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Lehrjahre and Wanderjahre   111


a complete Snowdonia of them soon and my mouth is rather sore. Paws rather improved.

(1) When a note of invite is sent unpaid by the twopenny post, may I answer it by ditto or how' ?

(2) Ought I to call at St James Square2 before these boils go away and take the chance of more not coming, or not? N.B. the 2nd is just the size of and exactly like those purple polypuses there were at Weymouth.

(3) When the Horners invite with a note beginning with " My dear Francis " how am I to answer it?

Give my love to all. Ask Emma what I can do for the boils. Diet. Breakfast, 1 large cup of tea.

1 round dry toast.

Luncheon, not always, Bread and Cheese.

Dinner, 1 or 2 times of meat, vegetables, melted butter. 3 glasses wine. Pudding or Tart. 1 glass of water.

Tea, several small cups, bread and butter.

This is my full diet. Please Emma tell me what sort of low diet will do. T have fearful indigestion, sleepiness, variable appetite etc., etc.

Good Bye, Fans. GALTON.

Possibly the very Spartan diet had more to do'with the boils than .Francis imagined. But he was soon to be home for the Christmas

vacation and he was preparing for it. To his father he writes on Dec. 15th

"I have agreed with Erasmus to spend a week in looking him up at Loxton, the time of travelling inclusive. Erasmus came yesterday to London. I introduced him to the Dissecting Room, from which he seemed rather glad to bolt. Would you ask Mater to see that my gun is in perfect condition, and as clean as a peeled potato, 2ndly to see that my powder flask, which I think is in a Bank Box in my room, is gunpowder tight ; if not to let the hole be soldered up. I want now to ask you about the state of my wardrobe."

Then follows a very complete account of Francis' wardrobe, the morning coat which will "do for the Strand, but not St James Square,"

the dress-coat " not exactly a perfect fit," the " two pair reputable trousers," etc., etc.

"What am I to do? Cartwright has no conscience, he has charged £15. 18. altogether.

Would you also send me word how many morning coats you and Darwin wear yearly. My consumption would be 3 per year about. Please write soon as I am going to a ball at Horners next week. Moreover I have no great coat which is.rather unpleasant in a London Fog."

I On the introduction of general letter post, it was considered as rude to prepay a letter, as it is now to leave it unstamped.

2 Great-aunt Mrs HudsonGurney (Margaret Barclay, sister of Captain Barclay).


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