| Description | He expresses his pleasure at 'the cherub' that Louisa has sent, and gives her credit as a faithful painter. He gives Carry [Caroline Emilia Mary Herschel] credit as a mother too. He is now craving for the copy of his father's picture, and he lists the photographs that he has: three by [William Edward] Kilburn, including one daguerreotype, a photograph which was Mrs [Julia Margaret] Cameron's present, and a paper photograph; he also has one by [John William] Dudgeon and one by Uncle John [Stewart] which came with the great set of family on the terrace and front door. He states [jokingly] that he is now engaged to be married, promised by Mr [Arthur] Pigou after admiring a stereoscope picture of his daughter, sent from home. William transcribes a snatch of music, which he played on his concertina, asking Louisa if she knows where it came from. He has little time to play now, under pressure from examinations and his work. He was delighted to hear of Miss Waterfield's visit to Collingwood and asks Louisa's opinion of her. He gives an example of [William] Waterfield's talents: Waterfield giving William epithets of all the Charleses of France, having read their histories long ago, before going to school. William gives an account of his ague, stopped by doses of quinine. The standards of the examinations have been raised again, so that William is expected to speak, read and write in two languages, Bengali and Hindustani, and he explains the difficulties of the latter. He cannot get a teacher or a substitute to take his cutchery while he studies alone. He promises to write to his mother next morning. |