Henry Eliot To Emily Hale
I received today your welcome letter, and the box of MSS, etc., on which I am grieved to see that you had to pay over $2.00 postage. One can, I think, send MSS with equal security by express, insured, more cheaply; but after all, perhaps registered mail is safer for irreplaceable things. This is a wonderful harvest. I understand that the FAMILY REUNION MS is on loan only, alsoDukes, Ashley;g8 the letters from Dukes, etc., that go with it. But the latter are of such interest that I should like, if I may, to make photostats of them. I am sure that Spencer and Matthiessen will want to study these and the MS, in comparison with those which the Collection already has.
I have made a list for the Catalogue, of which I enclose a copy. This is not final, since I want to get from you the titles of some of the addresses, and the date and the place where they were given – if you know them. I have made some queries on the list.
The items unlisted are already in the Collection (mostly reviews); but I am glad to have another copy of Gallup’s bibliography and the Amherst program. IMorley, Frank Vigorgives Henry MS of 'Yeats';k3 might add that the Collection already has a typed copy of the Yeats Memorial address, given me by Frank Morley, made by him from a MS sent him by Tom which Morley evidently wanted to keep. Is this copy identical with that? And if so, might you not like it back?
IPerkins, Dr John Carroll (EH's uncle)donates Eliotana to Henry's collection;e8 have similarly catalogued the items given by Mr Perkins, and in both your and his case I will label the gifts as coming from the donor. I have bound the MSS in blue paper covers in the manner in which I have done with other such items in the collection, but await data from you in order to label them.
We were both sorry to hear of your leaving Smith College; I suppose c’est la guerre, as here at Harvard. I had hoped to get a chance to have a class, in view of the depletion of Peabody by the war, but I suppose Harvard is hard up. Anyway, I am not fit, having rheumatic troubles and great fatigue, due to much work but also, I think, to teeth, which I hope to have out as soon as the doctor will let me. I take it that you will shortly be staying in Boston, and we hope to see you. On account of my ailments, I have done nothing about the Guest Book; I mentioned it to Tom in my last letter; I intend to buy about 50 sheets of fine heavy paper (bond) and have them bound up in red leather, together with the already signed sheets.
I ought to rest now. With ever so much appreciation,
4.AshleyDukes, Ashley Dukes (1885–1959), theatre manager, playwright, critic, translator, adapter, author; from 1933, owner of the Mercury Theatre, London: see Biographical Register.
3.HenryEliot, Henry Ware, Jr. (TSE's brother) Ware Eliot (1879–1947), TSE’s older brother: see Biographical Register.
4.FrankMorley, Frank Vigor Vigor Morley (1899–1980), American publisher and author; a founding editor of F&F, 1929–39: 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.