Unidad documental simple 12 - Letter from W. K. Clifford to William and Mary F. Clifford

1 folded sheet

Trinity College, Cambridge.—He came up safely, but caught a cold on the way. Miss Fison was married on Thursday. Discusses a suitable time for his parents to visit. Encloses photos of scenes from their play.

(Undated, but evidently written shortly after Clifford came up for the beginning of Easter Term 1871, which began on 14 April. Anna Fison’s marriage probably took place on the 13th, and the letter was probably written at the weekend.)

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Transcript

Trin. Coll. Camb.

Dear Papa and Mama

I can’t find any larger paper though I know I have got a lot somewhere. I came up safely on Monday, but caught a little cold on the journey and more from the smoking of my bedroom chimney which made me arise in the middle of the night, take up my bed and walk into the sitting room. But this is over now, and my face has been tolerably free from pain for a day or two. Miss Fison (Mrs Potts’s sister) was married on Thursday {1}—they wanted me to go there in the evening, but of course I am only able to go out a little in the middle of the day. I want to know when you would like to come up and see me, because you must do it before I leave my rooms. There are some nice lodgings nearly opposite me that I can have. One course of my lectures will be over quite early—by about the last week in May—and perhaps that will be the best time if if suits you. The Long Vacation is difficult to arrange yet, and if I come up here at that time I shall probably be very busy about my things. There are 2 bedrooms and a sitting room in the lodgings. I enclose 2 photos of scenes from our play. the† shirts should be red of course, but they do not look well when coloured. My very best love to all the little ones.

Your most loving son
Willie.

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{1} Anna Fison married David Walter Thomas, a Welsh clergyman, at Cambridge in the second quarter of this year. She was still unmarried on 2 April, the date of the census. Her sister Jeannetta was the second wife of the mathematician Robert Potts.

† Sic.