[Grace Toll Hall, Scripps College, Claremont]
AMorleys, thelife at Pike's Farm among;a9 weekend at Pikes Farm, cut the grass and chopped straw for the strawberries – aRock, Thein rehearsal;c7 rehearsal at Cockfosters, Nehemiah rebuilding the Wall of Jerusalem, peaked hats and curly beards – dinnerNoyeses, the;a7 with the Noyes’s at Stafford Hotel, Pa Noyes slightly lacking in concentration, but courtly as ever, Penelope the same dependable Penelope, and a lady friend from West Newton, needed, because I don’t think Penelope finds it any joke taking her father abroad and I suspect she would rather have staid at home – lastPerkinses, theentertained on arrival in London;e1 nightEnglish Speaking Union;a3 called upon your family at the English Speaking Union – thisHastings, Donald Pierrewhich Hastings eventually exhibits;a3 morning went to Mr. Donald Hastings’s exhibition of portrait busts – artful he is, and clever at publicity1 – I found myself herded in a corner with several other persons and made to stare attentively at a bust of the King of Greece while a press photographer snapped us – theDouglas-Hamilton, Douglas , Lord Clydesdale;a1 others turned out to be an actress whom I had never heard of with an expensive complexion and a young man in tow who was introduced as Lord Clydesdale,2 and an architect I had never heard of and his wife and some one else unidentified. Rehearsal of Crusaders at the Temple – great confusion and measuring for costumes, the Master’s wife saying ‘do you belong in this scene?’ and then having explained to her who I was. And so tonight the first at home for a long time (Thursday) and the last till Sunday.
To-day, found your letter of the 4th, and welcome. IPerkinses, theseek residence in Chichester;e2 presume the Perkins’s have one too – they said they did not hear from you on sailing – probably inefficient air mail they thought. They looked very well and I thought looking forward to their holiday. TheyEnglandChichester, West Sussex;d9the Perkinses encouraged to visit;a1 leave for Chichester tomorrow – IBell, George, Bishop of Chichester (earlier Dean of Canterbury)the Perkinses given introduction to;a8 haveDuncan-Jones, Revd Arthur Stuart, Dean of Chichester;a1 given them introductions to the Bishop and the Dean, which I hope will work. They spoke of looking for a house near Chichester for the summer, a notion which I encouraged. It is lovely country, I think much the best within that convenient distance of town (about two hours). BesidesBell, George, Bishop of Chichester (earlier Dean of Canterbury);a9, I expect to go there for a week at the end of July to a conference of the Bishop’s. AnotherEliot, Marion Cushing (TSE's sister)1934 summer in England with Dodo;c5July arrival anticipated;a1 complicationSmith, Theodora ('Dodo') Eliot (TSE's niece)and Marion's 1934 visit to England;b1;a1: Marian and Dodo are coming to England in July. I might plant them thereabouts too, and take a house in that amiable diocese. They come only for July and August. IRichardses, the;a7 have also written to the Richards’ to ask them about lodgings, as the Perkins’ want to stay in Cambridge till the end of June.
Theytravels, trips and plansEH's 1934–5 year in Europe;b4attempts to coordinate with TSE's 1934 summer plans;a3 are as vague about your arrival as you are. I understand that you will want to spend a little time in the East before you sail. The Noyes’s will be back by then, perhaps you will go to Cataumet? TheHinkleys, the;d3 Hinkleys and the Eliots appear to be on slightly strained terms at present. You will not arrive in time for a cricket match. I wish you could be in London for June, as that is the best month in every way; but if you are about in October, before leaving for the Mediterranean, or Portugal, there are people here then. TheMorleys, the;c6 Morley weekend must be arranged. Even if you settle farther from London than Sussex, I should love to take a weekend in your vicinity. Except for probably repeating my visits to Wales and Scotland, I am unlikely to go farther abroad. Intravels, trips and plansTSE's dream of Cairo;b6;a1 the winter, if I could get repeated the invitation to lecture which I had to refuse, I should go to Cairo for a week.
