[41 Brimmer St., Boston]

T. S.Eliot
EmilyHale
TS
Faber & Faber Ltd
12 March 1931
Dove,

As for fulfilment and unfulfillment, I have thought a good deal too. Perhaps we shall understand that better twenty years hence, lady dear, for there will be twenty and thirty years more, I hope. I only feel sure of this at the moment, that absolutely the fulfilled is best because one cannot overcome the difference between the complete and the incomplete; but that one can (I mean of course two can) make their unfulfilled better than the fulfilment of others – of the most of all events; and that this is something to aim at and I take happiness in finding that our relationship does seem to me to become more intimate and more profound as time goes on, so that there is always now a future of some kind to look forward to. And certainly, there is no man in the world, now, with whom I would change places; even those who are happy, at least happy in their domestic life, seem to me to have less than I have got. Is that arrogance? I think not; it springs from my pride of you, and my conviction that no woman could ever have given me so much, and the best, as you give me even as things are.

I don’t seem to know many couples whom I should point to as happy. TheFabers, themodel of happiness and respectability;a1 FabersFaber, Geoffreydescribed for EH;a2 seem to me about as happy as any. They have much the same social origins to begin with. HerFaber, Enid EleanorTSE mistakes her parentage;a1 father was Sir John Richards, a law professor at Oxford;1 Geoffrey was the son of a schoolmaster,2 though most of his family are wealthy brewers, and he is Bursar of All Souls’ College (‘the best club in London’ I always called it, and a very powerful one – it practically runs The Times and swarms with politicians) so that the Oxford atmosphere is very potent. TheyFabers, thetheir domestic situation;a2 have charming children, quite enough money, accept each other’s numerous relatives wholly, have similar tastes, dislike society and have a huge gramophone with innumerable records of the best music. I think they are very much attached to each other. And yet, though I am very fond of them, and Geoffrey has been infinitely kind to me, and I don’t believe that he has more than one or two old school and college friends with whom he is more intimate than me, their respectability sometimes oppresses me. I should like to feel that they were a little more passionate! instead of just gentle and good and sound and the backbone of England and with no religious strivings whatever. I should sometimes like to inject a little Bang,3 or Hasheesh, or whatever the Malays use, into him just to see him run howling down the street with flaming eyes like a Malay amok. I don’t think I say this in malice. There is no one I like better.

Tomorrow is Friday, and on Friday I begin to look forward to your letter. This letter is a postscript to Tuesday’s, to tell you that I have more from you and live more in you, all the time. And that seems to me quite wonderful.

Your
Tom

DoBristowe, Sibyl;a1 you know Miss Sibyl Bristoe [sc. Bristowe], of the Lycaeum [sc. Lyceum] Club?4

1.TSE was mistaken here. EnidFaber, Enid Eleanor Eleanor Faber (1901–95) was the daughter of Sir Henry Erle Richards (1861–1922), Fellow of All Souls College and Chichele Professor of International Law and Diplomacy at Oxford University, and Mary Isabel Butler (1868–1945).

2.Geoffrey Faber was the second son of the Revd Henry Mitford Faber (1851–1917), a housemaster at Malvern College.

3.TSE means ‘bhang’.

4.SibylBristowe, Sibyl Bristowe (1870–1954), President of the Poetry Circle of the Lyceum Club, Piccadilly, London, invited TSE on 1 Oct. 1930 to attend the Annual Poetry Club Dinner ‘as our distinguished guest’. Bristowe’s publications included Provocations, with intro. by G. K. Chesterton (1918). See too her preface to The Lyceum Book of Verse, a collection by English women poets, ed. Mollie Stanley-Wrench (1931): this included a poem by Bristowe.

Bristowe, Sibyl,

4.SibylBristowe, Sibyl Bristowe (1870–1954), President of the Poetry Circle of the Lyceum Club, Piccadilly, London, invited TSE on 1 Oct. 1930 to attend the Annual Poetry Club Dinner ‘as our distinguished guest’. Bristowe’s publications included Provocations, with intro. by G. K. Chesterton (1918). See too her preface to The Lyceum Book of Verse, a collection by English women poets, ed. Mollie Stanley-Wrench (1931): this included a poem by Bristowe.

