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Trinity College Cambridge [on headed notepaper for Clare College, with Clare crossed through]:- Thanks his mother for her letter. 'Old Vanity' [A. G. Watson, of Harrow] is here, staying at the lodge [the Master's Lodge at Trinity]; Robert saw him briefly, and he 'seemed very happy'. Charlie met him at dinner, but Robert dined with the Lytteltons [Kathleen and Arthur?], sitting next to Miss Gladstone and 'the Newnhamite who is expected to have done best in the classical tripos [Florence Stawell?]', which finished yesterday. They 'all hope that O'Rorke has got through', but are not sure.

Charlie 'seems very well indeed, but has not been doing much work'. They went for an 'expedition in canoes up the Cam yesterday', bathed, and 'had tea at a village'. Hears Bowen is 'cutting out all the Waterloo part from G[eorgie]'s poem'. Hopes that his parents are well. Supposes the [general] election will definitely be in July. He and his friends have 'settled to go to the Lakes, and not to Scotland'; there will be four or five of them.

The Shiffolds, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking. - Apologises for not writing for a few days: they 'missed a post by mistake', and this afternoon Roland [Vaughan Williams?] called wanting him to go for a walk just as he was about to write and Bessie thought he should go. There is not much news: Bessie and Paul are doing well. Bessie has 'already seen several people', and Lady V[aughan] Williams will probably visit tomorrow.

Thanks his mother for her letter, which came this afternoon; Bessie thanks her for her last letter and was 'much amused to hear of the muisjes-rite'; she is 'shocked' that Robert is 'refusing the sacriment, because it contains carroway seed [sic]' - he does however think they 'look very pretty'. Bessie says the 'nursing' [breast-feeeding] is going well, and 'the supply and demand question, which often seems the chief difficulty, has been settled to the satisfaction of both parties'.

There has been heavy snow, but the 'Doctor still comes out in his motor'. Will give Gussie [Enticknap] his Christmas card. Robert has had a 'letter of congratulation' from A. G. Watson. Supposes there is snow at Welcombe too.

Has come '4th this fortnight'; Gifford [Giffard?] was 1st. Will try to do better next fortnight; thinks he will be able to now he 'thoroughly know[s] the form'. Charlie 'has not been placed yet'. The 'torpid matches are next Tuesday week' so if convenient she should not come on that day as he would not be able to see much of his. His house 'have a good chance of being cock-house', since they have beaten Haywards and Skipper's, who were considered best. He and Charlie are 'quite well'; hopes his father is. Will write to Georgie soon for his birthday; hopes he is' getting on well in his new form'. The Salvation Army come to Harrow, and 'have meetings in front of Clarke's house'; the boys there 'threw water and other missiles at them, until Vanity [Watson] stopped them'. The weather has been 'very cold' and 'freezing rather hard'.

[On headed notepaper for Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland]: - Thanks his mother for her letter. His father came yesterday; Robert 'found him in Charlie's room'. Charlie 'seemed better ['much' crossed out]; Robert thinks he is going home on Wednesday. Went to breakfast at Mr Watson's with his father and Hallam; his father left at 10.30. Robert's 'back is all right now', but it was 'rather bad for a few days'. His father seemed well; told him he didn't need any money, as he has 'plenty left'. His father did not have time to 'come and see Bojon [E. E. Bowen?]'.

Has been 'rather bad weather lately', and is now getting cold. Hopes they will have fires soon. They had a 'whole holiday yesterday'.

[On headed notepaper for Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland]: - Is sorry she 'had so rough a passage'. Got his 'grub all right'. Glad to hear that '[Frank] Holl's picture of Papa is such a success' and would very much like to see it. Charlie 'seems all right now' [after his illness]; Robert 'went a walk with him instead of footer' last Thursday, towards Pinner. [Henry Morton?] Stanley gave a lecture last Wednesday evening; he was 'very interesting' and Robert thinks it was a 'great success'. 'Bozy [Bosworth Smith?] brought in a king and queen from somewhere about Sierra Leone, which caused great amusement'. He 'went into chapel the next morning... in a cap rather like a Bozyite fez'.

