Item 4 - Letter from W. K. Clifford to William Clifford

Cambridge.—Sends birthday greetings. Has ordered a pipe for him.

(Dated Saturday. For the date assigned cf. A1/9.)

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Transcript

Cambridge, Saturday

Dear Papa

As there is no post from here which is delivered at Exeter on Monday, I must wish you many happy returns of that day {1} prematurely. You know all the amount of my wishes for you, dear Papa, so there is no need to enumerate them. May you have long life, and happiness, and rest, and whatever there is more—to wish all this is quite selfish on my part, because it is wishing for my own pleasure. I ordered a pipe to be sent you from Soutter’s in Regent Street—I hope they will remember to book it to-day. It was difficult to find what to send you, because any of the ordinary things that one gives away would be to you like coals to Newcastle. All my love to dear Mama and the little ones. I must get more leisure next week to write to you. Now there is hardly time to catch the post—all the pups {2} on today. I must endeavour to write tomorrow—then there will be plenty of time.

Believe me, dear Papa,
ever your most affectionate son
+W K Clifford.

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{1} 18 November.

{2} Pupils? See OED, s.v. pup, n.2.