[No surviving envelope]
IHayward, John;n8 hope that you received in good time the birthday cable which I asked John to send off for me. I had just taken to bed with the seasonal attack of bronchitis, from which I am now nearly recovered. My doctor would not let me stir out of my bedroom for the first two or three days, and so got in a trained nurse to look after me (only in the day time, she did not have to sleep here): fortunately an amiable and adaptable young woman, whoMme Amery;a5 got on well with Madame Amery and was ready to make herself useful in other ways, which nurses will not always do. He likewise ordered me to drink champagne; so a number of small size invalid bottles of cheap champagne were got in; so I was ill under the most luxurious conditions. I return to work on Monday; andtravels, trips and plansTSE's 1951 British Council mission to Paris;h5;a1 on Thursday IBritish CouncilTSE opens exhibition for;b8 am off to Paris for the British Council to open the exhibition of ‘Le Livre Anglais’ at the Bibliotheque Nationale. This takes place on Friday morning; onSchuman, Robert;a2 Saturday, for some reason, M. Schumann [sc. Schuman]1 is giving a luncheon (I hope I don’t have to make an impromptu speech! I speak English at the opening) and I return to London by the Dunkerk [sc. Dunkirk] ferry on Saturday night – a sleeping car through from Paris to Victoria.
IPerkins, Edith (EH's aunt)sent birthday poem;k8 hope also that Aunt Edith received the birthday poem in time for your tea party on the Saturday afternoon.2 I should love to know who were there, and whether it passed off without your feeling too much strain. (I'Cat Morgan Introduces Himself';a1 enclose the original poem of Cat Morgan which was the starting point of the other humble verses).3 I suspect that what Aunt Edith wanted was something more in the nature of ‘poetry’ (like the verses for her about the Stamford garden) but I really couldn’t compose a serious poem with a view to its being read aloud to a group of guests, especially not knowing who would be there.
IEliot, Theresa Garrett (TSE's sister-in-law)undergoes operation on ear;f8 have had constantEliot, Marion Cushing (TSE's sister);g8 communications from Marian about Theresa’s operation: I expect you know that she finally had to have the serious operation on her ear, in order to prevent any recurrence of the dizzy spells which were so alarming (sheAmericaCambridge, Massachusetts;d4road safety in;a7 might have been overtaken by one while crossing a street, and what a place Cambridge is for dangerous crossings). The only danger (but a serious one) had been of total deafness; but Marian says that Dr. Weille is well pleased with the results so far, and has promised to send Theresa somewhere to convalesce.
IBrowne, Henzie (née Raeburn)has serious operation in Australia;b6 have just had aBrowne, Elliott Martin;f5 letter from Martin Browne from Australia saying that Henzie has had to have a serious operation in Sydney – I imagine, the same operation that Theodora had. He speaks cheerfully of her recovery; and I dare say that she will benefit by having her convalescence in the Australian summer instead of the English winter. He will leave her there to return later by sea, and will fly back presently. I was afraid that he had undertaken too heavy a programme out there anyway; and as they flew out, there cannot have been much relaxation about the tour.
HavingConfidential Clerk, Thebeing written;a4 been in bed from the 26th October until a few days ago, I have very little to report of myself. I am not getting ahead very fast with my work, and I cannot count upon finishing a play in time to offer it to the Edinburgh Festival. Itravels, trips and plansTSE's 1952 visit to America;h8;a2 do not intend to let it interfere with my visit to Boston in the early summer, in any case.
It is a long time since I have heard from you, but no doubt that is because I have not been able to write myself; and from now on I expect you will be very hard worked with a Christmas play for the school. I should like to hear about that. I wish there was someone who would report to me from time to time about your state of health. You are in my mind constantly.
IBritish General Election1951;a2England
1.RobertSchuman, Robert Schuman (1886–1963): French statesman (born in Luxembourg); Christian Democrat; Minister of Finance, 1946–7; Prime Minister, 1947–8; Foreign Minister, 1948–53. His ‘Schuman Declaration’ (made on 9 May 1950) sought to develop supranational European institutions: the concept would in time beget the Council of Europe and the European Union.
2.Poem not identified.
3.Presumably ‘Cat Morgan Introduces Himself’, printed in the broadsheet Faber Book News: two sheets issued as publicity material with the Faber Catalogue for Autumn & Winter 1951; Poems II, 35.
4.In the snap election held on 25 Oct. 1951, the Conservative Party under Winston Churchill was returned to power, with a small majority of 17 seats.
OliverLyttelton, Oliver Lyttelton (1893–1972), a businessman who had been brought into government during WW2, returned to work from 1945 as Chair of Associated Electrical Industries. He was in line for the position of Chancellor of the Exchequer but was deemed to be compromised by his business interests and connections with the City – the post went to R. A. Butler, while Lyttelton became Secretary of State for the Colonies. He was later to be raised to the peerage as 1st Viscount Chandos.
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.
4.R. A. ButlerButler, R. A. ('Rab') (1902–82), Conservative Party politician, was at this time – following Anthony Eden’s resignation as Foreign Secretary – Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. (He was later to serve as Education Minister, 1941–5; Chancellor of the Exchequer, 1951–5; Home Secretary, 1957–62; Deputy Prime Minister, 1962–3, Foreign Secretary, 1963–4.)
1.Marian/MarionEliot, Marion Cushing (TSE's sister) Cushing Eliot (1877–1964), fourth child of Henry Ware Eliot and Charlotte Eliot: see Biographical Register.
11.JohnHayward, John Davy Hayward (1905–65), editor and critic: see Biographical Register.
OliverLyttelton, Oliver Lyttelton (1893–1972), a businessman who had been brought into government during WW2, returned to work from 1945 as Chair of Associated Electrical Industries. He was in line for the position of Chancellor of the Exchequer but was deemed to be compromised by his business interests and connections with the City – the post went to R. A. Butler, while Lyttelton became Secretary of State for the Colonies. He was later to be raised to the peerage as 1st Viscount Chandos.
1.MadameMme Amery Amery: housekeeper at 19 Carlyle Mansions, Chelsea.
1.RobertSchuman, Robert Schuman (1886–1963): French statesman (born in Luxembourg); Christian Democrat; Minister of Finance, 1946–7; Prime Minister, 1947–8; Foreign Minister, 1948–53. His ‘Schuman Declaration’ (made on 9 May 1950) sought to develop supranational European institutions: the concept would in time beget the Council of Europe and the European Union.