Went down [to London] with Charlie to see the Old Harrovians' match against the Old Westminster boys; both played well but Harrow lost [in the first round of the F.A. Cup?]. Lionel Holland came down amongst 'the old boys from Vanity's house'; Robert didn't see him for long. Mr [J. W.?] Cunningham has had Robert and Charlie to tea this evening; they sometimes see the Stevens, whom Miss Martin used to teach, there. He and Charlie are both 'getting on very well'.

[On headed notepaper for Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland]: - Thanks his mother for her letter. Is sorry that he has not written earlier; has been working hard this fortnight to 'come out high' in his form. Charlie has 'done very well' and come twelfth, gaining a place. Robert won the 'carrying race', mainly as he was drawn with Stephenson, who is 'nearly the lightest' in their house; they each get two shillings. Thinks he also gets something for being third in the half mile, but is not sure. Came first in his heat 'for the small house hundreds', but has 'no chance in the final'.

Supposes Georgie will be 'coming home on the Friday'. Asks if they will stay in London from 'the Tuesday to the Thursday'. Will try to keep his place for the last remaining week, but it will 'not count much'. Vanity [A. G. Watson] is going to Greece tomorrow, so Moss and Owen will take Robert's form; Lascelles is taking Watson's house.

Is glad his father is 'so well'. Thinks they will have 'a very happy holidays'. Hallam saw Robert today and said that he should 'go in for the Latin Epigrams [prize]'. Will have to talk to his father about it in the holidays, since it is a 'very important prize' and he should not enter it unless he can 'do a really good epigram'. Will have all holiday to consider it.

On headed notepaper for Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland]: - Thinks they will have their 'quarter marks' today; will tell her them at the end of the letter. Does not think he can come out second, though he might manage third or fourth. Thinks Charlie will also be placed today. Came third in the 'house small-hundreds', very close to Mitchell, who was second. Charlie won the house long-jump; he would not have done so if Henry 'had not sprained himself', but he still 'jumped very well; he also came second in the house hurdles.

[Writing later] He has returned from school, but he has not had his quarter marks. Was third last week. Will not hear their quarter marks until next Monday. Has 'got a composition copy', though could not win the prize as he got it last term; Moss says that he was 'really first'. Vanity [A. G. Watson] has gone to Greece, so Moss took them last week. It has been 'rather hot for the last few days'.

Gladstone is coming to tea with Welldon this evening; there is 'a crowd of chairs [?] waiting to see him'. Robert will bring some of his verses back. Hopes his grandfather is well.

[on headed notepaper for 8 Grosvenor Crescent; envelope postmarked 23 Mar 1888]:- Is sorry to say that he has 'very bad news' again, but that 'it is nothing to do with idleness, or inattention...' since he does not 'think there is a master who can deny' that he has 'worked really well' in the last fortnight. Last term, Robert used to help a boy called Roffey with his iambics, which is not against the rules since 'a sixth form has a right to give help' which is recognised by masters if 'in moderation'. Roffey is 'not a clever boy, but one of that large class who do as little work as they can'. Robert used to talk to Charlie about it, who did not think there was anything wrong in helping boys like that who do not want to get on as long as it does not inconvenience the helper.

This term Robert did more, and 'often did the whole exercise' for Roffey, not as well as he could but 'making mistakes purposely', so that Roffey in fact got higher marks when he did the work himself. Robert says this to prove that he did not help to make Roffey 'get his remove', which Roffey did not wish to get and often said he 'preferred remaining where he was': Roffey was 'simply lazy' and Robert 'good-natured'. Last night Bowen found Robert doing Roffey's exercizes, and saw it as the two of them 'conspiring together to cheat and overreach Mr Watson', thinking that Roffey was doing it to get his remove. Robert sees that Bowen has 'a right to be very angry, and to punish [Robert] as severely as he chooses', but that as he was not doing his best in the exercises, he will 'maintain... until the end' that he was not conspiring to cheat anyone, but just out of good nature; that he did not do it 'from compulsion', though it was hard to stop once he had begun, and it 'never interfered with work'. Does 'not think it a very disgraceful thing, but... a very foolish and weak thing to have done' so much of it; his parents and the masters have 'a right to be very angry' with him and he 'cannot complain at any punishment' he gets. Is more worried about the 'trouble and distress' it will give his parents than anything which will happen to him.

