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604 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 overwhelmed 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 temperament. 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 Alfemories ! 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, c4ouded 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.
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