004 Life and Letters of Francis Galton 



humour, acts very well indeed. It is a telephonic arrangement. That which I tried some months 

 ago, made by , was always out of humour and made its own internal noises which over- 

 whelmed what the speaker said. So my hopes are pessimistic, but I shall soon learn more. 



Lucy will be with you now or now-abouts. Tell her that the Venetian window onto the 

 balcony of my drawing-room, and the swing ventilator above, are a great success. They were 

 put in after she left. With much love to you all. Ever affectionately, Francis Galton. 



42, Rutland Gate, S.W. April 12, 1910. 



My dear Milly, The time is in sight, though still a long way off, when I shall have the 

 pleasure of having you here. Eva is looking forward much to Rome and to becoming a Roman 

 Catholic. She is being "instructed" and I both hope and believe the change will suit her tem- 

 perament. She is a very thoughtful and kind nurse to me. I don't get as quickly better as 

 I hoped, but am stronger, a little. Yesterday I was able to sit half an hour on my balcony 

 while the afternoon sun shone on it. Every day we shall get longer sunshine. I am doing as nearly 

 nothing as can be, but began to revive yesterday on Moliere. One advance is that I have at length 

 got a really serviceable hearing apparatus, so that people can talk audibly to me without raising 

 their voices, and Eva is reading out to me, each evening, a bit of Mrs Schimmelpenninck's 

 biography. How vividly and well she tells her version of the tale. I heard from Edward of 

 Guy at Loxton. What trouble the water supply gives. When you come, there will be a room 

 available for Amy, if she likes to come too. She will of course be always most welcome. 

 I am writing without your last letter at hand and mistrust my memory about many of your 

 matters, your repairs, etc., and so do not write about them. With loves to you all. 



Ever affectionately yours, Francis Galton. 



42, Rutland Gate, S.W. April 16, 1910. 



My dear Milly, It would give a very welcome addition to Eva's holiday, if you come on 

 May 17 as you propose. She would welcome you and start the day after. Thank you very much. 

 Miss Jones* will be here also during three weeks of your stay. She will do a good deal of 

 pen and ink and pencil work, and she knows all my ways and the servants too. That 

 will leave you your mornings free. Will Dim come on Friday, June 3, and stay up to the 

 time of your return, Tuesday, June 14? Eva proposes to return on the 15th to get the house 

 ready to receive her (and my) friend, Mrs Townsend, on the 17th. She will add a postscript. 

 So you have really finished your long labour of "Brailling" my Memories\ I trust that you will 

 thereby give a pleasure to many by enlarging the choice of books readable by them. I am 

 getting on a little, I think, and believe that, as you say, the coming summer will help. I got 

 out in a bath-chair this morning, but the day, which had been brilliant, clouded over and 

 a sharp hailstorm followed almost immediately my return. I had not time to get as far as the 

 flower walk in Kensington Gardens and have as yet seen next to nothing of the glories of the 

 coming spring. There has been much dusting and rearrangement of pictures and books in the 

 drawing-room, which already looks quite pretty and harmonious. 



Ever affectionately, Francis Galton. 



Overjoyed you can come earlier for that gives me a nice jaunt. Also I hope Dim will now 

 come for quite 10 days. Your loving Eva. 



42, Rutland Gate, S.W. May 12, 1910. 



My dear Milly, I owe you a letter, and, as the time is so near of your coming here, lose 

 no more of it before writing this. All goes well, but I have been unable to face the cold winds 

 and have been a prisoner in-doors for some weeks ; but to-day seems milder. The King's death 

 must bring forcibly back to you all his great kindness to your son Bob, when he was lying so 

 ill. The act seems to have been a characteristic one on his part. What political storms, now 

 temporarily lulled, are coming again soon ! I hear that the new King and Queen will probably 

 do much good by purging the Court of many undesirable persons and habits, and by 



* Miss Augusta Jones, who in the last two years of Galton's life did occasional secretarial 

 work for him. 



