Arthur Conan Doyle: A Life in Letters

Old Father Christmas is again come in sight and is rapidly approaching with his escort of Plum Pudding, Roast Goose, etc, etc.

My love to Papa, Lottie, Cony and Jeannie. I am writing a long piece of Poetry on the subject of the war.

Agreat deal of war-related poetry lay in Conan Doyle’s future, ranging from ‘The Song of the Bow’, an idealistic tribute to the English long-bowmen of the fourteenth century, to the ascerbic ‘H.M.S. Foudroyant: Being a humble address to Her Majesty’s Naval advisers, who sold Nelson’s old flagship to the Germans for a thousand pounds.’ First published in the London Daily Chronicle in September 1892, it began:

Who says the Nation’s purse is lean,

Who fears for claim or bond or debt,

When all the glories that have been

Are scheduled as a cash asset?

If times are bleak and trade is slack,

If coal and cotton fail at last,

We’ve something left to barter yet—

Our glorious past.

Conan Doyle also turned his imaginative gifts to his aunt Catherine’s recent travels, wistfully conjuring up a domestic scene at home in Edinburgh—and the contents of his next Christmas food package at school.

to Mary Doyle STONYHURST

I was so glad to learn that Aunt Kate was safe and happy. I hope she will continue to be so and will send me lots of Stamps and Postmarks. she must have pinned her voyage immensely. I wish I had been on the ship when the jib boom blew away. you must have been awfully surprised when the letter came. I can fancy the scene. You rushing for a carving knife to cut the letter open.

Papa endeavouring to support the tottering cups of tea.

Lottie hanging on by your dress.

and Cony eating the sugar.

I hope Lottie is getting on well in her reading. I am glad that Papa’s picture is progressing.

I like to see Tottie’s letters very much, Ma, and would be very glad if you sent some.

With regard to my box. I do not intend you to send all the things I mention, but merely to pick and choose out of them. You must impress upon your memory that the box ought to be at Preston by the evening of the 23d, and that all the meat in it must be cooked.

Secondly, you had better not send any books. not because I am less a bookworm than I was before, but because there is a large lybrary under my nose.

and remember, Ma, that the meat you send has to last me Breakfast and Dinner for a fortnight and when it is finished I shall have to depend on Charity.

Don’t scruple to tuck into my 10 shillings.

well 1

I want A goose. A Piece of Ham. a German Sausage. And a box of sardines for Friday.

Secondly, a Bottle of Raspberry Vinegar and one of those you keep at the bottom of your press in the Bedroom.

Thirdly, a dozen oranges & a dozen apples & half a dozen pears. then any fruit which you may happen to have. then a Plum Cake and a Shortbread Cake and some tea rolls. then some Chocolate sticks a packet of Butter Scotch a packet of Jujubees or any other sweets.

then, some paper, pens, envelopes and pencils and any sort of a box of chalks, to replenish my old set which are still in existence, many of them unbroken. then send some rock and anything you know I like—not forgetting my pots of Jam.

And then there is my Xmas 5 shillings, by the bye. I hope Mrs Smith will remember her promise—and Ma don’t forget any sort of tough six-penny pen knife—I often have need of one for some thing or other which would break the blade of that little sheath knife.

I hope my box won’t ruin us though it has formidable dimensions.

to Mary Doyle STONYHURST

We are having our first term examinations during the last few weeks, I have done very well in them I think. We had the compositions also in which I did a good English verse theme, the subject was ‘the plague of London’, I also wrote a piece for our academies, on the martyrdom of St Catherine, the patron saint of Rhetoric, which proved a success. Yesterday was our academy day and in the evening, we had, as is the custom, a good supper. We had a capital spread, turkey and sausages, apple tarts, fruit and cakes, together with port, sherry and claret. Songs were sung by everybody, I sung Mrs Brown.

I hope you effected your change without any serious inconvenience, and that you have affable neighbours.

to Mary Doyle STONYHURST

We have had skating—glorious skating—I pinned it immensely. We had it the whole of the Immaculate conception, and on the next two days, but then one night it began to rain and now the ice is covered with it.

I can skate backwards—cut rolls—cut outsiders—and do other feats only to be appreciated by Papa.

The Actors are learning their parts in the Plays. every person is trying to find out what is the name of the tragedy—for this is always kept a great secret—some say it is ‘McBeth’ others say it is ‘King Lear’ which Papa read to me during the vacation, there are some 30 actors some of them having parts in all the plays there are 8 plays one each night and they last two hours and a half each but I don’t think we ever produced anything so good as ‘Rob Roy’.

to Mary Doyle STONYHURST

many thanks to you for sending me such a nice box. Everything in it came quite safe, no breakage. I am enjoying myself very much. there are 69 boys staying, 10 higher line ones. we have great fun during the long evenings, telling ghost stories round the fire. we have got a play up called ‘The Box of Mischeif’ [sic]. I have two short parts in it. First as a Town Crier, secondly as the captain of an east Indiaman. I hope it will come off well.

to Mary Doyle STONYHURST

last thursday was the rectors day the following was the order of the day We got up at 6 and had washing till

/

past 6 then mass till 7 then studies till 8 & breakfast of bread & milk till

/

past 8 then we took our skates and went to a recevoir [sic] near, and skated till 12 we then had some tarts & other refreshments & went out skating till 5 o’clock we then went home & had dinner of pork & apple sauce & potatoes & then tarts & oranges till

/

past 5 we then went to the playroom & played games till 7 we then said night prayers and had supper of bread & milk we then again took our skates & went to the pond and there we found it all illuminated with Chinese lanterns & torches & blue & red lights so that it was as light as day & there was a band on the side of the pond playing Rule britania and other popular songs we then began skating after being all provided with cigars & matches we had scarcely begun to skate when the masters on the sides began throwing jumping crackers & squibs among us & letting off rockets & Roman Candles & so we enjoyed ourselves till 11 o’clock & then we all got a tumbler of punch to drink the Rector’s health with & then we took off our skates & went to bed.

to Mary Doyle STONYHURST

many thanks to Papa for his funny note and to lottie and cony for the cake I wish I could get some little gift for them here.

my cricket costume is not quite finished, a coat is dispensable as we always take off our coats in the cricket field.