Arthur Llewelyn Davies to Margaret Llewelyn Davies

Description

Letter from Arthur Llewelyn Davies to his sister Margaret, 16 January 1899.

[No original available]

Transcription

2, Garden Court, Temple E.C.
Jan. 16, 1899.

Dearest Margaret,
Archer M. White appears to be a real man. He was called to the Bar in 1892 and obtained a large numb scholarships. I know his name as that of a writer in the C.T.C. Gazette of articles on the Law relating to Bicycles, which seem to be very well done. I expect he is after advertisement rather than cash.
To our relief the holidays came to an end this morning, and G. and J. returned to school. They had many parties, as well as a pantomime at the new theatre in our neighbourhood [The Coronet, in the Bayswater Road]. George is very much excited over the Little Duke, and will soon be able to read to himself. Jack prefers dancing and turning head ever heels. Peter by his virtue and placidity still reminds me of the infant Theodore. Perhaps S. or I might bring them to see you in the East End one day when you are up in February?
Yours affectly,
A.Ll.D.

Peter's comments:

"To our relief" – the phrase will ring a sympathetic bell in the ears of all parents of young boys: “plaguy little boys” as A. calls them in one of his last letters to me.
The school was the Norland Place School at the bottom of Holland Park Avenue, a biggish day school for girls and very young boys, to which it was easy for A. to accompany his brood in the mornings, catching his horse-bus to the Temple as soon as he had safely delivered them. Nico's Laura is the only one of her generation of Davieses to patronise this excellent institution, to which I, M. and N. all resorted in due course.
I am interested by "George will soon be able to read for himself" (aged 5½ . Rivvy and my own George cannot be said to have read until they were 8. Peter, on the other hand, who has just had his sixth birthday, can read pretty well when he wants to.