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West Hackhurst, Abinger Hammer, Dorking. - Is ‘all right again’; only did not go to the Wednesday concert in Dorking as he was ‘hearing music in London instead’. As soon as ‘the air stops being like ice and the ground like glass’, hopes to visit, but ‘even the blackbirds can’t stand up when they walk to a crumb, so what help is there for humans?’.

Has been much enjoying ‘the Berenson poem in the Abinger Chronicle [Vol. 1. No. 2. To Bernhard Berenson; it is ‘not as good as the Goldie [Dickinson] one, but Berenson is not as good as Goldie, and within the limits he imposes Bob has turned out a very lovely and moving tribute to civilisation’. Has been reading a book about M[atthew] Arnold by ‘an America, called Trilling’; does not think he ‘has much feeling for poetry, but he is very good otherwise’, and gives Forster ‘surer ground’ for his admiration of Arnold.

Has ‘also read Elizabeth [von Arnim]’s frothy new novel Mr Skeffington’; it ‘has a touching denouement and was not badly built, and might have been good if she hadn’t such a frilly undi-fied [? undignified] mind. Has also read [Pope’s] Dunciad. Remembers Evelina [the book by Fanny Burney?]as ‘rather too little of a good thing’. His ‘trousers caught on fire at the Woolfs, and the house caught on fire at the Bells, but neither fatally’ and he much enjoyed himself. ‘Clive Bell is a charming host’.

The Shiffolds, Holmbury, St. Mary, Dorking. - Hopes his parents have a good journey to Welcombe. The 'summer seems scarcely over here, and the oaks have most of their leaves still'. Bessie went to London yesterday, and Robert will join her this afternoon for a few days while their 'cesspool is cleaned out, which is a considerable operation'. Is going to tea with Lady Russell [Elizabeth von Arnim], who 'has just written a very clever but disagreeable book, Vera, based upon her recent marriage experience'; this union was 'bound to be a failure, for Earl Russell, though a clever man, is an impossible egotist'. Hopes her next book will have a 'more pleasant subject, for she has a great talent for novel-writing'.

Has been reading Beaumont and Fletcher's The Maid's Tragedy, as there will be a performance this month with Sybil Thorndike, whom he believes to be 'our finest English actress', as Evadne; had forgotten what a 'wonderful play' it was. A 'pity that Fletcher did not die young, rather than Fletcher' as Beaumont seems to have been 'far the greatest of the two'. Sends love to his mother, and thanks for her letter.

Harnham, Monument Green, Weybridge. - Is leaving to teach English for a few months to the children of Countess Armin, [Sydney] Waterlow's aunt; he will also learn German. Then hopes to go to Sweden to see an acquaintance [Hjalmar Bergen], whose play ["Maria, Jesu moder"] he discusses. Hopes to be reading Trevelyan's "Parsifal" ["The Birth of Parsifal"] soon. Also wants to hear about Trevelyan's hippogriff: thought it was 'being groomed by a son of Dan Leno' before. "Temple Bar" has returned his ghost story ["The Purple Envelope"]. Has almost finished a story about a Dryad ["Other Kingdom"]: this, the ghost story and "The Curate's Friend" almost make a book's worth. His novelette ["Where Angels Fear To Tread"?] is with Blackwoods. Thanks Trevelyan for Ravello news. Tomorrow he is going to see [Aristophanes'] "Clouds" at Oxford. Has been playing lots of Chopin on the piano, also some Schumann (of whom he is not so fond). The Forsters have a new housemaid, called Miss Watts.

Wants to hear about Trevelyan's tribunal, and how things stand. Thanks him for sending the Vaughan, 'a precious little book'. Saw Bertie [Russell] yesterday, who seemed well, though there was not much chance to talk since Lady Russell was there. Goes today to stay c/o Mrs Eckhard, Lockeridge, near Marlborough.

8, Grosvenor Crescent, S.W. - Glad to hear that Bessie is 'driving about' and safe. Interested by what Robert tells him from Miss Forster's letters. The review in the "Times" on [Georg] Brandes was very good; praises Brandes's judgement of poetry; thinks it was he who observed that 'Wordsworth might have been a parson, or Shelley an agitator, but that Keats could not have been any thing but a poet'. He himself tends to take the favourable 'Continental view' of Byron. Liked the "Times" article on Robert very much. Countess [Elizabeth von] Arnim took tea with them yesterday: a 'plump, merry, rather common ladylike woman'; her husband is the son of the 'celebrated Count [Harry von] Arnheim whom Bismarck ruined'. She and Miss [Ethel] Sidgwick are his 'favourite contemporary novelists'.