[Grace Toll Hall, Scripps College, Claremont]
Your letter of the 12th arrived this afternoon – on Friday as usual, but you must have written earlier in the week, as for the first time you only put a 3 cent stamp! I only regret your not having waited and ‘aired’ it, because by then you might have had my next letter of apology: though I confess myself a little hurt by your taking me so seriously. WhatPerkinses, thewho repents of seeming ingratitude;c1 was I doing, pray, but putting down immediate impressions that went through my head? and would you prefer me to weigh every word? for my part, I was only afraid that you would think that I was not properly grateful to Mr. & Mrs. Perkins for the dinner party, and my conscience was clear on that point, though my words may have suggested the contrary. If I should speak harshly, after our meeting, of someone whom I know to be very near and dear to you, or whom I knew to have been very kind to you, you would have every right to be offended (not that you have not the right to be as unreasonable as you choose with me) but I cannot see that I have done that. I am not quite sure that it was not a New England conscience, rather than affections that were wounded. ISherrill, Henry Knox;a3 believe, from what I hear, that Bishop Sherrill is an excellent man; andLowell, Abbott LawrenceTSE's dislike for redoubled;a5 as I said, I believe that but for Lowell there might have been some conversation. AsWare, Mary Leebut TSE repents of disparaging;a9 for Miss Ware, I have relatives of whom you can speak much more severely than that; but forgive, please, my moral earnestness.
IHale, Emilycorrespondence with TSE;w3EH switches to typewriter;e1 shall trust you with a typewriter only on condition that you do not use it to write to me. You have still the use of your right hand for writing, and I have not.
AsScripps College, ClaremontTSE's lecture at;c8 for the subject, I have no idea how developed intellectually these Scripps girls are. The Essay on Taste1 is more amusing, but also a little more philosophical than the Bible. Itravels, trips and plansTSE's 1933 westward tour to Scripps;a8and TSE's need to lecture;a2 haveUniversity of California, Los Angeles (UCLA);a1 not heard from the University of California at Los Angeles, butUniversity of Southern Californiasubsequent negotiations with;a3 I hope to get a lecture at the University of Southern California at Los Angeles; ohAment, William Sheffieldand TSE's UCLA lecture;a1 yes, Lowes has heard from the former, and they said they were consulting Mr. Ament2 (how do you pronounce it?) ILeland Stanford Junior University (Stanford)possible stop on 1933 tour;a3 haveUniversity of California, Berkeleypossibly on TSE's westward lecture-tour;a1 also heard from Stanford & from Berkeley. Iftravels, trips and plansTSE's 1933 westward tour to Scripps;a8TSE's itinerary;a4 I must speak in Los Angeles on the 4th, I must start from Boston or New York on the 27th, so as to have a few days first, and one or two before your classes begin: though I fear you will be busy enough even then. But I shall bring some work with me; reading, and a preface to write; and what time you cannot give me, I shall be glad to have to myself instead of seeing people. I will take the Santa Fé, if as you say, it passes directly through Claremont: it will be wonderful to get on the train and not have to get out until I see you, I hope, on the platform with your car. It takes my breath away, and to think of you running about in your own car too. Only I hope that Mr. Eliot & Party will not have to accept too many invitations, however kind and hospitable they are. I would arrive on the 29th if I possibly could, butEliot, Henry Ware, Jr. (TSE's brother);b3 unless my brother can come here for Christmas, I feel that I ought to spend a night with him; and this cursed lecture writing is going to keep me at work all the week. Things would have been very different, and far less of a strain, if conditions had permitted my making adequate preparations during the year before I arrived. IEyre, Mary B.offers to lend TSE house;a1 will write to thank the mysterious Miss Eyres, who are so kind; but I do not understand what borrowing a house means.3 Is there a servant attached, I wonder? I shall wire you before starting, so that you may know when to expect me.
IKrauss, Sophie M.;a4 hope that my coming is not what has prevented your going to the Krauss’, because I know how fond you are of Mrs. Krauss, and you must have been pining for friends. I should have loved to meet them too, but of the choice, I am more anxious to come to Claremont and see exactly how you live and whether you are properly looked after and not worked too hard. I hope that by the time I arrive, I may be somewhat restored to my Lady’s good opinion.
1.Alexander Gerard, An Essay on Taste (1759).
2.WilliamAment, William Sheffield Sheffield Ament (1997–51), Professor of English, Scripps College.
3.MaryEyre, Mary B. B. Eyre, Professor of Psychology, lived in a pretty frame house on College Avenue, Claremont, where TSE stayed during his visit to EH at Scripps College.
2.WilliamAment, William Sheffield Sheffield Ament (1997–51), Professor of English, Scripps College.
3.HenryEliot, Henry Ware, Jr. (TSE's brother) Ware Eliot (1879–1947), TSE’s older brother: see Biographical Register.
3.MaryEyre, Mary B. B. Eyre, Professor of Psychology, lived in a pretty frame house on College Avenue, Claremont, where TSE stayed during his visit to EH at Scripps College.
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.
1.AbbottLowell, Abbott Lawrence Lawrence Lowell (1856–1943), educator and legal scholar; President of Harvard University, 1909–33.
5.HenrySherrill, Henry Knox Knox Sherrill (1890–1980), Episcopal clergyman; Bishop of Massachusetts, 1930–47. Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, 1947–58.
3.MaryWare, Mary Lee Lee Ware (1858–1937), independently wealthy Bostonian, friend and landlady of EH at 41 Brimmer Street: see Biographical Register.