Wixenford, Eversley, Winchfield:- Thanks his mother for her letter. Is glad the family are going to Wallington this summer. [W.H.?] Napier did not get the scholarship at Winchester, but got in 25th, with 'a head master's vacency [sic]'. The match was not this week, but will be on Monday week, since Stafford is going for his exam at Harrow. Robert's privet hedge caterpillars are getting big. Asks if the 'caterpillars on the trees in London' have come out yet; if so, asks her to send him some, or 'keep them till the Hols'.
Thanks his father for his letter. Is very glad that he has left Ireland and that the family will not go there at Christmas; is also glad his father is in the cabinet [as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lanchester]. Is sending the paper [the school newspaper] for this fortnight, which has the continuation of his story in it. The Eton match is on Tuesday, and twelve Eton boys as well as three from Winchester coming; the three from Winchester are S. West ma[jor], Napier mi[nor] and Douglas major. Holt wrote the story called 'A Midnight Adventure'. Is getting on well with his work; they are studying Ovid and Caesar. Is also doing some 'stories in Attic Greek' which are very interesting. Asks his father if he could send him, if he has time this term 'a short description as it used to be 20 or 30 years ago'; thinks Tomlin major is going to send a 'description of it as it is now' and it would be good to have the comparison.
[Gerard Craig?] Sellar came back yesterday. He, [D.R. or W.H.?] Napier, Bright, and Van de vi [Veen?] Porter have been to tea with Mrs Haines; they played in the hayfield before tea, and rounders afterwards. The masters have won a match against the 'big game and the eleven'. The 'grandsons of Runjeetsing [Maharaja Ranjit Singh, ie, the children of Duleep Singh?] were here once'. Some Eton boys who had been at Wixenford came last week and played [cricket] against the eleven last week.
News of butterflies and caterpillars. The boys in the first class are Bryant ma[jor] and mi[nor], Martineau, Whitelaw, Guest and Napier [D.R. or W.H?].