Thornton Arnott Lewes to GHL and GE, Hofwyl, 16 May 1860
Title
Thornton Arnott Lewes to GHL and GE, Hofwyl, 16 May 1860
Title
Thornton Arnott Lewes to GHL and GE, Hofwyl, 16 May 1860
Sender
Thornton Arnott Lewes
Recipient
F,M
Date(s)
- 1860-05-16
Place
Hofwyl
Letter Content
Thornton Arnott Lewes to GHL and GE, Hofwyl, 16 May 1860
MS: Yale.
Hofwyl the 16. May. 1860.
Dear Father and Mother!
We received your letter last night, and I am very much obliged for the neapolitan stamps, of which the 50 Grani was not in the school before, the others I had but not new. I hope you will have got me some of Sicily, Parma, Tuscany, and Modena. It is very strange about the red 1 soldo of Rome. It is of Rome for I examined it particularly last night. Perhaps it is an old one.
About the gun, which picks and tickles the crow, when I hit him, as you will not give me a powder one, will you give me a cap and ball one, which Dr. M'fcller allows, (though, bye the bye, I don't know why, as it is almost as easy to shoot a man with it as with a powder gun), it costs rather more it is true, viz. about 50 frs in Germany, here they cost 90. Now if you like to give me one, the uncle of the 3 Brasilians, the Serra's (do you remember them) is comeing over in June, from Dresden, and if you give your consent, they will write to him to bring one with him, which you will pay, this will save you also the postage.
When you come, you will well understand why I want a gun. I do not like to pay, 20, 30-50 cts for a bird, which I myself could shoot for nothing, as it takes all my pocket money, and if I do not take the birds the peasants and hunters send me, they won't send me any more.
Mamma 508 says that Grandmamma is very uncomfortable from not having received her quarterly allowance from Mrs. Webber, 509 who has died, and has therefore not even thought of sending me my birthday tin. Can I ask Dr. M'fcller for it on your account, and you will settle accounts with Grandmamma afterwards.
When will you arrive at Hofwyl, and where will Mother stay? I am very glad to hear you have led such a happy life in Italy, and we envy you very much. Ah! well, the time may come, when Mr. and Mrs. Thornton Lewes have fat pups at Hofwyl and go over to Italy "to ride in the path you rode in," and leave poor old Pater at home thinking how unkind his son is, not to take him with him.
Today is the birthday of the best master we have, such a kind and clever man, Dr. Nauck. He came at Easter and he is by far the favourite of the boys. I gave him the stamps of Naples which I had in my collection, and which I took out to put in the new ones you sent me, as he is making a collection for a friend in Germany. He showed me how to stuff with tow instead of peat, and I gave him today a nicely stuffed red backed shrike "Lanius collurio" as a birthday present, with which he was much pleased.
We have also got a new drilling and fenceing master. Mr. Nauck who understands phrenology, felt my head, and told me my character, it is this:
Muth (ziemlich)
Religiosit'e4t (schwach)
Scharfsinn (sehr stark)
Dichtersinn (entschieden)
Nachahmungsinn (gut)
Eitelkeit (stark)
Gutm'fctligkeit (entschieden)
Mordsinn (schwach)
Zahlensinn (stark)
Best'e4ndigkeit (stark)
I have nothing more to say so, with awful, tremendous, terrible, cartloads 510 of kisses for Mother,
I remain, Dear Father and Mother
Your affectionate Son
Thornton Arnott Lewes.
MS: Yale.
Hofwyl the 16. May. 1860.
Dear Father and Mother!
We received your letter last night, and I am very much obliged for the neapolitan stamps, of which the 50 Grani was not in the school before, the others I had but not new. I hope you will have got me some of Sicily, Parma, Tuscany, and Modena. It is very strange about the red 1 soldo of Rome. It is of Rome for I examined it particularly last night. Perhaps it is an old one.
About the gun, which picks and tickles the crow, when I hit him, as you will not give me a powder one, will you give me a cap and ball one, which Dr. M'fcller allows, (though, bye the bye, I don't know why, as it is almost as easy to shoot a man with it as with a powder gun), it costs rather more it is true, viz. about 50 frs in Germany, here they cost 90. Now if you like to give me one, the uncle of the 3 Brasilians, the Serra's (do you remember them) is comeing over in June, from Dresden, and if you give your consent, they will write to him to bring one with him, which you will pay, this will save you also the postage.
When you come, you will well understand why I want a gun. I do not like to pay, 20, 30-50 cts for a bird, which I myself could shoot for nothing, as it takes all my pocket money, and if I do not take the birds the peasants and hunters send me, they won't send me any more.
Mamma 508 says that Grandmamma is very uncomfortable from not having received her quarterly allowance from Mrs. Webber, 509 who has died, and has therefore not even thought of sending me my birthday tin. Can I ask Dr. M'fcller for it on your account, and you will settle accounts with Grandmamma afterwards.
When will you arrive at Hofwyl, and where will Mother stay? I am very glad to hear you have led such a happy life in Italy, and we envy you very much. Ah! well, the time may come, when Mr. and Mrs. Thornton Lewes have fat pups at Hofwyl and go over to Italy "to ride in the path you rode in," and leave poor old Pater at home thinking how unkind his son is, not to take him with him.
Today is the birthday of the best master we have, such a kind and clever man, Dr. Nauck. He came at Easter and he is by far the favourite of the boys. I gave him the stamps of Naples which I had in my collection, and which I took out to put in the new ones you sent me, as he is making a collection for a friend in Germany. He showed me how to stuff with tow instead of peat, and I gave him today a nicely stuffed red backed shrike "Lanius collurio" as a birthday present, with which he was much pleased.
We have also got a new drilling and fenceing master. Mr. Nauck who understands phrenology, felt my head, and told me my character, it is this:
Muth (ziemlich)
Religiosit'e4t (schwach)
Scharfsinn (sehr stark)
Dichtersinn (entschieden)
Nachahmungsinn (gut)
Eitelkeit (stark)
Gutm'fctligkeit (entschieden)
Mordsinn (schwach)
Zahlensinn (stark)
Best'e4ndigkeit (stark)
I have nothing more to say so, with awful, tremendous, terrible, cartloads 510 of kisses for Mother,
I remain, Dear Father and Mother
Your affectionate Son
Thornton Arnott Lewes.
Signature
Thornton Arnott Lewes.
Citation
Thornton Arnott Lewes, Thornton Arnott Lewes to GHL and GE, Hofwyl, 16 May 1860, Complete George Eliot Letters(2026), George Eliot Archive, edited by Beverley Park Rilett. https://GeorgeEliotArchive.org, Accessed September 7, 2026. https://www.georgeeliotarchive.org/items/show/95627