Item 3 - Letter from Archibald Prentice Childs to Lord Houghton

16 Gloucester Street, Regent's Park. - Precarious existence as a journalist; qualified as surgeon but lost everything in a shipwreck ten years ago, then edited a paper in Hong Kong with success until ill-health forced him to return home. Encouraged by 'fatal ease; of this occupation to seek a literary career but has suffered as a result; is not a natural writer but skilled at organising material; encloses testimonial [no longer present, return requested in letter] from last newspaper proprietor; edited a West Indies paper from 1864-1866, then the European Mail until his health failed from overwork; now penniless; not a member of the Newspaper Press Fund but appeals to Milnes' generosity.