Hopes that Julian is recovering and will be able to come home on Wednesday. The rabbits are in 'their moving hutch on the lower lawn', and one of the black hens is in the oat field below the garden, 'near the didikai's hut', expects the 'naughty thing' is 'eating Shaw's oats'. Asks how "Baron Munchausen" is getting on and whether he has caught 'the eight-legged hare yet'. Bert, Alice, Mabel and Peter [servants and family] went to a 'Peace tea at Coldharbour last night and did not come home until quite late'; Peter enjoyed himself as there was 'a brass band and dancing'. Will now post this at the box on the Abinger Road. Comments in a postscript that this is a 'fine sheet of paper'; tells Julian not to look inside [the two pages are stuck together] as 'something might jump out': 'BO! says the bogie' is written inside.
Originally enclosing a cutting from the "Manchester Guardian", which may interest Julian; knows he has 'long been much interested in American cotton'; knows nobody can be expected to read 'all that dull stuff about the Leonids and Nova Cygni'. Julian's mother is currently 'teaching the kitchen-maid at Tanhurst to play the violin' in the study, while he and [Harry] Norton sit by the drawing room fire. 'Mammy's hand' is getting better slowly. Peter [Elms] is 'shouting in the garden'. The sun is shining and there is some peat, 'or, as Mammy calls it, turf' on the fire. Mr Reynier came for a visit recently. Now has a letter to write to his Spanish friend Juan Menendez y Aranz[z de la Torre], which he should have done two months ago; is afraid Julian's handwriting is getting 'better and neater' than his own.
Sorry he did not return earlier and see Julian, and must try to visit him at Mayortorn[e] this term; glad he and Elizabeth had such a good time in the Netherlands; he also enjoyed his time in Italy, though he did get a mild case of the mumps. The people he stayed with were burning old letters, and gave him some old stamps, 'mostly Russian and German' which may be valuable; also sends some modern ones which Julian can use as swaps if he has them. [Goldsworthy Lowes] Dickinson is visiting; he hoped to see the azaleas but they are late flowering this year; they heard nightingales singing last night; asks if Julian knows which of the poets who 'has a street called after him in the new suburb of Hurtenham [his imaginary town]' wrote a poem about nightingales. Saw [Gordon] Luce, 'who also has the honour of a street', in Paris, and visited various oriental museums with him; Luce then went to Marseille to board his ship; very sad that he will not return from Burma for three or four years. Glad that Julian is 'now in the second class'. When in Italy, paid several visits to the father of Miss [Avice] Trench [a teacher at Julian's school, Mayortone] at his 'beautiful villa'. Alice and Peter [Elms] have had bad colds, but are now recovering.
Quotes from a poet who 'has not yet had a Hurtenham street called after him' [Julian?] but is still much interested in that city; has been reading the April number of his magazine, which seems 'on the whole a very well-written publication' and the spelling shows a 'marked improvement'. The 'affair of the ghosts is very remarkable'; would like to visit Hurtenham and bring his 'friend Roger Fry the art-critic, who would write an account of this interesting ghostly statuary for the Burlington Magazine'. Happy to be home; Italy 'very beautiful, but no more than here, though some day they 'must all go to Italy together'. Must stop now, as Dickinson wants him to play chess.
The Shiffolds. - Bessie sends thanks to his mother for her 'kind letter', which came this morning; she was planning to suggest that she and Julian should come to Welcombe on Monday, but yesterday Julian 'was rather unwell, and has evidently got influenza'; he is currently in bed 'with a temperature, though nothing serious'. Dr Cornish came this morning, and 'seemed to think it was the ordinary thing' and that Julian would have to stay in bed for two or three days. Unfortunate that it should come, as Alice and Peter [Elms] are 'only just recovering, so the household is a little disorganized'. Julian is also 'fretful as he wants to get up'; but Robert expects he will get used to it. Bessie needs to be with him, so cannot write; will probably do so tomorrow. Though it is a 'nuisance, and tiring for her', there is no need for alarm. Otherwise, they would much liked to have gone to Welcombe. Robert 'only had a single night of it' and was nearly well by next morning. Bessie is well, though tired.
He and Marie are very grateful for the Trevelyans' kindness and hospitality in having them to stay over the winter, so that ill-health seems 'at least temporarily a good fortune'. He himself is pleased to have got some work done, due to the 'almost excessive freedom' allowed him by Bessie; he has his 'little ways' which do not always please other members of the household. Has happy memories of the way Julian joined in the Christmas play. Sends kind remembrances to Bert, Alice, Peter and Mabel [Elms]. 'Tremble[s] in [his] boots' when he thinks of what an 'old donkey' Wordsworth turned into at his age.