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Algiers.—Asks after the baby and her mother, and commends the choice of name. Outlines a scheme for the education of children, which he has partly communicated to Macmillan. Will write to Milady (Lady Pollock).

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Algiers Monday June 26/76

Dearest Fred—Nous voici enfin les deux compères! et ça va comme vous voulez, cette petite mignonne et la femme chérie? I like the name well; you can shorten the first part into Belle or the second into Elsie which is very effective. We must come to an understanding with the Moultons about primary education. She has been marvellously successful with her children. I have a scheme which has been communicated in part to Macmillan and which grows like a snowball. It is founded on “Pleasant Pages”, {1} the book I was taught out of; which is a series of ten-minutes’ lessons on the Pestalozzian plan of making the kids find out things for themselves, history of naughty boys on Monday, animals on Tuesday, bricks on Wed[n]esday, Black Prince on Thursday, and so on. In the book it was very well done, by a man who had a genius for it; if you go to see Macmillan in Bedford St he will shew you the book which he got on my recommendation—he is also himself newly interested in the question. His partner Jack read part of it and was struck. Well, I first want that brought up to today, both in choice of subject and in accuracy; adding, e.g. a series of object lessons on Man (papa & mama, house, street, clothes, shop, policeman, “wild & field,”). Then I want it taught on the Russian system, in different languages on successive days; no direct teaching of language until there are facts enough to make Grimm’s law intelligible, for which English, German and the latin element in French would be enough; no grammar at all until very late and then as analysis of sentences and introductory to logic. This is the difficult part; it would require a French and a German teacher, both trained and competent, besides the English one. So far as the book is concerned it would of course be easy to print it in the three languages. Lastly, I have bought 12 volumes of the Bibliothèque Nationale for 3 fr.—Rabelais, 5 vols., and Montesquieu, Pascal, Diderot and Vauvenargues. They are 25 centimes each, admirable for the pocket—& of course you know them. There are two or three hundred volumes. Whereupon we must of course get the same thing done for English literature, and the setting forth of all literature in English (e.g. I have Les Maximes d’Epictète), but more particularly we must get published excellent little manuals at 2d or 3d for the use of Board & other primary Schools. I do not even know that penny schoolbooks would not be a successful move—the size of a Daily News, say, printed by the million in a Walter Press, folded and sewed by machinery to about the size of the Bibliothèque, indicated in the left-hand top corner of this page. {2} A Daily News would just make one of these volumes. Fancy the Pensées of Pascal, with the notes of Voltaire, Fontenelle, and Condorcet, a good Life at the beginning, etc. all well printed on a sheet of the Daily News! But of such a size could be made a very good elementary schoolbook of Arithmetic, Geometry, animals, Plants, physics, etc.—rather larger than Macmillan’s Primers, but of the same sort. {3} Now I must go to dinner, but I shall write to Milady an account of our adventures at Bougie and Sètif and of the Arab who had a gazelle in a basket that wanted to eat Lucy’s hat. Herein I have only been apostolic, moved by your account of the gathering, {4} and determined to support the general next year. Too long have I been absent from that august assembly.

All my love to you & George & the dear creature.

Thy
Willi.

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{1} Pleasant Pages, a periodical conducted by Samuel Prout Newcombe, was first published in six volumes (probably comprising weekly numbers) between 1851 and 1853 (London: Houlston and Stoneman). It was reprinted in one volume by Houlston and Wright in 1861 and again by Houlston and Sons in 1874. The work had previously been published in one volume in the United States under the title Pleasant Pages for Young People, or Book of Home Education and Entertainment (Boston: Gould and Lincoln, 1853).

{2} A rectangle measuring 5½ by 3½ inches is marked out in the place indicated.

{3} ‘I have a scheme … same sort.’ This passage has been marked off by pencil lines in both margins.

{4} Possibly the Conference of Liberal Thinkers at South Place Chapel.

(Algiers.)—Congratulates him (on the birth of his daughter). Asks him to pay any money he has for them into the bank. Willi is certainly better, and they have done a great deal of sailing and driving.

