Letter Ernest Paulin to Frederick Pauline, 18 Oct 1899

[Typewritten]

“Hillside” Farquhar Road, Moseley

Oct’r 18^th 1899

My Dear Fred

I will not attempt to express how thankfull I was to receive your kind enclosure, coming as it did unexpected and just at a time when any pecuniary assistance was more than usually valuable. I should like to have some good news from you and am looking forward to your promised next.

I wrote to George a week or two ago, which letter you might have seen, lettering you know that I have taken a Commission job on the introduction of a new typewriter, the “Oliver” on one which I am writing this short note; as there are thirteen typewriter agencies in Birm’m most of them with a ten years start or more you can imagine that there is not much in it but hard and disappointing work; when I tell you that it has taken me nine weeks to draw £4 you can fairly calculate the up the hill job it is.  Nevertheless I have every confidence in the machine and eventually may be better; of course during the disastrous cycle boom here every body was in the cycle trade & every one had typewriters, so now that scores of the mushroom companies are gone, the market is glutted with typewriters of various degrees of perfection and price and these naturally very much handicap the sale anything new, and will do so for some time to come; but “Nil Desperendum”

You may tell the Dad that Red Cliffe House matter is concluded and that by to-morrow at latest I shall forward to him all the particulars of the transaction and hope he will found my stewardship of his interest satisfactory.  As my letter to the Dad will be somewhat lengthy

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I can embody any further items of interest in it, which no doubt the Dad will permit you to peruse. If you could have witnessed the relief that your kindness brought into our almost proverbially empty house, I feel sure that it would have amply repaid you for your kind thoughtfulness. I hope you and yours are well and that Piercy’s trip to Dawson will prove lucrative.  Permit me to again express the hope that you kept on the near side of the Klondyke business and that your usual care and tactical discretion will leave your transactions well on the right side.

Emmie wishes me to convey her sincerest thanks to you and the little kiddies, who of course benefitted by your kindness have reminded me several times not to forget Uncle Fred’s present and tell him that now we have got new boots, we are going to school again and they will black their boots every morning and see how long they can make them last.

With kindest love and a hope that I shall get some news from Victoria again shortly,

Your affectionate Brother

Ernest