Emily Hale to T. S. Eliot
Boston 16
I imagine you will not have expected to hear from me the last weeks in Andover, and since your last letter of May 15th. If you have written to Andover, it is quite all right, since all first class mail will be forwarded here until the first of August.
IKrauss, Sophie M.;a9 have probably not written you there that I am not going to Seattle – to my disappointment I confess. Neither of my friends – the Normans on their island in Puget Sound – nor Mrs Krauss, could take me as visitor, for differing but wholly unchangeable reasons. SoHale, Emilysummers between Boston, Woods Hole, New Bedford and Grand Manan;s5 here I am, once again going thro’ the old course – staying here as headquarters – with visits to Woods Hole, New Bedford, Isabel Whiting in the country place S. Lyndboro I love so well, and perhaps Peterboro. Idogs'Rag Doll' (Scottish Terrier);c8travels to Grand Manan;a1 go to Manan in August, presumably taking Rag Doll with me,1 and shall stay as late as possible before the opening of the school about September 21st.
IHale, Emilyphotographs of;w7with Rag Doll;f3 have a good picture (snap-shot) to send you the next time of the Scottie and her mistress, which consoles me a little for other terrible pictures I had taken by a student friend of mine, who assured me the unattractive middle aged woman looked ‘just like me’.
I have really come thro’ the ordeal of the last few weeks extraordinarily well physically – even nervously. My spirit, I confess, sinks very low at times, and I am learning to try to deal with the most subtle of all deviltries – loneliness and not complete happiness after my first year of work. But the former will always be with me, I imagine – and the latter is naturally a companion to most of the world, and must be dealt with quietly and patiently and submissively. I have to put all my thought in my work, the standards to keep among the students, and the fortune of my pretty rooms – and the chance to help others as the opportunity comes, suddenly, or at long intervals.
IHale, Emilyas director ('producer');v9The School for Scandal;c1 enclose a program, which was of my own make-up as far as quotation goes. The staging, as I conceived it and as the school carpenter and art teacher executed it, left little to be desired, I think – the opening scene even getting a hand from the some 450 people sitting on a warm evening, on very uncomfortable chairs. Only one of the characters was weak – ‘Maria’ – and the fault was in my choice – as much as in her phlegmatic treatment of a part only enlivened by actual charm – which the girl in question showed less and less of, as time went on, so that I gave up trying to improve her – which is a good deal of an admission. Even her pretty pretty costumes – two of which I designed and worked on – failed! But Lady Teazle was lovely to look at, as I intended she should be, and acted with much authority and charm. Sir Peter was delightful, especially in the broader scenes of comedy. ‘Charles’ and ‘Joseph’ showed remarkable skill for such youngsters – 15 yrs old – and so throughout the long cast. Lady Sneerwell – one of the best – reached a personal achievement only I could know about, as she is a ‘ jittery’ spoilt Jewess, who was herself until ten days before the play – and then came thro’ with the ability I suspected was there all the time. Mrs Candour’s broadsides were capital – her costumes among the best etc. etc. IHale, Emilyas director ('producer');v9Richard II;b3 think youShakespeare, WilliamRichard II;c6 would have been as impressed by it, Tom, as anything I have done, except the ‘Richard’. What fun it would be should you be able to come for a production next year – the Senior Play in December – a second play not until March when you would probably not be here, I assume.
And how about your play? I can hardly wait for news of it, nor of the casting. IBrowne, Henzie (née Raeburn);b5 trust the Henzie Martin situation has not been too difficult for you. IBrowne, Elliott MartinEH suggests moving on from;e9 have to confess that for some time, I have thought it would be wiser for you to make the difficult, painful decision to break with ‘Martin’ entirely, and take a producer-director who is not a personal friend – as well as a man who is more widely experienced in directing than Martin –; forgive me if I write thus, Tom, for I know your loyalties to old friends are very great and very solicitous on your part; but I think you have passed beyond need of Martin now – and that he can do well enough without you also – as his work is appreciated sans the Eliot attached to it.