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26th June—

My dear Fred

Your letter was received with great rejoicing. I congratulate you with all my heart. The old man will do so on his own account.

If you have any more money for us please pay it in, (we have altogether had £300) we have not run out but much fear being left at the mercy of an accident in this quarter of the world.

Willi is certainly better. We have done a great deal of sailing & driving which he has thoroughly enjoyed. He is very happy & the sun has quite spoilt his beautiful complexion

Ever Yours
Lucy

Algiers.—They are delighted by the news (of the birth of Isabel Alice Pollock). Is eager to see the baby and hear more about her. Approves the choice of name.

(With an envelope.)

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Algiers. 26th June 1876

My dear Georgie

We have just had Fred’s letter & we are very delighted. I went to the post office & when I saw a letter in Fred’s handwriting I longed to open it, & rushed back to Willi under a blazing sun & was rewarded by hearing the news read aloud. I am so very very glad for you both & hope the sweet little thing will bring you all the happiness you can desire. We were always thinking of you about the time you said but you see the young lady had arrived beforehand. I can’t help thinking how happy you must be, dear Georgie, & can quite fancy I see you. Is’nt† the top of its head nice to kiss, & don’t you long to cuddle it up & hug it in a manner that would be certain death to it? I like calling a baby “it” better than him or her, {1} it seems to describe a baby so well. I would give anything to see my little niece & to nurse it & shall come and call on her the moment we arrive almost in Town & do hope it will still be in long petticoats. I hope you got your Nurse in time, I know you were ready in other ways. Do make Fred when he has time or Emmie when she comes to see you write a proper account. If she is dark or fair, what colour eyes & how you look as a Mamma & if she had good lungs & if the clothes are all too big (as mine were) &c. &c. I wonder if anyone was disappointed at a boy not appearing. I know you were not for you told me once how you should like a little daughter. We must have a grand meeting of our babies when we come home, that baby of ours is quite aged now though. I should like to give you a good kiss & tell you how glad we are for you. I never was so pleased at anyone having a baby in all my life before. I am sure Mrs Deffel is delighted also. Isabel Alice is a charming name. My pretty little sister in the Convent is called Isabel. Only fancy when Isabel & Ethel are grown up & go to balls & their fathers are bald & their mothers old! I have written to tell Ethel about it, but think Smut ought to be told somehow, he wd be so pleased & now he cries about the house & misses us & his little sister sadly. It is rather wicked of you to have your first baby when we are so {2} far away, I should have enjoyed it so much. I know Fred nurses it to perfection, Willi has already planned its education. take† great care of yourself & kiss the little darling for me & now goodbye—I am so thankful it is all over—

Yours always affectionately
Lucy Clifford

[Added on the envelope by W. K. Clifford:] Don’t write to Gibraltar—we shall go from Oran to Malaga if we can.

[Direction on envelope, in the hand of W. K. Clifford:] F. Pollock Esqre | 12 Bryanston St | London W [In the top left-hand corner:] Angleterre

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The envelope was postmarked somewhere in Algeria, 1876 (only part of the mark is visible), stamped ‘Marseille a Lyon’ on 29 June 1876, and postmarked at London, W., on 23 June 1876.

{1} Comma supplied.

{2} Blotted, perhaps intentionally.

† Sic.

Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland. - The 'bits of furniture' Elizabeth and Robert have got will be a 'great improvement'; the hall is so pretty it was a shame to keep the 'ugly bookcase'; thinks the sideboard will be a 'nicer & more permanent present than the wine'. Glad that Elizabeth liked the Joneses [Herbert and Lily?]; 'always delightful when friends keep up to one's ideal'. Had a party of visitors this week but they have now all left: Sir Kenelm and Lady Digby, old friends of hers and Sir George's; Charles [Roden]? and Victoria [Alexandrina?] Buxton; and Jack and Alice Pollock. They 'made plenty of noise in the evening over various games; there was a shoot, when the 'girls went to Rothbury & spent the day on the Crag Side Hills'; another day everyone went to Rothbury Lake and Crag. Charlie went off for two days walking with Charles Buxton, who is 'better & stronger than he was'. as is Victoria, but they still both have 'very delicate health' which is 'most unfortunate as they are so full of life & interests'. Sends love to Robert and hopes 'the publisher [Reginald Brimley Johnson] has been amenable'; it 'will be most interesting to see the drawings [by Roger Fry; for Robert's "Polyphemus and Other Poems"]'. Hopes the Frys are well and the baby [Julian] 'flourishing'.

