[5 Clement Circle, Cambridge, Mass.]
ICowley House, Oxfordthen makes retreat to;a2 was, you may be sure, more than glad to find your letter of the 19th here for me on my return from Cowley – though I think that you have been a better correspondent than I lately, and I prefer to think that I write more often than you do. I have had three days of incredibly hard bedding, prison fare (but meat on Sunday at dinner, and 2 eggs on Saturday night), five to six hours of services, prayer and meditations each day – in bed at 10 and up at 6 for early Mass – but plenty of hot water when wanted, and what I value most, in this world, complete silence: that is, not having to speak to any one or listen to anyone for three days. I was very hungry when I got back, and now am very sleepy; but I want to get some letter to my darling by the Queen Mary tomorrow. IBrownes, the Martin;b1 lunchedMurder in the Cathedral1938 American tour;f6projected for January 1937;a1 with Martin and Henzie Browne: they say that ‘Murder’ is to be brought to New York in January. Buttravels, trips and plansEH's 1937 summer in England;c7;a2 in January I shall not be there, and in June I hope, you will be in Campden again. DuringSmith, Theodora ('Dodo') Eliot (TSE's niece)1936 visit to England;b6;a2 this week I have to see Dodo (dinner tomorrow night) theHotsons, the;a5 Hotsons (lunch tomorrow) dineBarnes, George;a1 with George Barnes2 on Wednesday, goHayward, Johnaccompanied to the Fabers' party;f1 withFabers, thegive party;c7 Hayward to Faber’s party on Thursday, andCheetham, Revd Erichis pageant for Mothers' Union;c2 go to Fr. Cheetham’s pageant for the Mothers union on Saturday. IFabers, the1936 summer holiday with;c8 shalltravels, trips and plansTSE's 1936 Faber summer holiday;c3;a1 not go away again for the weekend until I start for the Fabers’ in Wales at the end of July. AndCriterion, TheOctober 1936;d1to be ordered;a3 then back to put the Criterion in order before leaving for Montreal.
I am glad, O my dear, that you are feeling less tired; and although your engagement for August seems tiring to me, I know that it may be a liberation to you, and I do not reproach you for making it. IHale, Emilyas actor;v8as the Duchess of Devonshire;c3 do wish that I could see you as the Duchess of Devonshire; IGascoyne-Cecil, Mary Alice, Lady Hartington;a2 am sure that you will become the part better than the next Duchess of Devonshire would (David Cecil’s sister) she has too prominent teeth.3 From what you say, I gather that your teeth have been well disciplined lately.
Remembertravels, trips and plansTSE's 1936 American trip;c4TSE's itinerary;b1 that I arrive on or about the 1st September. Can you arrange anything for us from then to the 7th or 8th? Or can you arrange anything for us from the 15th until you go to Smith? AsSmith College;a8 for my coming to Smith, my Dear my Dear let that be as you wish: if you wish to show me off to your classes I shall be proud of your wishing and shall do my best (extempore): I will come or not come to Smith just as you prefer, you know how proud and happy I should always be to be of service to You – but I DONT want to be an embarrassment to you as I fear I was at Claremont.
AsHale, Emilyappearance and characteristics;v7her voice;b7 for your speech – IPerkins, Dr John Carroll (EH's uncle)his accent;c5 don’t want to quarrel with Uncle John about it – I should have thought that your enunciation was a good deal more English than his, which (though very good) is very positively New England, even Maine – you speak a little louder and more distinctly than most English people, that’s all, and pronounce your syllables more clearly. But that has nothing to do with the beauty of your voice, what [sc. that], as I have said before, is as unusual here as in America.
AboutHale, PhilipTSE receives book of programme notes;a4 Mr. Philip Hale’s book.4 A copy did arrive from the publishers which I did not suppose to be personal. IRadcliffe, Philip;a1 sent it to the Music Chronicler (Radcliffe, of King’s)5 in the ordinary way. IHale, Philipwhich is mentioned in Criterion;a5 have strong scruples against recommending any book to a regular reviewer, even for mention. He did mention it, as you will see in the copy of the current number, which I send you.6 You will probably think it not favourable enough to show to your aunt. But it is the criticism of a man who did not know that it mattered to me whether he mentioned the book favourably or not, or even that he mentioned it at all.
