Emily Hale to Margaret Thorp
Andover,
Massachusetts
YouEliot, Esmé Valerie (née Fletcher, TSE's second wife)marries TSE;b5 will be astonished to hear from me perhaps before the 13th , but a piece of news has come to me which by this time you and Willard may have read of (I have not seen a N.Y. paper) or heard of second-hand, ie; T.S.E’s marriage yesterday to his secretary of the last seven years – a Miss Fletcher some 30 years his junior; they have left for three weeks on a wedding trip to Southern France; beyond these facts and an impersonal explanation of their each finding how much the other cared thro’ the medium of an older woman friend – his hesitation to ask a younger woman etc. etc. I know nothing, nor can I say anything, nor think it all through.1 How strangely this fits into the pattern of my giving the collection of letters – the friendship – the earlier love of the years – in its intimacy – is also sealed now for all future time. As to the attitude T.S.E. took over my first suggestion, I will only say they were critical indeed of all of us, but mercifully, I could soothe him, largelyDix, William Shepherd;b1 thro’ Mr Dix’ consideration, and understanding of my writing also to him quite freely – and the incident is closed except for the final drafting of the terms which Dix and I have thrashed out; largely of course Mr Dix – but a few suggestions on my part to avoid further dissatisfaction. This secret of the disposal of the letters will for the present have to be only in the knowledge of perhaps eight people – besidePerkins, Edith (EH's aunt)and the Hale letters;o8 yourselves, two or three of my friends, plus Mrs Perkins, know; she, poor lady, in spite of her increasing confusions is still very discreet about anything so important.
Perhaps before I die, I can make known the presentation of the letters; tho’ I am not sure now what his marriage adds to the whole past history. What think you – and que voulez vous?
I am so glad the cheeses are as welcome – and thank you for the very unusual interesting calendar. I feel most modern myself to receive it, as being able in your eyes to appreciate it. MyPerkins, Edith (EH's aunt)nursing home sought for;o9 Christmas was very unlike yours of course; after having to tell my aunt she could not keep her apartment after the year, but would have to find a home somewhere, & dealing with a crisis with the day nurse – retreatedHale, Emilyrecuperates in New Bedford;u1 to N.B. where I spent an absolutely [illegible] existence, as I was tired out physically & emotional.
I am making enquiries here & there about a possible new half time job – it’s all a little uncertain ahead – in the world and for myself. [illegible]
1.EHEliot, Esmé Valerie (née Fletcher, TSE's second wife)TSE on marrying and widowing;b6n had presumably received a letter to this effect – ‘an impersonal explanation’ – from TSE: it has not survived.
ButMirrlees, Hopego-between in TSE's second marriage;d8n see TSE to Hope Mirrlees, 27 Nov. 1956:
I am writing to tell you that Valerie and I are now engaged to be married – this is still very private and confidential, of course, and nobody knows except Margaret, V.’s parents (whom I am to meet on Saturday) and my own doctor. This could never have happened but for the hint you dropped when you last lunched with me. I had never thought of it as a possibility, and had intended to go on forever concealing my feelings from her – hoping that she would marry someone suitable. I should certainly have considered it most improper, considering the enormous disparity in age, to have made love to her – all the more so because I realised that as a poet and public figure she idolised me (I had no realisation of any more personal feeling on her part). I still have pretty frequent qualms as to its being the best thing from her point of view; but I reassure myself when I think of the extraordinary quality and persistence of her affection, and I think I really do believe that she loves me more completely and unreservedly than she could love any other man […]
Of course I tried to put before her all the disadvantages in marrying me that I could think of. (EVE)
To Hope Mirrlees, 7 Dec. 1956: ‘I still have qualms, of course, too, as to whether it is right that so young a woman should unite her life to mine, thinking of all her future years (unless she remarries, and I doubt whether anyone of such singleminded and amazing devotion would be likely to) of widowhood in a world not comfortable to live in. It is only by reminding myself of what a very unusual person she is that I get reassurance. And indeed, it is quite certain that if she were not this unusual person, this would never have happened at all’ (EVE).
1.WilliamDix, William Shepherd Shepherd Dix (1910–78): Librarian, Princeton University, 1953–75. Having gained first degrees (BA and MA) at the University of Virginia, he earned a doctorate in American literature at the University of Chicago. After working first as a teacher and English instructor, he became Associate Professor of English and Librarian of Rice Institute, Houston, Texas (now Rice University), 1947–53. Resolutely opposed to censorship and intellectual constraint, he served as chair of the Intellectual Freedom Committee of the American Library Association (ALA), 1951–3; chair of the International Relations Committee, 1955–60; and President of the ALA, 1969–70. In addition, he was Executive Secretary, 1957–9, and President, 1962–3, of the Association of Research Libraries. Recognised as one of the topmost figures in librarianship, he was honoured by the American Library Association with the Dewey Medal, 1969, and the Lippincott Award, 1971.
7.EsméEliot, Esmé Valerie (née Fletcher, TSE's second wife) Valerie Fletcher (1926–2012) started work as TSE’s secretary on 12 Sept. 1949, and became his second wife on 10 Jan. 1957; after his death in Jan. 1965, his literary executor and editor: see 'Valerie Eliot' in Biographical Register.
2.HopeMirrlees, Hope Mirrlees (1887–1978), British poet, novelist, translator and biographer, was to become a close friend of TSE: see Biographical Register.