11 Portsea Place, Connaught Square, W.—Has sent for a copy of Little People, and will copy out the ‘lily song’ (see A2/7). Refers to aspects of her husband’s personality she would Pollock to bring out in his memoir. Has been trying to comfort herself with ideas of a future consciousness. Mrs Deffell is concerned that the Pollocks are not enjoying their holiday.

(With an envelope.)

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11 Portsea Place. Connaught Square. W.
Weds night 16th Ap[ri]l

My dear Fred

I have sent for my copy of Little People {1}. Meanwhile I will copy out the lily song in case you want if from the MS copy he gave me because it has a little note which was too late to include in the book. I hope you are not working too hard. I am convinced I shall be the death of you because I keep thinking of more & more sides which I am anxious you shall bring out. I have been thinking now of how merry he was, how he liked to see his friends about him (he was always arranging little dinners & asking if we could not afford “a little party” & you remember his bachelor parties.) And how simple & how happy he was & what a ringing laugh he had with a little shout at the end. There was such a wonderful light & life & brightness ab[ou]t him.

I often think of his glee when he came home from the Metaph: {2} if it had been a good night & the Bishops had appeared & he had been in good form how he w[oul]d not only tell me everything everybody had said but mimic the manner in which it was said. We have sat over the fire & shouted with laughter when he added ridiculous little tags of his own on to what had been really said. The last time he ever went he spent all the money he had on the way (he dined at the club first) & when he was at the station coming home found to his dismay he had’nt† a penny. Lord Arthur Russell turned up so he borrowed a 1/– took a ticket & “paid back 6d on account”.1 It will be good for people to see his brightness & spice of wickedness. I should be so sorry if they thought he always lived at high pressure like a prophet—it w[oul]d spoil his humanity.

It seems as if one could say too much ab[ou]t him—too many things that were good. I have been thinking such wild things lately and—supposing for a moment there is after consciousness—wondering if it could be possible for many forms of intellect & beauty to take refuge in one physical frame until they made up a perfect whole worthy of standing alone; so that Willi represented the former consciousness of many & is after all living still or carrying on in some other world what is first going on in this—the survival of the fittest. You see this differs from the old transmigration idea (the Buddhist &c.) because it makes only the best & greatest, i e the strongest, survive, & even these are grouped after the fashion of the atom & molecule theory—it is that over again until the higher type is formed. It would quite account for his many sidedness, his many forms of greatness imperfect only from accident or physical restraint.

I think I shall set up as having invented a new religion. You cannot think how well it works in many ways. It would account for the dim remembrance of things we have never consciously seen which sometimes flickers across us. What a comfort the flicker would be a sign we were working upwards. Then (in old days) the population question frightened me so when I thought of the people that had been pouring into the unseen world since we first became me. It gets rid of this—the weak & useless & so the majority die out, are lost in the struggle for existence yet we sh[oul]d all believe our own people immortal—is it not Darwinian? It gives no excuse for persecution or priesthood and has many other sides all of which I have arranged most carefully. I don’t know where my unknown world is to be because I know nothing about Space or what my immortals (they need not even be immortal) are to do, the higher type would find the higher worlds—which of course would still be progressive. Of course I know it is all nonsense & I know it all ceases with the circulation & that the brain & nerves & grey matter & all that makes our consciousness dries up and there is no more life left than in spoilt quicksilver or mercury, but one tries to comfort oneself with any madness.

