Emily Hale to Willard Thorp
Concord, Mass.1
YouHale, Emilyrelationship with TSE;w9EH recoils from publicising;h2 have been a true friend to me for many years, but you cannot quite realize, perhaps, even in the warmth of friendship’s confidences and experiences, what your most kind letter of August 13th has done for me, as I wrote M. in a [illegible word] I had suddenly felt almost a revulsion against the whole story – so personal – so painful in many ways – of T.S.E. and E.H. – becoming public property in years long after we both are gone.
YourThorp, Margaret (née Farrand)encouraging EH to augment Princeton deposit;c7 work which from you I prize very much, are already winning me away from this strong anti-publicity attitude! I haven’t had the courage yet to send the good secretary’s transcript but may do so tonight to the one close relative I have who knows the story. For M’s very good suggestions – biographical data etc – personal references in poems – more later. IPrinceton Universityand EH's bequest;e8 write briefly to thank you very much and add I want the next time to put on tape, to be transcribed, a conversation with you – question & answer – such as we had in your library. I feel that you can get from me the material which scholars will want fully as much as my personal memoirs.
To-day and yesterday have been very beautiful – cool like coming autumnal weather – tho’ I know we may have intense heat again over Labor Day and early September.
IAmericaSeattle, Washington State;h1EH returns to;a9 take one more flight – literally – before settling into winter life in Concord – as I go to Seattle Aug 28th for a week, toPerkinses, the;o1Perkins, Dr John Carroll (EH's uncle)
A happy time to you both at Hatteras. Perhaps M. will have a chance to send me word before I go to Seattle.
[…]
With very warm appreciation of your kindly encouragement – I did this ‘stunt’ only because of your and M’s [?stance] in the whole affair of the letters.
1.EH to Jane Sullivan, Alumnae Office, Abbot Academy, 29 Apr. 1963: ‘In the next possible for publication Bulletin, will you kindly place a note that I am moving by June 1 to live at 9 Church Green, Concord, Massachusetts, where I shall gladly welcome any friends. You have already probably heard rumors of this – a little house rented, not bought!’ (Archives & Special Collections, Phillips Academy).
16.MargaretThorp, Margaret (née Farrand) Farrand (1891–1970), author and journalist – see Margaret Thorp in Biographical Register.
1.Margaret Thorp, née Farrand (1891–1970), contemporary and close friend of EH; noted author and biographer. WillardThorp, Willard Thorp (1899–1990) was a Professor of English at Princeton University. See Biographical Register. See further Lyndall Gordon, Hyacinth Girl, 126–8, 158–9.