Transcript
Ventnor [Isle of Wight].
May 4 /[18]92.
Dearest Gracie*1
Thanks for your letter and all the news you give me; also for looking to the proper replacement of my books.
... ... ... ... ... ... *2
This is certainly a warmer place than Bembridge, facing South and lying under a long line of cliffs, backed by hills, that run along the sea and are thickly covered with houses and villas with gardens full of evergreens, but no Rhodods [Rhododendrons], as the soil is chalk. It surprised me to find the common Laurel killed back at Bembridge and the leaves as yellow as a guinea and strewing the ground. The shrubs looked perfectly dead. It is the old, shorter leaved sort of which we have plenty at the Camp uninjured hitherto, but most of ours are the larger leaved or "Colchican", which is hardier. White Clematis and Berberis Darwinii are out here, not at Bembridge. As to wild flowers, hardly any are to be had in flower. The shops are good. Our house stands fully 80-100 feet above the sea, right over the pier, and half way up the cliff with the parade right underneath us. There are few boats and little beach, but ships are constantly passing. Please do not send the book parcels. I hope that Mrs H. Garden will have made a good choice of a house. I only wish that it was nearer us, we shall miss her awfully. Mamma is certainly greatly better, but certainly not due to the climate, but to the quiet and absence of worry. Dicky*3 has got fat red cheeks, and Joey*4 is all right and goes on with his
Ventnor [Isle of Wight].
May 4 /[18]92.
Dearest Gracie*1
Thanks for your letter and all the news you give me; also for looking to the proper replacement of my books.
... ... ... ... ... ... *2
This is certainly a warmer place than Bembridge, facing South and lying under a long line of cliffs, backed by hills, that run along the sea and are thickly covered with houses and villas with gardens full of evergreens, but no Rhodods [Rhododendrons], as the soil is chalk. It surprised me to find the common Laurel killed back at Bembridge and the leaves as yellow as a guinea and strewing the ground. The shrubs looked perfectly dead. It is the old, shorter leaved sort of which we have plenty at the Camp uninjured hitherto, but most of ours are the larger leaved or "Colchican", which is hardier. White Clematis and Berberis Darwinii are out here, not at Bembridge. As to wild flowers, hardly any are to be had in flower. The shops are good. Our house stands fully 80-100 feet above the sea, right over the pier, and half way up the cliff with the parade right underneath us. There are few boats and little beach, but ships are constantly passing. Please do not send the book parcels. I hope that Mrs H. Garden will have made a good choice of a house. I only wish that it was nearer us, we shall miss her awfully. Mamma is certainly greatly better, but certainly not due to the climate, but to the quiet and absence of worry. Dicky*3 has got fat red cheeks, and Joey*4 is all right and goes on with his
Botany steadily, but has caught no butterflies. All send their love to you. Give mine to Grannie and kind regards to Mrs Hannay.-
Ever your loving father, | Jos.D.Hooker.
1. Grace Ellen Hooker (1868 -- 1955), Hooker’s seventh child.
2. The letter has a line of dots across the page.
3. Richard Symonds Hooker (1885 -- 1950), Hooker’s ninth child.
4. Joseph Symonds Hooker (1877 -- 1940). Eighth child, fifth son of Joseph Hooker, first child of Joseph's second wife Hyacinth.
Please note that work on this transcript is ongoing. Users are advised to study electronic image(s) of this document where possible. If users identify any errors in the transcript, please contact archives@kew.org.
Powered by Aetopia