Well well about Janey and the Wildgoose! I never thought that they would enter into the bonds of matrimony, I thought that they would go and set up housekeeping (temporarily) without them. It looks as if Janey would try to support her gloomy wildgoose by dispensing tea to motorists, until they both get tired of it, and then what? Unsatisfied vanity on his side, because he can’t support a wife and family; and there won’t be any family, and they will separate in the end. The man’s a weed, and she’s a garden flower run wild.
As for England’s politics! that’s a long story – I don’t know when they have been noble – but there have been times when they certainly have been more intelligent!
Oh dear, I have not yet answered your previous letter: but this must suffice to reach the Queen Mary tomorrow.
1.Misdated as 24 June by TSE.
2.EducatedBarnes, George at King’s College, Cambridge, George Barnes (1904–60) was assistant secretary at Cambridge University Press, 1930–5. In 1935 he joined the Talks Department of the BBC, becoming Director of Talks in 1941. Head of the Third Programme, 1946–8; Director of TV, 1950–6. From 1956 he was Principal of the University College of North Staffordshire. He was brother-in-law of Mary Hutchinson. Knighted 1953.
3.Mary Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, née Gascoyne-Cecil (1895–1988), was married to Edward Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington, who in 1938 succeeded his father as the 10th Duke of Devonshire. Lord David Cecil, English don and author, was her younger brother.
4.Philip Hale’s Boston Symphony Program Notes: Historical, Critical, and Descriptive Comment on Music and Composers, ed. John N. Burk (New York, 1936).
5.PhilipRadcliffe, Philip Radcliffe (1905–86), Fellow of King’s College, Cambridge; university lecturer from 1948. J. B. Trend told Tacon Gilbert (20 July), that Radcliffe possessed ‘the rare combination of being both a learned, scholarly musician and an acute critic of contemporary music, who goes to International Festivals’.
6.PhilipHale, Philipwhich is mentioned in Criterion;a5 Radcliffe, ‘Music Chronicle’, Criterion 15 (July 1936), 678–9: ‘Finally come a selection of programme notes by the late Philip Hale, written for the concerts of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. These vary considerably in value; the style is often irritating, and there are many sweeping and rather flashy generalisations, but there are interesting passages to be found, particularly in the analyses of less familiar works … The collection is a curious mixture of good and bad, well worth perusal, but not, I think, in the first rank.’
2.EducatedBarnes, George at King’s College, Cambridge, George Barnes (1904–60) was assistant secretary at Cambridge University Press, 1930–5. In 1935 he joined the Talks Department of the BBC, becoming Director of Talks in 1941. Head of the Third Programme, 1946–8; Director of TV, 1950–6. From 1956 he was Principal of the University College of North Staffordshire. He was brother-in-law of Mary Hutchinson. Knighted 1953.
4.RevdCheetham, Revd Eric Eric Cheetham (1892–1957): vicar of St Stephen’s Church, Gloucester Road, London, 1929–56 – ‘a fine ecclesiastical showman’, as E. W. F. Tomlin dubbed him. TSE’s landlord and friend at presbytery-houses in S. Kensington, 1934–9. See Letters 7, 34–8.
2.MaryGascoyne-Cecil, Mary Alice, Lady Hartington Alice Gascoyne-Cecil, who married in 1917 Edward Cavendish, Lord Hartington (later 10th Duke of Devonshire).
6.PhilipHale, Philip Hale (1854–1934), journalist, celebrated as the prolific and influential music critic of the Boston Herald, 1903–33, who also wrote a multitude of programme notes for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, 1901–34: see Jon Ceander Mitchell, Trans-Atlantic Passages: Philip Hale on the Boston Symphony Orchestra 1889–1933 (New York, 2014).
11.JohnHayward, John Davy Hayward (1905–65), editor and critic: see Biographical Register.
3.DrPerkins, Dr John Carroll (EH's uncle) John Carroll Perkins (1862–1950), Minister of King’s Chapel, Boston: see Biographical Register.
5.PhilipRadcliffe, Philip Radcliffe (1905–86), Fellow of King’s College, Cambridge; university lecturer from 1948. J. B. Trend told Tacon Gilbert (20 July), that Radcliffe possessed ‘the rare combination of being both a learned, scholarly musician and an acute critic of contemporary music, who goes to International Festivals’.
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’.