Faber, Enid Eleanor, TSE mistakes her parentage, and the Eliots' separation, and the Irish waiter, as tennis-player, suggests Murder tickets for F&F employees, presses TSE into public speaking, and sons at zoo, cousin of Rab Butler, and Ann share TSE's box, congratulates TSE on opening night, TSE dependent on for food, at VHE's funeral, on VHE's death and funeral, home-hunting for TSE in Sussex, now Lady Faber,
see also Fabers, the

1.TSE was mistaken here. EnidFaber, Enid Eleanor Eleanor Faber (1901–95) was the daughter of Sir Henry Erle Richards (1861–1922), Fellow of All Souls College and Chichele Professor of International Law and Diplomacy at Oxford University, and Mary Isabel Butler (1868–1945).

Faber, Geoffrey, made TSE's literary executor, described for EH, as friend, overawed by Joyce, recounts the Eliots' dinner-party, discusses international situation with TSE, his annual effort to diet, introduced to TSE by Whibley, favours TSE taking Norton Professorship, suggests garden-party for TSE, mislays key to Hale correspondence, writes to TSE about separation, which he helps TSE over, blesses Scotland tour with whisky, victim of Holmesian prank, favours 'The Archbishop Murder Case', Times articles on Newman, Russell Square proclaims his gentlemanly standards, forgives TSE and Morley's prank, as tennis-player, champion of Haig biography, social insecurities, and the Faber family fortune, advertises 'Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats', at lavish lunch for Dukes, relieved that 'Work in Progress' progresses, and JDH, needs persuading over Nightwood, on Edward VIII's abdication, Old Buffer's Dinner for, wins at Monopoly, and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, thrilled by complimentary tickets, The Family Reunion described to, in line to read Family Reunion, has mumps, composes Alcaics from sickbed, at TSE and JDH's dinner, shares EH's Family Reunion criticism, on TSE's dinner-party bearing, discusses F&F's wartime plans, on meeting Ralph Hodgson, asks TSE to stay on during war, takes TSE to Oxford, argues with Major-General Swinton, and Purchase Tax exertions, and Literary Society membership, TSE's wartime intimacy with, drops teeth on beach, offers criticisms of 'Rudyard Kipling', falsely promised Literary Society membership, but eventually elected, helps revise TSE's Classical Association address, reports to Conversative Education Committee, deputed to America on publishing business, returned from America, Ada too ill to see, discusses National Service on BBC, depended on for breakfast, as fire-watching companion, and TSE rearrange attic at 23 Russell Square, recommends blind masseuse to TSE, in nursing home, and the Spender–Campbell spat, on TSE's Order of Merit, approached for essay on TSE, seeks to protect TSE's serenity, as Captain Kidd, wins fancy-dress prize, TSE's trip to Spain with, and National Book League, receives knighthood, on TSE's paroxysmal tachycardia, dies, his death,
see also Fabers, the

11.GeoffreyFaber, Geoffrey Faber (1889–1961), publisher and poet: see Biographical Register.

Fabers, the, model of happiness and respectability, their domestic situation, Faber children to tea chez Eliot, visit TSE at Pike's Farm, compared to the Morleys, closer to TSE than to VHE, 1933 summer holiday with, Ty Glyn Aeron described, request TSE to write play, too absorbed in their children, at the Morleys' party, give anti-Nazi party for author, host poker party, 1934 summer holiday with, take TSE to lunch in Oxford, 1935 summer holiday with, for which the children are bought tent, give party, 1936 summer holiday with, at Morleys' Thanksgiving Day party, sail model boats with TSE, and TSE's foggy adventure, cinema-going with TSE, take TSE to Witch of Edmonton, and Morleys take TSE to pantomime, and TSE attend opening of Ascent of F6, 1937 summer holiday with, and the Bradfield Greek play, School for Scandal with, take TSE to pantomime again, 1938 summer holiday with, 1939 summer holiday with, offer possible wartime refuge, 1940 summer holiday with, host TSE in Hampstead during war, TSE makes bread sauce for, brought vegetables from Shamley, move to Minsted, and TSE attend musical revue, 1941 summer holiday with, Minsted as substitute for nursing-home, trying to sell Welsh home, take TSE to International Squadron, invite TSE to Wales for Christmas, host TSE at Minsted, away fishing in Scotland, mourn TSE's post-war independence, 1947 Minsted summer stay, 1948 Minsted summer stay, host TSE for weekend, on 1950 South Africa trip, on TSE's 1951 Spain trip, 1951 Minsted summer stay, 1952 Minsted summer stay, 1953 Minsted summer stay, on 1953–4 South Africa trip, 35th wedding anniversary weekend,