[Grace TollHale, Emilyas teacher;w1arrives at Scripps;a7 HallScripps College, ClaremontEH arrives at;b9, ScrippsHale, Emilyarrives in California;b8 College, Claremont, California]
I was happy to find your letter of August 28th, from Seattle, among a pile of correspondence waiting for me, on my return to work this morning. But I am disappointed to find that I did not succeed in anticipating your arrival with a letter, as I thought I had done. And now that I have at last heard from Seattle, I must at once begin writing to Claremont. What a very little time you have in Seattle; and the journey must have been very fatiguing. I wish, please, that you write to me at once (that is to say to Eliot House) toScripps College, ClaremontTSE asks for full report of;c1 give a faithful report of your health at the beginning of the college term, together with some remarks on the climate and its suitability to your constitution. And of course I shall want immediate impressions of your colleagues and your pupils, your work, and your diversions (if any); whether you can bathe all the year round there, and what physical exercise you can get: I believe in regular moderate exercise for helping to keep one’s nerves and blood steady – though I have not practised it.
TheEliots, the T. S.holiday in Eastbourne;f2 sojourntravels, trips and plansthe Eliots' August 1932 Eastbourne holiday;a6described;a3 at Eastbourne went off as smoothly as possible – much better than I expected; and the motor journey up and down (about 60 miles each way) was made without misadventure. I am glad I did not have to stay any longer, however. TheMorleys, thejoin the Eliots in Eastbourne;a3 day weEliots, the T. S.where they dine with the Morleys;f3 arrived, we had the Morleys down from Lingfield to dinner (LingfieldEnglandLingfield, Surrey;g8;a1, where they live, is about half-way on the direct road from London to Eastbourne[)]; they stayed till about half past ten. OnEliots, the T. S.then visit the Woolfs at Rodmell;f4 the following day weWoolfs, theRodmell described;a6 motored over to Rodmell, near Lewes, where the Woolfs live in the summer, and were lucky to find them at home and alone; had a very pleasant tea with them, and I think they were gratified; I shall not see them again till next year.1 They have made their cottage extremely modern and comfortable, with electric refrigerator and what not; and have made an exceptionally beautiful and varied garden, very much amplified since I visited them some years ago. TheseHaigh-Wood, Charlesgrave in Eastbourne visited;a1 two occasions made useful breaks; and each morning we visited V.’s father’s grave in Ocklinge Cemetary [sic], which is on an exposed down side in the outskirts of Eastbourne, took flowers there. I have the satisfaction of feeling that I make a good [sic] job of this short ‘holiday’. This week is crowded with last engagements, both lunch and dinner, and next will be pretty full too; it is hard to believe that somehow or other I shall be on the open sea in twelve days time.
YourHale, Emily Jose Milliken (EH's mother);b1 last days in Boston must have been very tiring physically and emotionally, especially the parting from your mother, who I suppose hardly comprehended the meaning of your departure. ButHale, EdwardEH feels spiritually remote from;a3, my dear, I am sure that your father will soon seem as near to you as ever, though your feeling is probably inevitable at the time of leaving. ButAmericaSt. Louis, Missouri;h4resting-place of TSE's parents;a7 I shall know more about that, perhapsEliot, Henry Ware (TSE's father)his grave visited;a5 byEliot, Charlotte Champe Stearns (TSE's mother)her grave visited;a7 the time I see you, for then I shall have visited St. Louis and Bellefontaine Cemetary [sic] for the first and perhaps the last time in my life.
IMrs Hardingone of EH's few confidants;a1 am interested to hear of Mrs. Harding, and hope that I may meet her in Boston. It seems to me rather thrilling to meet anyone who is fully in your confidence – partlyHale, EmilyTSE's love for;x2unconfided to friends;b3 because there is no one who is fully in mine. YouKrauss, Sophie M.one of EH's few confidants;a2 had mentioned Mrs. Krauss – one reason why I should like to get to Seattle; butThorp, Margaret (née Farrand)one of EH's few confidants;a8 I did not know about Margaret Thorp. [(]I wonder whether she knew about me all through last winter or not?) IThorps, the;c1 amMonro, Alida (née Klementaski);a8 sorry, by the way, that the Thorps just drifted away without our seeing them (nor did Mrs. Monro).
We must try to settle the dates of my western tour as soon as I get to Cambridge. I shall probably be smothered in relatives, old friends, and officials for the first days. I have had a letter from an agent in New York named Feakins, who is recommended. He asks me to cable him whether I will consider engagements, but as I do not want to be circularised to 6000 clients I shall write instead.
I hope to write just twice more before I leave. AsFaber, Geoffrey;b8 Faber, MorleyMorley, Frank Vigor;b1 andWilberforce, Pamela Margaret (TSE's secretary);a5 Miss Wilberforce are all away (especially the last) I have a good deal to cope with. And then, my dove, I hope that you will find a great improvement in both style and content of my letters from Cambridge. Meanwhile, loving thoughts encompass you during your first weeks at Scripps.