The pageant is now at the stage of complete confusion. There is a feud about the wigs: should they be realistic, or stylised papier maché. I am for the realistic, for the bricklayers and the mob, also for the Major and Mrs. Poultridge. So is Bert, and so the Rev. Webb Odell. Not so the producer and the designer. Also the Cat Ballet has had to be taken out of the place where it belongs, because it was discovered that that comes after 10 o’clock, and you mustnt employ children after 10 o’clock and the Cat is a professional of 11 years; so it must be plumped into the middle of Part I where it doesn’t belong. That is the sort of thing that happens. IAmericaCalifornia;d3land of kidnappings;b5 shall breathe more freely when you are well out of California, where nothing seems to happen but kidnappings now.3 I’ll re-read that unfortunate article to see if I can spot what you indicate, and let you know if I agree; but I have got first to write six lines for that damned Cat to speak in order to explain its presence in the wrong place; andCriterion, TheJuly 1934;c6'Commentary';a1 then a commentary for the Criterion – commentaries always come at the most inconvenient times. So good bye my Dear I am longing to see you.
1.Vivien Eliot wrote in her diary on Fri. 18 May that she went with her friend Margaret Smith to visit the New Burlington Galleries. ‘I took with me 2 photographs (signed) of Tom. We went to look at a Bust (Head ) which is labeled T. S. Eliot. We did not say anything. I refused to answer any questions. The sculptor – Hastings – was extremely polite & kind & considerate in every way. He asked us to sign his book. So we did’ (Bodleian).
Hastings to TSE, 18 July, ‘I am clearing up after my show and selling off, if you would like to buy your head for £15 as it stands or in Bronze at £25 I should be prepared to sell at that price (half the advertised price at show), or it can be bronze plated, it would then be £20.
‘I am very much indebted to you for having sat to me and your kindness in coming to my show and thank you very much indeed.’
2.DouglasDouglas-Hamilton, Douglas , Lord Clydesdale Douglas-Hamilton, 14th Duke of Hamilton and 11th Duke of Brandon (1903–73) – politician, landowner, sportsman, airman (he was one of the first pilots to fly over Mount Everest in 1933) – was Lord Clydesdale until he succeeded his father as Duke of Hamilton in 1940.
3.TSE had read about the kidnapping of a Beverly Hills millionaire named William F. Gettle. Although Mrs Gettle agreed to pay a ransom of $60,000, detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department tracked down the kidnappers: Gettle was rescued, unharmed, on 14 May.
4.RtBell, George, Bishop of Chichester (earlier Dean of Canterbury) Revd George Bell, DD (1883–1958), Bishop of Chichester, 1929–58: see Biographical Register.
2.DouglasDouglas-Hamilton, Douglas , Lord Clydesdale Douglas-Hamilton, 14th Duke of Hamilton and 11th Duke of Brandon (1903–73) – politician, landowner, sportsman, airman (he was one of the first pilots to fly over Mount Everest in 1933) – was Lord Clydesdale until he succeeded his father as Duke of Hamilton in 1940.
7.RevdDuncan-Jones, Revd Arthur Stuart, Dean of Chichester Arthur Stuart Duncan-Jones (1879–1955) held various incumbencies, including St Paul’s, Knightsbridge, London, before becoming Dean of Chichester, 1929–55.
1.Marian/MarionEliot, Marion Cushing (TSE's sister) Cushing Eliot (1877–1964), fourth child of Henry Ware Eliot and Charlotte Eliot: see Biographical Register.
12.DonaldHastings, Donald Pierre Pierre Hastings (1900–38), English sculptor; son of the sculptor William Grenville Hastings (1868–1902); noted for ecclesiastical, architectural and portrait commissions.
2.TheodoraSmith, Theodora ('Dodo') Eliot (TSE's niece) Eliot Smith (1904–92) – ‘Dodo’ – daughter of George Lawrence and Charlotte E. Smith: see Biographical Register. Theodora’sSmith, Charlotte ('Chardy') Stearns (TSE's niece) sister was Charlotte Stearns Smith (b. 1911), known as ‘Chardy’.