[No surviving envelope]
Your dear and satisfying long letter of the 23d I found at the office when I went there after lunch (may I request you again to put PRIVATE on letters sent there) and gave me much happiness. ISt. Catherine's School, Richmond, Va.EH and possible short-term post at;a1 cabled this afternoon to Brimmer Street, toHale, Emilyas teacher;w1possibly, temporarily, at St. Catherine's, Va.;b8 say that I was not writing to Richmond (I mailed one letter to that address this morning); but on re-reading your letter this evening, it seems to me that if you had been going to Richmond, you would have cabled me: so now I am sending this to Brimmer Street with ‘please forward’ on it. Anyway, my letter of this morning to Richmond was marked ‘If undelivered please forward to 41 Brimmer Street, Boston, Mass.’ so you should get it eventually. I wait anxiously to hear whether you have settled to go to Richmond or not. I do feel restless when I don’t know where you are; if I knew you were in Richmond, or Boston, I should feel better. But my cable was reply paid; so if you are in Boston I ought to hear tomorrow. That is, if you have the presence of mind to remember that it [is] the weekend and that you therefore should send your reply to Grenville Place. If you have gone, you will not hear from me quickly, about Ireland etc. as my letter of Wednesday morning went to Boston. I shall send you reply paid cables from time to time, wherever you are.
I think you were quite right to stipulate that you should have your fare paid: 37Hale, Emilyas director ('producer');v9possibly temporarily at St. Catherine's, Va.;a5 dollars expenses out of 100 is far too much; and indeed the payment is derisory for all the work you will put into producing two plays. But still, if they agree on terms, and if the engagement will not stand in the way of getting something better for next year, I think on the whole it is a good thing. Because I know that to be very busy doing the work for which you are specially fitted makes life easier to bear for you.
But when I get a specially dear letter from you, the pain of not being able to express my appreciation and gratitude, by holding you in my arms and giving some physical expression to my feelings, is very acute.
IMurder in the Cathedral;b7 take seriously all you say about my interfering more in the production of my play; no doubt, when I get more used to taking myself seriously as a playwright, if I ever have reason to do, I shall make myself much more positively felt.
IHinkleys, the;e1 am glad to have all you say about Ada and the Hinkleys; because so far I have had only [one] side of the case. I had felt a little hurt while I was there by the Hinkleys only asking me once (or perhaps twice, by myself, and having me chiefly with their friends; but I suppose that they had to ask me a few times with friends, andEliot, Marion Cushing (TSE's sister)protects TSE from overbearing Hinkleys;c8 thatSheffield, Ada Eliot (TSE's sister)shielded TSE from over-bearing Hinkleys;f1 it was the private invitations (which I should have preferred) that they cut down in response to hints from Ada and Marian, who were very anxious that I should not be imposed upon.
ISheffield, Ada Eliot (TSE's sister)incompletely aware of TSE and EH's relationship;f2 don’t believe for a moment that Ada imagines that you have made life harder for me. That seems quite impossible. Indeed, she had been under the impression that our feelings had been, ever since I was in California, as reciprocal as they are now; and I think her only surprise was that there was room for further development. But she is very reserved, andHale, Emilyrelationship with TSE;w9and TSE's habitual reserve;a4 I dare say you don’t realise how very reserved I am myself, because you cannot realise how great a gulf there is between my freedom of expression with you and with any other human being. I been [sc. begin] to realise that I have been rather reserved with Ada! and you must make allowance for that: I am going to try to write to her more freely about myself and you than ever before. I think it is very likely because I may have said to her just the minimum, that she may think that you wouldn’t want to talk to her very freely either. I think I can do something in that way. WeEliot family, thecongenital reserve;a7 are a very queer family.
SoHale, Emilyappearance and characteristics;v7various dresses;d5 you have worn the blue velvet; and did you get the little tear on the neck nicely repaired? I do like it, and it is very handsome; but I still think it too old for you; and I like both the pink, and the black French dresses, and the grand one you wore the last evening, very much better on you. AsHale, Emilyappearance and characteristics;v7her hair;d4 for having your hair perfectly done, I had rather you had it so while I am away, because you know I do upset it very quickly, and it seems a waste of a good wave! What would I give to be able to do it down now, and stroke it, and run my hands through it and bury my face in it! I long so for your presence to soothe me and refresh me and give me new strength.
MissGwynne, M. Brooke;a2 Brooke Gwynne is coming to tea next week; andSeaverns, Helen;a2 I shall ring up Mrs. Seaverns and propose myself. I am looking forward to a quiet weekend by myself with no engagements; I feel in need of rest still after Dublin.
Good night, my Dove my Dear. Impatient to know where you are.
1.Marian/MarionEliot, Marion Cushing (TSE's sister) Cushing Eliot (1877–1964), fourth child of Henry Ware Eliot and Charlotte Eliot: see Biographical Register.
4.M. BrookeGwynne, M. Brooke Gwynne, University of London Institute of Education – ‘a Training College for Graduate students’ – invited TSE on 19 Jan. to participate in their Weds.-morning seminar: ‘Emily Hale suggested that you might possibly consent to come to the Institute to talk to our students; otherwise I should have not felt justified in asking you … The teaching of poetry is the subject most hotly discussed & the subject we should like you to choose if possible.’
3.HelenSeaverns, Helen Seaverns, widow of the American-born businessman and Liberal MP, Joel Herbert Seaverns: see Biographical Register.
2.AdaSheffield, Ada Eliot (TSE's sister) Eliot Sheffield (1869–1943), eldest of the seven Eliot children; author of The Social Case History: Its Construction and Content (1920) and Social Insight in Case Situations (1937): see Biographical Register.