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15 Sept. 1927
Royal Monceau Hotel
55, 57, et 59 Avenue Hoche, Paris

My dear Gerald,

I am writing this letter in Paris, but shall not post it till I return to England at the end of the week, because it would be a bother to find out the right postage here, and in any case it would probably be exorbitant.

I was also here when I received your letter of Aug. 7; but since then I have been spending a fortnight on a motoring tour, the longest I have ever been, and have seen a great deal of France: Burgundy and the Jura as far as the Swiss Frontier, and then Lyons and Clermont Ferrand. The weather was good almost all the while, and I was lucky, for in Paris as in England it was bad, like most of this summer and autumn.

Unfortunately I shall not see Oscar in England; at least I am afraid that he will be leaving just when I get back. I had a very interesting letter from your mother about the total eclipse of the sun last June, for which Hartlepool was the best spot in England.

I hope you have killed your hippopotamus by this time. I have not heard whether you have yet shot a lion, but I suppose you would have mentioned it if you had. I am glad you like your job and do not mind being in the bush. It is fortunate you are not so much devoted to tennis as Oscar; though I suppose your blacks might be taught to play it.

I remain
Your affectionate godfather
A. E. Housman.

[Direction on envelope:] Gerald Jackson Esq. | R.C.B.C. Ltd. | N’Changa | Via N’Dola | N. Rhodesia | S. Africa

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The envelope, which bears some rough diagrams and the date ‘Sept 15th 1927’, was postmarked at Cambridge at 12.[..] p.m. on 19 September, and at Ndola, N.W. Rhodesia, on 15 October. The postage stamp has been torn off.

(With an envelope.)

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Transcript

Trinity College | Cambridge
29 Dec. 1932

My dear Gerald,

Thanks for your Christmas letter and card: I on my part wish you a happy New Year. Oscar also wrote. I suppose you all met at West Hartlepool. I had to eat three Christmas dinners in succession, but still survive.

You must soon be letting me know how much you calculate you will want for 1933. Do not cut it down too low as I do not want you to live with no margin.

Your affectionate godfather
A. E. Housman.

[Direction on envelope:] Gerald Jackson Esq | Medical School | St Thomas’s Hospital | S. E. 1 [Redirected to:] 97 Clifton Avenue, West Hartlepool | c/o† Durham.

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The envelope, which bears a 1½d. stamp, was postmarked at Cambridge at 1.45 p.m. on 30 December and at London at 1.45 p.m. on 30 December, and has been marked in pencil ‘29/12/32’.

† Sic.

(With an envelope.)

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Transcript

Trinity College | Cambridge
14 Feb. 1928

My dear Gerald,

I got your Christmas letter in surroundings very unlike your own. This has been the severest and most violent winter since 1894–5, what with frost and snow in December and gales and floods ever since. Once also we had a silver thaw, with roads and streets a sheet of ice, on which no one could keep his feet, and cars spun round and round. However, I noticed no buffalos hiding behind anthills, so we have something to be thankful for.

I heard from your mother about the same time, and she seemed to think that the condition of your Company’s affairs might lead to your having only two years instead of three; but I do not gather that from your own letter, and it would be a pity.

I suppose you will have met Oscar by now. When he was here in the summer I thought him very much changed since the war, but no doubt you would recognise him.

I am probably fixed here till June, when I expect to take a short holiday in France.

Your affectionate godfather
A. E. Housman.

[Direction on envelope:] Gerald Jackson Esq. | R.C.B.C. Ltd. | NChanga, Via N’Dola | N. Rhodesia | Africa

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The envelope, which bears a 1½d. stamp, half torn away, was postmarked at Cambridge at 3.15 p.m. on 14 February and at Ndola, N.W. Rhodesia, on 10 March.

(With an envelope.)

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Transcript

Trinity College | Cambridge
9 Jan. 1935 {1}

My dear Gerald,

From what you said in your letter of the 19th I gather that you will be back in London on Jan. 1, so I send you enclosed a cheque {2} for £450 for this next year, which I hope will be happy and occupied with interesting work. I hope too that you found the family party at West Hartlepool in good health and spirits. Oscar wrote me a very nice long letter with much information about himself and the rest of you. He seems to be inclined to be looking for a new job.

I have not asked you to stay with me here this year because I have felt hardly comfortable enough to be fit for a guest. On the advice of a friend of mine who is a doctor I have just been a total abstainer for a week, which has only resulted in producing symptoms of gout; so I had better stick to my proper medical adviser.

Your affectionate godfather
A. E. Housman.

[Direction on envelope:] Gerald Jackson Esq | Medical School | St Thomas’s Hospital | S. E. 1

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The envelope bears a 1½d stamp, but there is no postmark or any other mark of posting. It has been marked with the date ‘19 Jan. ’35’, which is wrong.

{1} ‘9 Jan. 1935’ below ‘31 Dec. 1934’, struck through.

{2} A line has been drawn below this word to draw attention to it. Cf. Nos. 41 and 57.