Emily Hale to T. S. Eliot
Yes, My dear Tom, I am very conscious that I have not written you for a long time – and I am truly sorry that your second letter of May 22 caught me before I answered the earlier – very detailed letter of your French trip of May 2nd. My own life has been – for one of my usual quiet, if less sensationally interrupted life – very crowded lately – so that I have put off from day to day the larger letters, such as one to you.
Now I thank you for writing fully of the exhausting trip to Aix – tho’ I confess I rather envied you the little tour in the country between Aix and Paris – to see the less known parts of France by motor must have had some charm. What you write of the new play of course is very interesting, and before too long I hope I may be permitted to know a little more about it, like its story, characters etc, because of course you will know how eager I shall be both for its completion, as well as its success for you. I only beg of you to try to keep as much uninterrupted time for it as you can, because I think such a creation ought now to take place over your many public engagements, especiallyEliot, Marion Cushing (TSE's sister)abortive 1948 summer in England;f5;a4 ifSmith, Theodora ('Dodo') Eliot (TSE's niece);c5 your summer is to be broken into by a possible arrival of Marian and Theodora.
PenelopeNoyes, Penelope Barkersails for England;e6 Noyes, by the way, sails for England the end of this week to be [illegible] till early August – and she has you on the list of those she plans to see. I gave her, of course, only your Russell Sq. address. Penelope has never been out to see me since I moved into no. 9, nor do I ever hear from her by telephone, or for any reason except ‘business’. I have spent two nights at the house, which she says she always enjoys having me do very much – but I feel much out of her very crowded useful life now-a-days – tho’ she is most loyal at heart and in her way. JeanieMcPherrin, Jeanettemissed by EH;g2 McPherrin too I never see nor hear from – she and I both lead very busy lives, but nevertheless I miss what I thought was to be continuing closer friendship, when she came East. Mais, c’est la vie. IAbbot Academy, Andover, Massachusettsoffers EH permanent position;a6 have a very important item of news to tell you, which will, I suspect, rather startle you – namelyHale, Emilyas teacher;w1takes permanent position at Abbot;e1, that I9 Lexington Road, Concord, Massachusetts;a6 amAmericaConcord, Massachusetts;e1EH moves from;a3 goingAmericaAndover, Massachusetts;c3EH moves to;a1 to live in Andover next year, to become a permanent member of the Abbot Academy faculty. MissHearsey, Dr Marguerite Capenoffers EH permanent Abbot Academy position;a1 Hearsey1 made me the offer soon after Easter vacation, and I almost regretted hearing the words. She has met all I stipulated in the way of ‘conditions’ so generously, that I really had no good excuse to say no. The salary – even as a so-called part time teacher – is larger than I have ever received – the35 School Street, Andover, Massachusettsset aside for EH;a1 school is making over a house it owns into two apartments, one of which is to be mine,2 girls and faculty – those who know – respond enthusiastically to my returning, and I hope I am not making a mistake. I took a month to make up my mind – clearing all hurdles, one by one – the last hurdle, my health, which my doctor considers to be very good for one of my ‘years’! Some people here, some interests here, I am truly sorry to break with – and the facing of the inevitable routine of work, and abandoning of a more personal life, has weighed in my decision heavily. A little taste of ‘freedom’ has been very pleasant – even in so humble a way as I have enjoyed here – but, since the future is not to give me, anyway, what at one time I thought it was going to – a little larger place in the spot-light of worldly affairs – I am grateful I can be very useful still to young people and to an art which I think has become pretty much a part of me – and there is a real chance to develop the work at Abbot, since my poor predecessor had been there so long that the Dept. had become rather too much taken for granted, I judge. At least, I shall not be in danger of staying for 30 years – indeed there is no time period fixed. The apartment, from the plans, will be like a small house – two stories – in the wing as it stands to-day, close to the school – a pleasant enough location. I move [illegible] these rooms June 11th, and my Academy friends downstairs move in, and the landlady returns to her old quarters.
I am sorry you will never have seen this little suite which has meant so much to me this year – but I am glad I can welcome you when you are here to the new home, altho’ I do not know when it will be ready for occupancy. The school stores my furniture for me during the summer and I can continue living at kind Mrs Chipman’s next autumn, if the rooms are not ready. ThePerkinses, theapprove EH's permanent Abbot position;m8 Perkins are much in favour of this, and when she feels well, planning for the changes is a real diversion for my aunt. HerPerkins, Edith (EH's aunt)sight failing;g8 sight is failing, I am sad to say – and she now knows it. I pray total blindness may not be her lot, tho’ I fear that possibly she may survive even the tensions of this affliction.
MyPerkins, Dr John Carroll (EH's uncle);g9 uncle of course does not grow stronger, andAmericaPetersham, Massachusetts;g5the Perkinses cease to visit;a5 they are to be in Boston all summer, as Petersham is now too great a strain for them both. Yes, ICanadaGrand Manan Island, New Brunswick;a2EH holidays on;a2 have made reservation for ‘The Flying Jib’ at Manan thro’ August and into September – before then I shall be for a while in Boston, the latter part of June, and perhaps visits about in July, keeping close at hand to Boston. DorsetAmericaDorset, Vermont;e3and the Dorset Players;a4 will not be in the programme except for one part perhaps. PaulStephenson, Paulstrikes out from Dorset Players;a43 has broken all links with the so-called community support (?) [sic] and is to be on his own in a new playhouse this summer, in co-operation with two energetic couples from last year. But I don’t have much desire to return except for one play.
