[240 Crescent St., Northampton, Mass.]
I might have written to you last night and caught an earlier boat: why did I not? Because I went to bed at 9.30 and slept until 8 in the morning – waking up of course, but not for long at a time. Why I need so much sleep, I don’t know; it is a vexation. Partly because I had had short nights before – SaturdayHayward, John;g1 night I dined with John, and had to get up for 8 o’clock mass on Sunday – SundayTandys, theTSE's Hampton weekends with;a1 night I spent at the Tandys in Hampton, and to bed late and up early to get back to town for the 10.30 mass – and Monday night to bed fairly early but up for the 8 o’clock mass for St. Thomas of Canterbury. But that doesn’t account for it. One needs more sleep when engaged on chores than when doing anything in which one is intensely interested. Yesterday I had to lunch the Revd. Mr. Howell of New York, and that was very fatiguing, though I can’t explain why. A friend of my brother and his wife. Having people to lunch is as tiring as anything: I lunched alone to-day, and although I had my committee afterwards, andO'Donovan, BrigidTSE in bad odour with;b9 then a session dictating letters to Miss O’Donovan – who is difficult, although she has her congé at the end of the week, and I shall have to do without a secretary for another week – I don’t feel so tired as last night. AndTandy, GeoffreyMetaphysical readings prepared for;b5 thisHerbert, GeorgeTSE selects poems from;a5 morningTraherne, ThomasTSE prepares selection from;a1 IVaughan, Henryreadings selected from;a1 finishedBritish Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)Metaphyical poet broadcasts for;a9 making my selections from Herbert, Vaughan and Traherne, complete with little prefaces of about 300 words, which Tandy is to read at the BBC later in the month – I get ten pounds for each. Tomorrow'Church's Message to the World, The'commissioned by BBC;a1 morningBritish Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)'The Church's Message to the World';b1 I start to put on paper my talk ‘The Church’s Message to the World’ (the title is not mine) announced for the 16th February, National Programme, from 9.20 to 9.40 p.m. And'Introduction' (to Revelation);a3 when that’s done, and it’s not so easy, I must scribble off my message on ‘Revelation’. AndWilliams, CharlesSeed of Adam;b6 also go to Chelmsford on Saturday week to speak a word (fifteen minutes) on behalf of Charles Williams’s Epiphany Play being produced there under the auspices of the Bishop of that diocese.1
AndMorleys, theTSE's New Years celebrated with;d5 tomorrow I have to go down, after a day’s work is over, to Lingfield to see the New Year in; and I must stay there (wrapped up in jerseys and flannels) until Monday. AfterFaber, Geoffrey;f1 that I don’t have to leave my metropolitan comforts until the 30th of January, when Faber and I resume our fog-interrupted journey to Cambridge.
I look forward to my post-Christmas mail from America: to know whether you got my cable, and what you did at Christmas, and where you spent the following week (this week) and I suppose you are back in Northampton, at Crescent Road, on Monday the 4th January, for surely the vacation is not more than a fortnight. The next milestone is Easter, andtravels, trips and plansEH's 1937 summer in England;c7;a4 after that July, when you will sail for England – or I hope the end of June. MayFamily Reunion, The;a7 I have, by that time, something done, even if only part of a play, which I can submit for your approval! SoMurder in the Cathedral;c6 much has happened since I finished ‘Murder in the Cathedral’, that I wonder how I shall feel when I finally sit down and say to myself ‘on what date, and where, will I be when I can next be alone, for the first time since September 27th last, with my dear?’
1.Phyllis M. Potter (b. 1886) – daughter of a wealthy shipowner; Anglo-Catholic; Hon. Director of the Chelmsford Diocesan Religious Drama Guild – invited TSE to give a talk about a nativity play by Charles Williams called Seed of Adam at the Annual Meeting of the Chelmsford Diocesan Religious Drama Guild on Sat. 9 Jan. 1937 at Brentwood, Essex.
11.GeoffreyFaber, Geoffrey Faber (1889–1961), publisher and poet: see Biographical Register.
11.JohnHayward, John Davy Hayward (1905–65), editor and critic: see Biographical Register.
3.BrigidO'Donovan, Brigid O’Donovan, TSE’s secretary from Jan. 1935 to Dec. 1936: see Biographical Register.
2.GeoffreyTandy, Geoffrey Tandy (1900–69), marine biologist; Assistant Keeper of Botany at the Natural History Museum, London, 1926–47; did broadcast readings for the BBC (including the first reading of TSE’s Practical Cats on Christmas Day 1937): see Biographical Register.
5.CharlesWilliams, Charles Williams (1886–1945), novelist, poet, playwright, writer on religion and theology; biographer; member of the Inklings: see Biographical Register.