Showing 5 results

[On headed notepaper for Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland]:- 'All is as it should be here in every way': he and two other boys have got their removes. Likes Welldon 'well enough', but has 'only had three schools with him'. His great coat and new trousers have come and fit well.

Sanderson will not return for a week or so, and it is 'rather dull without him' since he is 'the only person [Robert] really care[s] for very much'. Has bought 'a Marseillese [sic] for him to play on the violin'. Has an essay to write on 'the sacred right of insurrection, which is a good excuse for reading again part of Carlyle's [French] Revolution'. Has ordered a Browning and a Greek Lyrics, which have not yet arrived. Is sorry Georgie is ill.

[On headed notepaper for Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland]:- Thanks his parents for their letters. The work is 'very slow in the sixth', but he does not mind too much, as 'the Sophocles is very hard to do really correctly' and at least Welldon thoroughly explains it. Studies in his own time to 'make up', and has 'now got fairly into the Prometheus Vinctus [of Aeschylus]', which he has always wanted to do. Will also 'finish the De Corona [by Demosthenes] easily before the end of the term'.

Is 'very glad' that Sanderson has come back, 'as he is the only person who is really interesting'; he is 'conservative in opinions, but not in heart', and Robert thinks 'he will be converted, in part at least'. Football is 'rather slow, and [their house's] torpids are too small to be good' but they are 'doing [their] best to teach them'. [William?] Strutt 'promises to be a really first rate player, if only he will grow'. Asks his father to tell his mother that he is 'not in the Philathlet[ic Club], and shall not be for a long time': he just used Charlie's writing paper.

Had a cold which looked as if it were going to become serious, but is 'well now by judicious stopping-out'. Hopes Georgie will recover by the end of term, and will at least have 'a happy time at Wallington'. Is 'very surprised to hear about the 5 at a shot business', but is 'always for defending Thornton [Trevelyan?]'s veracity'. Has written to his grandfather, though found it 'rather difficult' since he 'had had now experience'. Is 'very sorry for him as he feels it so much'.

[On headed notepaper with monogram 'HPC' for the Harrow Philathletic Club]:- Thanks his parents for their letters; will be writing to his father soon. Was 'on to construe' recently, and 'got through all right', though he was 'not very fluent, which was caused by over-anxiety'; will not mind next time. Sanderson has put off his return again, until Thursday; hopes he really does come then. Is 'very sorry about Georgie' [who is ill]; it will be 'a great disappointment to him for his examination'; will write to him this week.

Thinks his essay was not very good; it was at least 'a very hurried one': he thought for a long time about the beginning and therefore wasted his time, 'thus the beginning is bad and the rest hurried'. Does not think it is good enough to send home, and does not want to do so 'unless by some chance it is approved of'. Is now making porridge 'in considerable quantities', as are others in his house. Is reading The Light of Asia [by Sir Edwin Arnold], and 'other works by various authors'.

[On headed notepaper for 8 Grosvenor Crescent, S.W.:]- Sanderson has decided that he can come on Thursday, so he will come up with Stogdon, Robert and Charlie, Sanderson said his father wanted Robert's father to write to him about it; Robert does not know if the fathers know each other. The address is "Kininvie House, Dufftown, N[orth] B[ritain.

They have just had 'about the most exciting house match ever played at Harrow', beating Stogdon's house, who are very good 'by one run' despite the fact that they only have Pope and Oppenheim 'with any reputation'. Harrison 'bowled exceedingly well, and got his cap'; Oppenheim made 38 and 40 runs and 'got his sixth-form coat'. Robert 'made 7 and 0, which was not very good'. His team had given up the game when suddenly five wickets fell for no runs, at 103, leaving Stogdon's 9 to make with the last wicket. Robert's house will now have to play a strong house, and 'will probably be beaten. Still, there is hope'.

Is getting on all right in trials. Is 'ready to agree about the new arrangement for seeing [E.P.?] Arnold', but wonders how they will go to Eastbourne; asks if that plan is now 'given up'; hopes his grandfather is 'quite well still'; wonders if she means that they will 'go there on Wednesday'. Now has to go for a three-hour 'stupid Greek Testament trial of which [he knows] nothing'.

[On headed notepaper for 8 Grosvenor Crescent, S.W.:]- Thanks his mother for her letter. It is 'very kind' of Booa [Mary Prestwich] to allow them to have Robert's room; he will write to her to thank her. The army [of toy soldiers?] 'was increased so much and is now so beautiful that Charlie has now been entirely won back to his old interest.

Expects she has heard that Robert did not win either of the prizes; does not much mind, at least about his Greek epigram as 'it was not on the subject and could not possibly have got it'. Welldon spoke to him about his hexameters, and said that if he had finished them and done more he would have won, as 'they were the best'; does not mind, as if Welldon says they were good that is better than winning. Has been working hard at other things and the Greek plays. Hopes Charlie will get the essay prize, though they 'are a long time in getting it out'.

Robert, Sanderson and Mitchell have 'just discovered du Maurier and... some other naughty little boy using a catapult, and have had to administer justice and also to take the catapult'; says they are 'very good house policemen'. Apologises for needing to ask for more money: it is 'against [his] principles to do so', but since his mother saw them he has paid a pound for 'school subscriptions', and another for a [cricket] bat which he bought here; one more pound will be enough. Adds a postscript saying that it rained so hard today that a match had to be put off; thinks Pope will get in but Oppenheim's chances of being picked are 'nearly all gone'; wishes 'it was the other way'.