Mrs Deffell came yesterday. She said Georgie had sent her “a charming letter” but she (Mrs D.) seemed much concerned ab[ou]t your holiday & drew a tragic picture of you writing & Georgie sewing & the rain raining & nothing going on but the bill. I wonder if Jack’s toes are visible yet. I fear the poor little chicks are not getting much good out of the country in this wretched weather.

Now I will take my chloral which I have reduced from 22 to 16 grains as an experiment & go to bed. Goodnight my dearest Georgie & Fred

Y[ou]r loving
Lucy Clifford

Willi often used to say “be free” at the end of his letters, he said it was an old form & much better than goodbye which was full of superstition.

[Direction on envelope:] F. Pollock Esq | Royal Ascot Hotel | Ascot

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Black-edged paper and envelope. The envelope was postmarked at London, W., and at Staines and Sunninghill, on 17 April 1879. Letters missing from words abbreviated by superscript letters have been supplied in square brackets.

{1} The Little People, and Other Tales (London: Chapman and Hall, 1874), a collection of fairy stories by Lady Pollock, W. K. Clifford, and W. H. Pollock.

{2} The Metaphysical Society.

† Sic.

24 Bryanston Street (London).—Thanks them for Alice’s birthday gift. Hopes Monte Generoso will suit Willi. Discusses their correspondence, and repeats her suggestion of coming to see them with the children. Sends news of friends.

(With an envelope.)

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24 Bryanston Street
June 17./78

My dearest Lucy & Willi I have not been able to write before to thank you very naughty people for sending Alice that most lovely necklace. It arrived on her birthday, on Saturday, in its exciting registered box & I knew at once that nobody but you would have thought of her so far away. It looks like Maltese work—is it? It is most exquisite & fairy like, but she will not need the silver forget-me-nots to remind her of her uncle & auntie. It was very wrong of you to get it for her you know & you both deserve a thorough good scolding. This morning I have got your card from Lugano. I do hope & think that you will find Monte Generoso a real good place for Willi & that he will enjoy the rest & beautiful air there. Fred wrote to you on Wed. to Lugano w[hic]h ought to have reached on Friday; we also sent a paper—& I wrote on Friday. I suppose you will be going down to Lugano now & then for letters till you are sure everybody has y[ou]r address. (I see you say you have ordered letters to be sent on.) {1} F. is going to send you the Pall Mall Budget. We thought you w[oul]d have seen all the papers of the world in y[ou]r hotels. I am very anxious for y[ou]r answer to my letter & suggestion of last Friday: I think it would be so much the best plan, & now there are so many comforts in travelling, coupé-lits &c, that the children & I should do it most easily. I think we had better come bag and baggage: Bessie, Jessie & 3 chicks. Fred & I sh[oul]d feel very venerable at being the parents of all that.

We saw Mr Roberts of the Mint at the R.I. on Friday. He looked radiant when he talked of your children & said they were so good & nothing but a joy in the house. What a dear little man he is. Fred called at the Huxleys yes[terda]y & heard a capital report: Mrs H. & Madge had gone to the seaside & all the rest were quite well.

Alice had a good many presents on her 2nd birthday. The baby’s opera from her dada & a box of bricks, 2 pinafores, 2 pelisses, a doll, a box of furniture, another picture-book & another box full of painted bricks to be made up into puzzles. She bore the excitement well on the whole & was not cross. She had no tea-party w[hic]h was just as well. She was very hazy about what it all meant & answered when asked how old she was, sometimes “Alice”, and sometimes “buffday”.

We shall be longing to hear how you prosper on the generous mountain. Ever dear Lucy & Willi your very affectionate

Georgina H Pollock

[Envelope addresed to:] Mrs W. K. Clifford | hôtel de Generoso | Mendrisio | [In the top left-hand corner:] Switzerland

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The envelope was postmarked at London, W., on 17 June 1878, and at Mendrisio on 20 June 1878. Letters omitted from words abbreviated by superscript letters have been supplied in square brackets.

{1} ‘I see … sent on.’ interlined; brackets supplied.