ANelson, Mabelas companion to VHE;a1 very nice elderly woman whom we know, aEliot, Vivien (TSE's first wife, née Haigh-Wood)and TSE's departure for America;e9possible arrangements in TSE's absence;a8 Mrs. Nelson, is coming to stay with V. for a fortnight on my departure. 2
1.OnWoolf, Virginiaon the Eliots' Rodmell visit;a6n 2 Sept., the Eliots drove from Eastbourne to call on the Woolfs at Monk’s House, Rodmell. Virginia Woolf recorded: ‘behold Tom & Vivienne: we can’t buy our fish for dinner. But it was a friendly thought, – she wild as Ophelia – alas no Hamlet would love her, with her powdered spots – in white satin, L. said; Tom, poor man, all battened down as usual, prim, grey, making his kind jokes with her. “Oh but why didn’t they tell me Adrian Stephen was your brother. Why? Nobody mentioned it. They kept it from me.” Then her chops & changes. Where is my bag? Where – where – then a sudden amorous embrace for me – & so on: trailing about the garden – never settling – seizing the wheel of their car – suddenly telling Tom to drive – all of which he bears with great patience: feeling perhaps that his 7 months of freedom draw near’ (The Diary of Virginia Woolf, IV: 1931–35, ed. Anne Olivier Bell [1982], 123).
Woolf to Ethel Smyth, 7 Sept.: ‘The other day in walked the T. S. Eliots – he’s the poet, and she, poor raddled distressing woman, takes drugs. On a wild wet day she dresses in white satin, and exudes ether from a dirty pocket handkerchief. Also she has whims and fancies all the time – some amorous, some pornographic. Meanwhile he sits there, as trim as a bank clerk, making exact, but rather laboured conversation – for instance about his motor car’ (The Sickle Side of the Moon: The Letters of Virginia Woolf, V: 1932–1935, ed. Nigel Nicolson [1979], 100). Woolf to Ottoline Morrell, 16 Sept.: ‘[Vivien] became increasingly distraught as the afternoon wore on, changing her mind every second, and flying from one extreme to the other. Poor Tom – anyhow he escapes tomorrow’ (ibid., 107).
VivienEliot, Vivien (TSE's first wife, née Haigh-Wood)recalls the Eliots' visit to Rodmell;c8n was to recall in her diary, 1 Apr. 1935: ‘This is the paper which was stuck on the pot of Raspberry Jam given to me by Virginia Woolf at Monk’s House Rodmell, nr. Lewes Sussex in August 1932. She had made the jam herself … Tom & I were staying together at The Lansdowne Hotel Eastbourne in the room on the ground floor facing the side of The Grand Hotel. I drove Tom over, in the Morris car which I had then & afterwards exchanged for the Ford V8 2 door saloon … When we arrived at Rodmell both Virginia & Leonard seemed pleased. I took several snapshots which are among my collection. We had tea, & as I was very nearly insane, already with the Cruel Pain of losing Tom, & as they both must have known that, I paid very little attention to the conversation (as usual)… When we got back to the Lansdowne I felt very ill and was in a fever. Tom also seemed very strange. I remember all he said. And I also remember having a faint uneasy feeling that the Wolves were in some way against Tom, just as I now, looking back see that I was always haunted by that horror in recent years. The only way I cld. have stopped it for good would have been to go to America with Tom & stick it out & bring him safely back. I had not the courage to do that & so am damned for ever – but it does not matter what I do, ever again’ (Bodleian).
2.RobertNelson, Mabel SencourtGeorge, Robert Esmonde Gordon ('Robert Sencourt');b8nSencourt, Robert
6.CharlotteEliot, Charlotte Champe Stearns (TSE's mother) Champe Stearns Eliot (1843–1929): see Biographical Register.
11.GeoffreyFaber, Geoffrey Faber (1889–1961), publisher and poet: see Biographical Register.
3.RobertGeorge, Robert Esmonde Gordon ('Robert Sencourt') Esmonde Gordon George – Robert Sencourt (1890–1969) – critic, historian, biographer: see Biographical Register.
2.RoseHaigh-Wood, Rose Esther (TSE's mother-in-law, née Robinson) Esther Haigh-Wood (1860–1941), wifeHaigh-Wood, Charles of Charles Haigh-Wood (1854–1927), artist.
1.EdwardHale, Edward Hale (1858–1918), Unitarian minister, father of Emily Hale: 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.AlidaMonro, Alida (née Klementaski) Klementaski (1892–1969) married Harold Monro on 27 Mar. 1920: see Alida Monro in Biographical Register.
4.FrankMorley, Frank Vigor Vigor Morley (1899–1980), American publisher and author; a founding editor of F&F, 1929–39: see Biographical Register.
2.RobertNelson, Mabel SencourtGeorge, Robert Esmonde Gordon ('Robert Sencourt');b8nSencourt, Robert
16.MargaretThorp, Margaret (née Farrand) Farrand (1891–1970), author and journalist – see Margaret Thorp in Biographical Register.