[No surviving envelope]
I was glad to get your letter of September 11 this morning, because of the news that it contained. ThoughPerkins, Edith (EH's aunt)sight failing;g8 the news of Aunt Edith is bad, it is more definite than I have had, and it does not more than confirm that of which I was already sure. The most that one could hope was, that she would not become entirely helpless – which, for anyone so active, and of the type of activities in which she interests herself, would impose very great resignation indeed. So long as she can exercise a certain control over her household affairs, and move about in the flat by herself, life will not be utterly tedious. IPerkins, Dr John Carroll (EH's uncle)starved of male company;d9 suppose that Uncle John can still read to her; but the great difficulty must be in not being able to go out of doors without a companion to guide her. You do not say anything about the violent headaches which were affecting your uncle when I last saw him. I wish that I could be near to bear him company: for you have said more than once in the past, when he was still active, that he suffered from the lack of enough masculine company and conversation. I will write to your aunt tonight.
I am all the more thankful, however, that at this moment of deterioration of your aunt’s eyesight, a suitable flat has fallen into your lap. YourHale, Emilymoves to 9 Lexington Road;r3 account9 Lexington Road, Concord, MassachusettsEH moves to;a1 of 9 Lexington Road (I shall have to be careful not to write Lexington Avenue!) is very satisfactory, and still more the tone of satisfaction in which you write of it. I hope that, as you no longer belong to the depressed and despised classes of teachers (the attitude towards teachers in general, and the scale on which they are paid, is a bad symptom of American civilisation) you may be considered more nearly an equal by Concord society; though I remember that your impressions of that society were not too good. But at least, will you not now assume a prominent, if not a dominating role, in the affairs of the local dramatic society? In that, however, I fear that you will find an obstructive attitude towards the production of good plays – and perhaps, what may present itself in some amateur as well as amateur [sc. professional] companies, a jealousy of anyone whose theatrical technique is superior to that of others. For amateurs can rate themselves as highly, and attach as much importance to success, as professionals!
Iappearance (TSE's)hernia;b9recovery from;a3 seem to make pretty steady progress now, in that I find myself more active – walking faster, taking longer strides, and less conscious of a patched-up belly! (I have a vain fancy that the rearrangement of the muscles has reduced my girth and the elderly sag from the waist down). I now even shave standing up, which accelerates my toilet. What chiefly remains, I think, is the tendency to fatigue: I am using this as a good excuse from evening engagements. I dine at my club on Wednesdays as the housekeeper is out, and for some time I shall leave that as the only evening when I will dine out. And I have not been working very hard. Toothache the last few days is sending me to my dentist tomorrow: I shall ask him to do only patchwork for the immediate future, as I do not want to have any major dental operation at present – I know that he is waiting for the moment when he can extract most of my remaining teeth and give me new plates. NoUniversity of Aix-en-Provenceeventually confers degree on TSE;a1 further news about Aix and Marseilles. TheCoal Miners' strikes, 1947;a1 prospect for the winter in Britain remains very obscure: especially as we have a government which never admits an unpleasant truth until the last moment, and then makes drastic regulations over night. It is only to be hoped that the weather may be milder than last year. Domestic coal is to be reduced, and nothing is said about what the restrictions on gas and electricity will be. But we have figures for the loss of coal lately owing to strikes. I have a certain sympathy, doublee [sc. doubled] by great irritation, with the miners: who, having been told by the socialist philosophers for many years that they would be very happy if the mines were nationalised, and believed it, now find that they don’t really like it.
IGalitzi, Dr Christine;c9 don’t suppose Christine Bratesco has got her husband back yet: I shall be surprised if she ever does.
1.DrGalitzi, Dr Christine Christine Galitzi (b. 1899), Assistant Professor of French and Sociology, Scripps College. Born in Greece and educated in Romania, and at the Sorbonne and Columbia University, New York, she was author of Romanians in the USA: A Study of Assimilation among the Romanians in the USA (New York, 1968), as well as authoritative articles in the journal Sociologie româneascu. In 1938–9 she was to be secretary of the committee for the 14th International Congress of Sociology due to be held in Bucharest. Her husband (date of marriage unknown) was to be a Romanian military officer named Constantin Bratescu (1892–1971).
3.DrPerkins, Dr John Carroll (EH's uncle) John Carroll Perkins (1862–1950), Minister of King’s Chapel, Boston: see Biographical Register.