24 Bryanston Street, W.—Discusses the Cliffords’ health and movements. The doctors do not think that Willi should return to England yet. She and Fred think of coming to join them, perhaps with the children. Gives news of their present activities and engagements.

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24 Bryanston Street W
June 13./78

Dearest Lucy

A great many thanks for 2 letters from Malta & Genoa w[hic]h I got the day before yesterday, & for the others from Malta w[hic]h I could not acknowledge as we had no address. We were thankful that Malta seemed to suit Willi & that you fell in with pleasant friends. It was a great pity that you had an accident & were laid up; how did it happen? I do hope you are quite right again. I hope you took your journey to Lugano very very quietly and that you will soon establish yourselves comfortably at Monte Generoso. Fred wrote to you yesterday to tell you of his interview with Dr Clark. He said that nothing he sh[oul]d like better than to order you home in August or so, it would be so good for Willi morally, but that unless he really improves in the next month it would be most imprudent. Both he & Dr Beatty agree that in his present state nothing wd be worse for Willi than an English climate. You know Fred & I have set our hearts upon joining you wherever you are when the time comes for our holiday, at the Rieder Alp or in Yorkshire or Scotland & I sometimes think that we might easily manage to bring out both our kids so as to enjoy them altogether—I mean Ethel & Alice & perhaps C. Alice too. We shd not bring Alice if we cd not bring Ethel too. Don’t you think it would make Willi happier to stay abroad if he were to see his little girl & have her for about 4 weeks? Everybody goes abroad in August & if you were to come home you would find all your friends scattered. We have been staying with Mrs Ritchie near Windsor for Whitsuntide, & they & the Douglas Freshfields are all thinking of going to the Rieder Alp with great enthusiasm. The Tyndalls would be close by at the Bel Alp. So that on the whole I cannot help thinking you would enjoy yourselves more in Switzerland in August than in Great Britain, & that I suspect would be the only month Willi would be allowed home.

The W. Colliers are in London for a week & ask after you. Also we have some Dutch people over here to entertain. We did so enjoy our holiday in the country & London feels most dreadfully stuffy & stale on coming back. It is a joy to breathe in the country. Fred will have told you about Walter’s lecture at the R.I. They went to St Julians for their holiday & the parents are in Paris. I am a great deal better, in fact quite well. We are to take our Dutchman & woman to the R.I. tomorrow to hear Prof. Dewar on the Liquefaction of Gases. An interesting article in Mind next month will be “An infant’s Progress in Language”—i.e. Alice’s, done by her dada. I do hope you will be happy at Monte Generoso & meet friends. Best love to yr old man & you. Ever dear Lucy yr affectionate

GHP.

Hotel Washington Irving, Granada.—On the 15th they leave for Cordova, Alicante, and Barcelona. They are ‘quite mad about everything Moorish’. Refers to the Pollocks’ forthcoming visit to Exeter, and discusses their children.

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Hotel Washington Irving
Granada. Spain.—
4th August 76

My dear Georgie

The old man has written all the news this time. We leave here on the 15th for Cordova, stay there a day or two & then depart for Alicante & Barcelona but shall not stay long at either place so I hardly know our next address. I should so like to know what the babies say to each other. Do make them rub noses & kiss each other. Of course they will be delighted to see you at Exeter & Alice will receive much attention.—We are very happy here & quite mad about everything Moorish. I often think what terrible people we shall be to ask to dine when we return for if we only get a chance we talk about the Moors by the yard & here we argue & talk together & read up about them to such an extent that there will be no contradicting us on any point soon. The old man won’t get rid of his cough. he has seen two Drs but they neither seem to think him worse.

Ethel’s nose was a source of great anxiety to me for a long time. But I am assured that a baby’s nose is always doubtful—Mamma says mine was flat. It is quite the reverse now, so I should make myself easy about Alice.—I do hope you’ll have a nice time at Clovelly. You must want a change. Do tell me how Ethel looks, they will tell you where to write at Exeter if we have not told you ourselves. I have no time for more. Much love to you both and to the sweet thing.

Your affectionate
Lucy