Handwritten, unsigned letter with drawing of Capri:
'April 11 / 80 My darling, The queer looking object above is the island of Capri - from Naples. It looks like a whale with a broken back - or a Kraken - or any other sea monster you please. Round the corner to the right is the Blue Grotto, + the high cliff in the middle is Tiberius's cliff, over wh. he had people thrown for his entertainment. I have first been writing to Mrs Hawarth[?], + have made her an elaborate Syrian country house on the slopes of Lebanon. The original is a coloured sketch, done at the luncheon halt, in my [?] sketch book. When you go to see her again ask her if she has any [?] + miles[?] of mine[?]' (ink)
[on drawing] 'Scenting the Spring from afar.' (ink note)
[on reverse of drawing] 'to her (underlined). But a nice capable girl was found in the village, who came up [?] to-day - + for two hours to-day - but - <who> cannot come any more, having an engage-ment at the Anna's[?] from tomorrow for a month. They are taking her as temporary housemaid till they leave for Cannes in Feby.' (ink note)
Undated handwritten letter: 'I really can't quite give thee the [?] of my cold. I think I wish the L[?] one. I took a fresh one the day after thou left - + I have had a [?], more or less, since then. Just now there seems an interlude - as between the rain storms. Why don't you buy an old Culloden sword with a basket hilt? It wd be a charming possession. Owl will make this a short letter, as it has to write an elaborate one (with sketches) to the engraver, about the illustrations to the pamphlet, in wh she is much interested. M. Narville[?] has sent me some very nice photographs - + he tells me that Mr MacGregor has made excellent ones. I have written to ask for copies. I mean it to be a very engaging pamphlet. My own, own one, I wish I was with thee on thy birthday. I do want thee so very very much - Poo' owl - so last + long without its Baby. I get quite hipped + out of spirits, owing to dull weather, rain, + no Baby. Thine own Owl (underlined)' (ink)
[on drawing] 'Archaic Greek torso (male figure) showing extreme development of muscles.' (pencil note)
right: ink drawing of Greek head.
[on drawing] 'This is a rude attempt at a female figure - the "wings" are arms. Archaic Greek head female - circa B. C. 600. curls represented by [drawing of curls] + tresses as ropes. The eye, though face is profile, is always given as in full face - as in Egyptian paintings' (ink notes)
[on drawing] 'Corner of the Via Augustales Pompeii. May 14th 1891. A.B.E. Saville Villa. August 25th /91. My own darling one - Tomorrow will be thy birthday, + a littly sketch is all a poo' Owl has to send thee - but Owl thinks that perhaps a wee littly sketch from Pompeii, done from the one made when poo' Owl was such a very very poo' Owl, will please thee more than a more valuable gift. My precious one, I am so glad thou art in a beautiful place for thy birthday, + getting fine air, + mountains, and good walks - even though thou art far distant from thy poo' poo' Owl. God bless thee my own oney - + I hope thou wilt have many, many birthdays, + happy years between each, + that thy Owl may live ~~thee~ to give thee less anxiety + more happiness for the future. I have walked to the end of the promenade this morning, + back, before luncheon - the first time I have taken a real good walk so early. It had been pouring in torrents all the morning, + I thought, as it was then holding up, I had better make the most of it. I felt all the better for it, + ate a capital luncheon when I came in. ' I enclose a very satisfactory letter from Petrie - satisfactory both as to the [?] + the Haworths. I [?] hope he will stick to it (woodside, I mean) + not put it off till he has no time left for it. I tried, in writing to him, to let him see by a sort of sidelight, that I deemed it of real importance - + yet not to make too much of it. I did not want to make him feel the painful weight of obligation - + yet I tried that he should gather that I was grave about it. He is so very sharp, that I fancy he wd. not fail to seize a shade of meaning, however slight. He has returned Goodyear's cutting, so I now send it to thee - but I want it back for the Haworths, who have not yet seen it. Baby's little drawing of the tablet is very good - very good indeed. I am sure the oney could draw well with a little teaching + application. How curious the recumbent figure in the "pinked" shroud is, at the bottom!' (ink note)
Handwritten letter with ink drawing of owl: ' I send it to thee to read, will a 'return' [?] [?]? Will thy Owl what S. Chester charges thee for the amulets. I cannot find the string of scarabs that came to me with the rest of Sir. E. Wilsons little collection - + am troubled. I should be so sorry if they were p[?]ing mislaid or lost, like Petrie's things. My sweet, own, darling baby lover-bird, goodbye. Thy poor, lonely, fond, crippled little Martyred Owl' (in ink).
Ink drawing of Sion in Switzerland above beginning of letter: 'April 9th / 88 My own love - I have first verified the addresses on about 200 Reports - + done up a lot of copies of [?]' (in ink)