They have now had all their 'hard trials except one'; thinks he has done well. Came out 'first in quarter marks', but does not yet know by how much. Asks if she as well as his father are 'coming down to Watson's on Saturday'. Only two boys are leaving from their house: one he is 'very sorry is going, the other rather glad'. Thinks Charlie is well. Strutt was 'very ill a few nights ago', but has now recovered; it was probably caused by 'some poison, possibly tinned sardines'. He was 'very bad indeed, and Mr Bowen was frightened'. Hopes Georgie is all right, and that his holidays start near Robert and Charlie's.

There has been a bad fog all morning, which has not yet entirely disappeared. Mr Woodhouse said Robert should come and see him before the end of term or at the beginning of the holidays; supposes he will have time to see him.

[On headed notepaper for Wallington]:- Thanks his mother for her letter. Is very glad Charlie has 'got his remove'; does not think Charlie will be able to get it this term, as there are 'only three or four removes'. Mr Bowen says Héricourt was the last battle of the Franco-Prussian war, and that Robert's father probably knows it by another name [the Lisaine?]; Robert has forgotten this, and will ask Bowen again.

Likes 'Van's form [ie A. G. Watson, known as 'Vanity'?] very much. He was rather strict at first' but is better now; Robert 'also could not understand anything he said' at first, but is 'over that now'. Thinks he will get on all right. In the 'cock house match' today, he hears that Weldon's house was beaten by Haywood's, and that it was a 'very exciting' game. Enjoyed himself in London; they went to dinner with Aunt Nora [Trevelyan, his grandfather's second wife?] who seemed very well. A Mrs Strutt was there.

Mr Woodhouse 'stopped' Robert's tooth, and said the rest would be alright if he 'cleaned them well'. Mr McKenzie said he did not think Robert would want a 'tonic' yet. Has been sent two bills from Pickard & Curry and the watchmaker; Charlie advised him to sent them to her. Hopes his father is all right.

Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland. - Has just read 'our dear brother's novel' ["Gerald Eversley's Friendship" by Welldon, their fellow Apostle], which is 'not so bad as [he] expected': the 'commonplaceness of the story and the setting is so bold and unconventionally conventional' that it is not laughable. About half the book is set at Harrow, and this is 'good, that is true to life'; he 'knows more of boys' than George thought. Versions of Van [A. G. Watson, known as 'Vanity'] and [Charles] Searle appear. The two main characters are a 'young barbarian' and a 'swot' who make friends; the swot's 'religious doubt' is the subject of the last half of the book, and must be respected as written by 'one of the last of the old style [emphasised] of Xtian brethren', as he takes Welldon to be. The morals of this part seem to be that 'religion may be false but it is necessary to happiness and conduct', and that a young man should 'go to Trinity, not Baliol [sic]': the swot goes to Balliol, 'finds people making epigrams instead of talking apostolically', suffers religious doubts which are not taken seriously and attempts suicide; clear that Welldon views the swot's 'reversion to Xtianity rather a poor job'; George thinks Balliol people 'will be very angry'.

Glad that Robert is coming back soon; thinks that their mother is inviting 'McT' [Jack McTaggart?], to whom their father is eager to show the Macaulay books, but she will not do so before Bob returns. Is getting 'very fond of the West Wood', and wishes there were such a place to walk in Cambridge: the Backs are 'too academical and not solitary or secluded enough'. Is 'beginning to find imagination of unreal company or circumstances very refreshing for a few minutes each day'. Describes how the battle [involving toy soldiers] is going in detail, with suggestions as to how it should proceed; sketches out a map for this.

On headed notepaper for A. G. Watson's [house], Harrow:- Is playing cricket 'with enough success to please [himself] this term, though that is not much'. Little news; all has been quiet since Princess Louise's visit, when 'there was a great deal too much fuss made', though at least they got a holiday. All is well, and 'the new boys seem reasonable people'. [Lawrie?] Oppenheim and another boy have a chance of getting into the [cricket] eleven, though Robert does not think they will. Is not going down to ducker [the outdoor swimming pool] yet.