IEliot, Marion Cushing (TSE's sister)1949 visit to England with Dodo;g1EH bids 'bon voyage';a6 have spokenPerkins, Edith (EH's aunt)friendly with Marion;i8 with your sister Marian on the telephone this morning, to bid her ‘Bon Voyage’ – as has my aunt. The latter and she are quite good friends – I do not know her at all, but called for your sake as much as anyone’s.
EleanorHinkley, Eleanor Holmes (TSE's first cousin);d7 comes to dinner tonight, the excellent [illegible] will cook dinner & serve it. Eleanor is now firmly and happily established in her own mènage with another ‘lodger’ already in residence, also a kitten! The weather is hot – and I am thankful I am not moving or packing with the thermometer over 80.
LastPerkins, Dr John Carroll (EH's uncle)celebrates 87th birthday;h5 Monday the 6th, my uncle celebrated his 87th birthday. The date, if ever in your mind, was not [?then held], so if you could write him belatedly it would please both of them tremendously. IAbbot Academy, Andover, Massachusetts;b1 could not come in at all, because of the many obligations at Abbot, including getting my rooms ready, and resting a little [illegible] fatigues of the last week. Uncle John had an untarnished day of pleasure – flowers, telegrams, letters, four to luncheon – all of which he enjoyed and survived, so to speak. The demonstration for him was the more remarkable because no one had been told beforehand – beyond the closest friends. Aunt E. was more tired than he after it all!
ITucker, J. Josephine;a7 went to Concord Tuesday for Miss Tucker’s final appearance as headmistress, as well as for the graduation of girls I had known well. I spent the night happily with Mr & Mrs Warren who are dear friends without my seeing them often, came back to Andover (a friend drove me) welcomed one tenant, prepared for the second, bade farwell to ‘Doll’ & came to Boston Friday – again by car. SaturdayFoss, Martha;a1 I drove – again from Concord – to attend [?Martha] Foss’ wedding in the country, returned that evening – and here I am!
So, good fortune to you and [?illegible word] from your relatives. Their going [?evokes] many memories which as yet I cannot live among.
May the summer hours be not overburdened for you and success to the play!
1.EH’s pet dog, a Scottish terrier (a successor to the elkhound Boerre).
4.E. MartinBrowne, Elliott Martin Browne (1900–80), English director and producer, was to direct the first production of Murder in the Cathedral: see Biographical Register.
1.Marian/MarionEliot, Marion Cushing (TSE's sister) Cushing Eliot (1877–1964), fourth child of Henry Ware Eliot and Charlotte Eliot: see Biographical Register.
5.EleanorHinkley, Eleanor Holmes (TSE's first cousin) Holmes Hinkley (1891–1971), playwright; TSE’s first cousin; daughter of Susan Heywood Stearns – TSE’s maternal aunt – and Holmes Hinkley: see Biographical Register.
1.SophieKrauss, Sophie M. M. Krauss (b. 1891), wife of Arthur Jeffrey Krauss (1884–1947), Episcopalian, who had resided in Seattle since 1921. Arthur Krauss ran the Krauss Brothers Lumber Company and was to retire in 1938 when the business was wound up in the area. They lived at 128 40th Avenue N., Seattle, with Lillie Cook (49) and Lucy Williams (28) – presumably their servants. See too Lyndall Gordon, The Hyacinth Girl, 183.
3.DrPerkins, Dr John Carroll (EH's uncle) John Carroll Perkins (1862–1950), Minister of King’s Chapel, Boston: see Biographical Register.
3.TSETucker, J. Josephine mischievously implies that EH’s boss, J. Josephine Tucker, Head of Concord Academy, 1940–9, might be the Ukrainian-born American singer, comedian and actor Sophie Tucker (1886–1966), ‘Last of the Red-Hot Mamas’. Josephine Tucker invited TSE to give the Commencement address at Concord Academy in 1946.