MyHale, Emilyas director ('producer');v9Molnár's The Swan;b8 big weekend is almost on me – as ‘The Swan’ is produced May 29th in the midst of 100 and one Commencement activities which drive me quietly crazy to think of, let alone cope with. Ambitious as the play is the girls have been very fine in their response loyalty and enthusiasm; their obvious affection towards me is very sweet and comforting.
Several of my ‘private’ pupils gave the annual speech recital last Sat. evening, which was received with marked enthusiasm at the moment. IPerkins, Dr John Carroll (EH's uncle)honoured by bas-relief;h1 left immediately after to go to Portland to represent the family at an important church affair – the presentation of a bas-relief of my uncle, to perpetuate his name in the history of the church – something a younger cousin of his, and I, have worked for, for years.
To-nightHale, Emilysings Bach's B Minor Mass;r9, asBach, Johann SebastianEH sings in B Minor Mass;a3 a humble member of a big Concord chorus – made up of all ages and walks of life – we sing Bach’s B Minor Mass, before a (we hope) large audience. I wish you were here for it – as I often wish for you in connection with much in my life. ReadMurder in the CathedralTSE on its cheerful title;d4 theNew York Timesinterviews TSE;a2 N.Y. Times of Sunday May 23, ‘blurb’ about the coming film of Murder.4 Did you really say all those things reported? A very charming picture of your visit to Cambridge in honor of your old Master. But don’t ever preach again, please, and keep yourself well.
1.DrHearsey, Dr Marguerite Capen Marguerite Capen Hearsey (1893–1990) was 14th Principal of Abbot Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, 1936–55. Educated at Hollins College, Roanoke, Virginia, and at Radcliffe College, she taught French and English at Georgetown College in Kentucky; and English at both Bryn Mawr College, Pennsylvania, and Wellesley College, 1924–5, 1927–9. In 1929 she earned a PhD at Yale, where she was a Sterling Fellow and specialised in Elizabethan literature; she studied too at the Sorbonne. Before moving on to Andover, she taught at Hollins, 1929–36. She served, too, as President of the National Association of Principals of Schools for Girls.
2.‘During her last few years at Abbot, Marguerite Hearsey had found it ever more difficult to recruit live-in teachers who could supervise dormitory corridors, take their turns at weekend chaperonage and bell duty, and so forth. Emily Hale agreed to return in 1948 only if she could move to an apartment’ (McIntosh Lloyd, A Singular School, 317; citing Principal’s Report, 1 June 1948).
3.Paul Stephenson, former director of the Dorset Players, Vermont.
4.C. A. LejeuneLejeune, C. A.interviews TSE;a1n, ‘“MurderMurder in the CathedralTSE on its cheerful title;d4 in the Cathedral” Set For Filming: T. S. Eliot Writes Own Script and Records Parts for Guidance of the Cast’, New York Times, 25 May 1948: ‘The sensational title, Mr Eliot said, was a natural choice, being “the kind of title which is sympathetic to my temperament. I’m a very cheerful poet, and I like comedy. Murder in the Cathedral. There you have it. After all, it is no tragedy for a man to become a saint. Think of it. Fifty-five years or so – I don’t know exactly how many, that is not my business – on earth, and then straight to heaven! That’s pretty good going.’
1.Marian/MarionEliot, Marion Cushing (TSE's sister) Cushing Eliot (1877–1964), fourth child of Henry Ware Eliot and Charlotte Eliot: see Biographical Register.
1.DrHearsey, Dr Marguerite Capen Marguerite Capen Hearsey (1893–1990) was 14th Principal of Abbot Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, 1936–55. Educated at Hollins College, Roanoke, Virginia, and at Radcliffe College, she taught French and English at Georgetown College in Kentucky; and English at both Bryn Mawr College, Pennsylvania, and Wellesley College, 1924–5, 1927–9. In 1929 she earned a PhD at Yale, where she was a Sterling Fellow and specialised in Elizabethan literature; she studied too at the Sorbonne. Before moving on to Andover, she taught at Hollins, 1929–36. She served, too, as President of the National Association of Principals of Schools for Girls.
2.JeanetteMcPherrin, Jeanette McPherrin (1911–92), postgraduate student at Scripps College; friend of EH: see Biographical Register.
12.PenelopeNoyes, Penelope Barker Barker Noyes (1891–1977), who was descended from settlers of the Plymouth Colony, lived in a historic colonial house (built in 1894 for her father James Atkins Noyes) at 1 Highland Street, Cambridge, MA. Unitarian. She was a close friend of EH.
3.DrPerkins, Dr John Carroll (EH's uncle) John Carroll Perkins (1862–1950), Minister of King’s Chapel, Boston: see Biographical Register.
2.TheodoraSmith, Theodora ('Dodo') Eliot (TSE's niece) Eliot Smith (1904–92) – ‘Dodo’ – daughter of George Lawrence and Charlotte E. Smith: see Biographical Register. Theodora’sSmith, Charlotte ('Chardy') Stearns (TSE's niece) sister was Charlotte Stearns Smith (b. 1911), known as ‘Chardy’.
5.PaulStephenson, Paul Stephenson (1898–1974), theatre director – he worked for various theatres, with seasons at the Central City Opera House, Colorado (where he directed Lillian Gish in Camille), and at the Brattleboro Theater Group, Vermont – was first engaged for the summer season at the Dorset Players, Vermont in 1939–40, After war service in the Marine Corps, he returned to the Dorset Players for the summers of 1946 and 1947. But box office takings during 1947 were so poor that the final shows were cancelled: Stephenson was not asked back for the summer of 1948.