Hears Mr Belfield is going to the Straits Settlement. Hopes that she and his father are well. Is reading a book for Mr Bowen called Lewis' History of Philosophy: Bowen says he was 'very fond of it when he was a boy', which Robert quite understands. It is 'raining and cool' here today, which makes a good chance after recent heat.

[On headed notepaper for 8 Grosvenor Crescent, S.W.:]- Thanks his mother for her letter, which he received yesterday, and for the cod-liver oil. Did not 'come out well [placed in his form] this fortnight': was only eleventh. Had not had time to 'act up' to his father's advice in order to make any difference in last fortnight's place, but now all the prize exercises are done, he ought to 'make a distinct improvement'.

Mr Bowen spoke to Robert on Thursday night, and 'seemed as convinced of ever of [Robert's] dishonesty' [see 45/189], but Robert 'thought it best to agree with him' as advised. Bowen said he was very glad about Robert's success but 'thought his accusations more important'; he also stopped Robert's absit, and though Robert thought this unfair he said nothing 'for fear of making a quarrel'. Hopes that 'in time [Bowen] will find out he is wrong', and in the meantime Robert will follow his father's advice.

Went to tea with Mr Glazebrook yesterday. Has to choose his prize soon; has not decided yet, but will get 'some book that will be useful... now, such as the conquest of Mexicoe [sic], or something that [he] could read in the holidays'. Does not think he has much chance of the prose [prize], as he 'finished it rather in a hurry], but 'got the verse done all right'. Their house match started on Saturday; they are beating 'Stoggies [Stogdon's house], while Watson's are beating Bozzies.

On headed notepaper for the Harrow Philathletic Club, with 'The Grove' added in Robert Trevelyan's hand:- Hopes she has recovered from her cold; will not expect to hear from her yet. There is currently a 'row going on among the masters of a most mysterious kind', which 'seems to be about Toswill'. The students do not know what the row is, but 'it is supposed that Tosher wants to have Van [A.G. Watson]'s house. The masters are 'all talking eagerly' amongst themselves, but Robert believes it is 'nearly all over now'. Not much else is happening.

On headed notepaper for the Harrow Philathletic Club, with 'The Grove, Harrow' added in Robert Trevelyan's hand:- Supposes Charlie will soon start for London; hopes he arrives safely. Charlie will have heard 'how badly' he did in his exams, which was a 'great disappointment' to him and their father; it was due to his 'old failing in comp[osition]' of 'not finishing'. He did 'very respectably in Unseens;, but should have taken his father's advice about 'working up' Divinity; will tell him in the holidays about 'the [news]paper', which probably had something to do with Robert not doing well in Divinity.

Sees now that he should not have 'wasted so much time' over the paper, and perhaps not have done it at all without asking his father. It is done now, however, and 'being sold today'; thinks it will be 'a fair success'. They do not mind Charlie 'not having written about Van [A.G. Watson]', as he did not have the time; nor could he tell the kind of piece or length required. They have written a 'short paragraph about [Van], praising him very much'. Robert has not written much himself, but has 'had most of the trouble and bother'.

Is not doing much running, mainly since he is 'entirely out of training'. Is sure they will enjoy themselves at Hastings. Hears their mother is getting better, but not whether she will be able to go with them. Sends Charlie 'a copy [of the newspaper?'.

On headed notepaper for the Harrow Philathletic Club, with 'The Grove, Harrow' added in Robert Trevelyan's hand:- Should have written before. The paper knife [for the Harrow Philathletic Club, see 45/217-218] has come, and he is sure it will do very well; the club will keep the old one 'for the present, and probably for ever'. Asks her if she wants him to send his greatcoat home; will ask Mrs Dungate [the housekeeper] to pack it up if so. Fears that he was 'hurried' at the end of his prose, though he 'did most of it carefully'.

Now the 'troubles of acting are beginning': Robert himself has 'very little to do', and is 'very glad of it. But the rehe[a]rsals take a long time'. They are performing Paul Pry [farce by John Poole], which 'is too long and too difficult' for them. His house are in the middle of an exciting [cricket] match with Van's [A. G. Watson's], and should win. Everyone has been 'very much depressed by the death of the boy in that house'.

The school is 'still doing badly at Cricket'. Sees 'the O'Garman is dead'. Adds a postscript to say that his mother gave him 'quite enough money'.