[No surviving envelope]

T. S.Eliot
EmilyHale
TS
Faber & Faber Ltd
Letter 15.
1 May 1944
Dearest Emily,

Your previous letter, from Commonwealth Avenue, arrived a few days ago, mentioning having many engagements during your ‘vacation’ (I will not call it a holiday), andBabbitt, Dora D.EH attends reading-party of;a5 before you had attended Mrs. Babbitt’s reading party. I stayed up in town only two nights last week, and shall repeat that number this week: the justification being lecture-writing, the inducement that the country is extremely pleasant, with good weather, at the end of April and the beginning of May; andFaber, Geoffreydepended on for breakfast;j6 furthermore Faber has not been in London to make breakfast. TheMirrlees, Maj.-Gen. William Henry Buchanan ('Reay')TSE's impression of;a8 coming weekend will be very crowded again, with the General back for a week, and consequently the sister here too. He is a pleasant, unassuming fellow, I should imagine very good in the line and with men, but hardly likely to be a commander-in-chief. IMirrlees, Emily Lina ('Mappie', née Moncrieff);d8 am glad to say that I shall be in London on the day of his departure, which may be rather painful, as it may well be that the old lady will not live until his next visit, which may be a long time ahead.

This is only a short letter to keep the thread spinning, as I don’t like leaving so long as a fortnight to elapse. I expect I am slightly sunburnt from trimming the lawn. Will Concord offer you a more possible salary than you got for that term? If they are reasonable about salary, I do hope that you will settle down there. I don’t feel happy at the notion of your prolonging your tenure at Millbrook.

Your loving
Tom
Babbitt, Dora D., TSE has sombre lunch with, obliged with note on late husband, ruled by late husband's tastes, EH attends reading-party of,
see also Babbitts, the

1.DoraBabbitt, Dora D. D. Babbitt (1877–1944), wife of Irving Babbitt (1865–1933).

Faber, Geoffrey, made TSE's literary executor, described for EH, as friend, overawed by Joyce, recounts the Eliots' dinner-party, discusses international situation with TSE, his annual effort to diet, introduced to TSE by Whibley, favours TSE taking Norton Professorship, suggests garden-party for TSE, mislays key to Hale correspondence, writes to TSE about separation, which he helps TSE over, blesses Scotland tour with whisky, victim of Holmesian prank, favours 'The Archbishop Murder Case', Times articles on Newman, Russell Square proclaims his gentlemanly standards, forgives TSE and Morley's prank, as tennis-player, champion of Haig biography, social insecurities, and the Faber family fortune, advertises 'Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats', at lavish lunch for Dukes, relieved that 'Work in Progress' progresses, and JDH, needs persuading over Nightwood, on Edward VIII's abdication, Old Buffer's Dinner for, wins at Monopoly, and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, thrilled by complimentary tickets, The Family Reunion described to, in line to read Family Reunion, has mumps, composes Alcaics from sickbed, at TSE and JDH's dinner, shares EH's Family Reunion criticism, on TSE's dinner-party bearing, discusses F&F's wartime plans, on meeting Ralph Hodgson, asks TSE to stay on during war, takes TSE to Oxford, argues with Major-General Swinton, and Purchase Tax exertions, and Literary Society membership, TSE's wartime intimacy with, drops teeth on beach, offers criticisms of 'Rudyard Kipling', falsely promised Literary Society membership, but eventually elected, helps revise TSE's Classical Association address, reports to Conversative Education Committee, deputed to America on publishing business, returned from America, Ada too ill to see, discusses National Service on BBC, depended on for breakfast, as fire-watching companion, and TSE rearrange attic at 23 Russell Square, recommends blind masseuse to TSE, in nursing home, and the Spender–Campbell spat, on TSE's Order of Merit, approached for essay on TSE, seeks to protect TSE's serenity, as Captain Kidd, wins fancy-dress prize, TSE's trip to Spain with, and National Book League, receives knighthood, on TSE's paroxysmal tachycardia, dies, his death,
see also Fabers, the

11.GeoffreyFaber, Geoffrey Faber (1889–1961), publisher and poet: see Biographical Register.

Mirrlees, Emily Lina ('Mappie', née Moncrieff), taken round the Tower, invites TSE to Shamley, described for EH, offers to house TSE gratis, her religion, as horticulturalist, concerns TSE, her distress on animals' behalf, not an irritant, secures better gardener for Shamley, circumstances in which she offered TSE refuge, indifferent to enlarging acquaintance, engineers solitude at Shamley, surprises TSE with lobster and cigars, reduces TSE's rent, celebrates 80th birthday, abed and anxious, anxious about North African campaign, going deaf, boosted by son's promotion, receives offer for Shamley, theatrical by nature, TSE prefers being alone with, TSE's sense of responsibility to, spoils TSE on his birthday, aflutter over Christmas turkey, delighted by recording at Shamley, takes in hopeless cases, collector of recipes, pleased by TSE's lawnmowing, hankers after life in Menton, dreams of leaving Shamley, pulls out of selling Shamley, as landlady, frustrations with gardener, her aura, summons TSE to Shamley, during TSE's final Shamley Christmas, dying, still just living, dies following operation, Wishful Cooking,
see also Mirrleeses, the

3.HopeMirrlees, Emily Lina ('Mappie', née Moncrieff) Mirrlees’s mother was Emily Lina Mirrlees, née Moncrieff (1862–1948) – known as ‘Mappie’ or ‘Mappy’ – see Biographical Register.

Mirrlees, Maj.-Gen. William Henry Buchanan ('Reay'), with brigade in North Africa, source of anxiety in Shamley, promoted to major-general, awarded DSO, homecoming animates Mappie, returns from India, TSE's impression of, returns to regiment, at Shamley for Christmas,

1.MajMirrlees, Maj.-Gen. William Henry Buchanan ('Reay').-Gen. William Henry Buchanan ‘Reay’ Mirrlees, DSO, CB, MC (1892–1964), served in the Royal Artillery. He was the only son of William Julius and Emily Lina Mirrlees, brother of Hope Mirrlees.