tomlin, 'not a scholar, mind you', writes that he was first in his form: first in classics, second in mathematics and natural science, and fourth in modern languages, with a prize for 'coming out top in Pupil-room'; he writes that he is 'so glad to see Trevelyan got a scholarship'. Arnold notes that Tomlin has 'done so well since he went to Harrow, without ever flagging', that he intends to give the Wixenford boys a half-holiday in his honour next term. Supposes they may have one in Trevelyan's honour: when Hicks got a scholarship, 'some fellows' said something about a whole holiday. Will give another half-holiday if Trevelyan is 'top of Lower Remove twice in the 3 first fortnights marks'

It is the 'peculiarity of Wixenford boys to wear well', though they do not 'always show all they know at first'; if Robert had not been 'unfortunate' in the Latin prose paper and the 'Greek passage about military tactics', he would undoubtedly have been placed much higher. Arnold wonders if he was hurried in the prose, as he thought an hour and a half short for this. Will be interested to hear what Robert's father thought of the prose Robert took home from Wixenford to show him: Arnold himself considered it 'very promising'. The Greek passage was not harder than many Robert had tried; supposes he went wrong somewhere and 'could not find the red thread again'; the verses were a 'triumph'.

Mrs Arnold sends good wishes and congratulations. Arnold will certainly not forget 'dear Bob', who should come and visit; sometimes Harrow holidays begin before Wixenford's, and then he can visit George. Robert can also send news occasionally 'as short epistles'; apologises for the length of this one. It is kind of Robert to send a present; will find it when they return on Monday, hopes it will be Robert's 'last photograph'. as he will have to have another one taken with his 'new honours'.

Hopes Robert is 'getting plenty of rest and enjoyment' on his holiday, and that George is also having 'plenty of fun'.