[22 Paradise Rd., Northampton, Mass.]
You by now must be in New York, and if I do not get a cable from you by tomorrow I shall be grieved. I am anxious to know how your own health and that of your relatives have borne the voyage; but unless you are able to send a letter by the same boat, it may be a fortnight before I have it. So a cable is all the more important. If you find that my Air letters reach you in a reasonable time, I should of course be grateful if you would use that vehicle, say, once in two weeks!
LifeEnglandLondon;h1in wartime;d4 has not been very eventful. TheFaber and Faber (F&F)on war footing;e2 publishing business is still making a stand, wrestling with various official difficulties. IFlat 3, 11 Emperor's Gateand TSE's wartime routine;b4 return home about half past six, and shut myself up for the evening, but the last post is now at 7.30. We are now allowed to employ pocket torches in the street, with dimmed lights and certain other restrictions; so I may begin to find my way further afield. VerySt. Stephen's Church, Gloucester Roadvestry goings-on;a2 busy, of course, with vestry affairs: the problem of finance, with so many of the congregation away, is serious. DorothySayers, Dorothy L.takes tea with TSE;a3 Sayers dropped in to tea yesterday, and there is some rumour of the Ministry of Information, but I shall take no steps at present. I go on reading manuscripts. I have not yet attempted to start any new piece of work; but I don’t think I should have done that in any case, as I find it always difficult to start anything so long as I have a book – this time, two books, waiting to be published. IOld Possum’s Book of Practical CatsTSE to design cover;c5 think the cover of Cats will look quite cheerful. MyUniversity of Bristolcancels TSE's lectures;a2 Bristol lectures are cancelled: that loses me forty pound, but gives me more time to work on something else. IRichards, Ivor Armstrong ('I. A.')vacillating on Harvard position;b5 have just heard from Richards, to my surprise: he is in Cambridge wondering whether he ought to go to Harvard or not.1 I think he ought; but I expect to be going down there shortly to see him and spend a night or two in college.
In these times I am trying to make a routine. MassChristianityasceticism, discipline, rigour;a9in time of war;b1 three mornings a week instead of two (ICheetham, Revd Ericoffers prayers for EH's passage;b6 was pleased that the vicar put your name on the list of those to be prayed for, last Sunday, as being at sea) and Ireading (TSE's)the Gospel;f6 am trying to spend three quarters of an hour once a week in meditation on the Gospel for the week. This does not sound like much, but it is hard work just absorbing a text, then trying to realise it as vividly and concretely as possible, and finally trying to draw out the symbolic meaning. I shall also try to do some serious and devotional reading in the evenings, as I am beginning to be able to keep from fiddling with my new wireless. IBrowne, Elliott Martinwar leaves at loose end;d1 see a friend or two during the week, either at lunch or for sherry before dinner. LunchOldham, Joseph;c7 to-day with Oldham. Martin rang up this morning; they are in town over the weekend, with plans unsettled; they will meet me for lunch after church on Sunday. I am anxious to know what his future, in the present circumstances, can be. D. SayersSayers, Dorothy L.scheme for a wartime theatre;a4 wants to work up some scheme for taking some moderate sized theatre to keep good plays running in war time, and there might be work for him in such a venture, but I am afraid his income will be pretty exiguous at best. I suppose his family help, perhaps towards the education of the boys.
JohnHayward, Johndisplaced to the Rothschilds;j4 is in Cambridge, and his letters sound rather depressed, as he feels cut off and useless, and the war will make large demands upon his patience and fortitude.2 He is, however, in the best position possible for him, and the Rothschilds seem to be very kind to him. TheWoolfs, theabandon London for Sussex;d8 Woolfs are in Sussex (their move from Tavistock to Mecklenburg [sc. Mecklenburgh] Square has been rather held up)3 andWoolfs, thewhere they invite TSE;d9 want me to come down for a weekend. SoBetjeman, Johninvites TSE for weekend;a2 does Betjeman. Indeed, with so many people in the country, it seems that the weekend problem may be as actual as ever.
IEliot, Henry Ware, Jr. (TSE's brother);e4 haveEliot, Theresa Garrett (TSE's sister-in-law);a5 heard nothing from Henry or Theresa. If you should be in Cambridge I am sure you will try to see them.
Really, I expect that life will be quieter than in normal times, and my news will very likely be very small beer indeed. I miss you very much, yet you will understand that I am happy.
1.See TSE to I. A. Richards, 14 Sept. 1939 (Letters 9, 258–9).
2.VictorRothschild, Victortakes in JDH;a4n Rothschild (1910–90), Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, was to provide a wartime refuge for John Hayward at his Cambridge family home, Merton Hall (now called Merton House), at the back of St John’s College, from 1939 until 1946.
3.Leonard and Virginia Woolf were about to move to 37 Mecklenburgh Square, London.
3.JohnBetjeman, John Betjeman (1906–84), poet, journalist, authority on architecture; radio and TV broadcaster: see Biographical Register.
4.E. MartinBrowne, Elliott Martin Browne (1900–80), English director and producer, was to direct the first production of Murder in the Cathedral: see Biographical Register.
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.
3.HenryEliot, Henry Ware, Jr. (TSE's brother) Ware Eliot (1879–1947), TSE’s older brother: see Biographical Register.
11.JohnHayward, John Davy Hayward (1905–65), editor and critic: see Biographical Register.
8.JosephOldham, Joseph (‘Joe’) Houldsworth Oldham (1874–1969), missionary, adviser, organiser: see Biographical Register.
4.I. A. RichardsRichards, Ivor Armstrong ('I. A.') (1893–1979), theorist of literature, education and communication studies: see Biographical Register.
1.TheRothschild, Victor Hutchinsons’ daughter Barbara was engaged to be married, on 28 Dec. 1933, to Victor Rothschild (1910–90), who would become a Fellow of Trinity College Cambridge, 1935–9. In 1937 he was to succeed his uncle as 3rd Baron Rothschild.
1.DorothySayers, Dorothy L. L. Sayers (1893–1957), crime writer, playwright, translator, essayist: see Biographical Register.