Madeira Cottage, Lyme Regis. - Good of Trevelyan to write so promptly about the scheme for a masque to mark the opening of the new Library [at Somerville College, Oxford, see 4/55 and 4/56]; sketches the loggia below the library, with disposition of pillars inside and steps in front, where she thinks the masque could be put on. Expects she could get twenty or thirty performers; it would be convenient if a rout of beasts were included as many old students made themselves costumes for a former performance. Feels it should be more of a pageant than a drama: does not think there are any particularly good actors, and it would fit the spirit of the occasion. The opening of the library will be early in June, which may not leave Trevelyan enough time.
Ripon Buildings, Madras.—Refers to their recent meeting at Madras, and asks him to help get her daughter into Somerville College or St Anne's College, Oxford.
11 Old Square, Lincoln’s Inn, London, W.C.2.—He cannot help get her daughter into an Oxford college (see 1/152), as such matters are dealt with by the university authorities. Gives some further information about British colleges and universities.
Pen Rose, Berkhamsted. - Has 'never heard of such touching fraternal loyalty' as Bessie and Bob having her book ["The Life of Mrs. Humphry Ward"] and George's ["Manin and the Venetian Revolution of 1848 "], 'reading one to yourselves and one aloud'. Delighted they both like hers, as she values their judgement highly; she tried had to make it 'objective' and not 'mawkish', which is the risk with family biographies. Mary seems happy at Somerville, and to have 'found many people who are willing to be kind to her'; she writes about 'explorings & bicycle rides with other girls' and is 'only bored by Political Economy'; has to do that and Latin until next term for 'Pass Mods' but then can 'revel in history alone'. Her character is very similar to Janet's mother's at the same age; she is 'even already writing her first novel!'. The 'world is just about as horrible as it can be' but Jan Smuts is 'a grand fellow' [for his work with the League of Nations]; wonders whether he will 'yet save us all'.
22 Willow Road, Hampstead. - Finds it hard to write what he feels about the suggestion put to him by [John?] Withers: Bob's 'constant and affectionate interest' is 'one of the most precious things' in his life; if it were necessary he would accept [the offer of help], which he cannot imagine doing from someone like Bob; expresses his gratitude and 'the sense of perfect reliance and affection'. His father has given him some help, and B.B. [Bernard Berenson] has managed to sell the Venetians; Fry has also nearly finished three restorations. When he has done so, and written some reviews, he intends to get to work on Bob's 'rabbits' picture [see 13/17]. Helen is not quite recovered, but nearly; the nurse has gone and she is taking an interest in household things; Edith [her sister] is making sure everything runs smoothly.
The Old Masters [exhibition at the Royal Academy] are 'the chief interest in now' London; disagrees with the attribution of a picture in it to Dürer, but [Charles] Holmes 'committed the Athenaeum' to it while Fry was away. Bob might like to join the new Arundel Club, fpr the reproduction of works of art in private collections. The "Burlington [Magazine]" is doing well and Holmes is showing 'infinite energy & business capacity' [as editor]. Relates a scandal created when [William Bell] Paterson asked Fry for his opinion on a painting, which Fry judged to be largely modern paint over the possible outline of a Giovanni Bellini; the painting turned out to have been sold by K[err] Lawson to Coates [unidentified] for a large sum; 'always feared that K.L. was not over scrupulous about his ascription of pictures' and thinks this may damage him 'considerably'; Kerr Lawson has 'sent his "Titian" as a Bonifazio [Veronese] to the Old Masters [exhibition] and ought to sell that.
Would be 'jolly' if Bob could write [Fry's sister] Margery's masque [for the opening of the new library at Somerville College, Oxford, see 4/55 and 4/104]; hope he has forgiven the suggestion he could 'polish it off quickly', as Fry likes to 'think of a poet as a perennial fount, bubbling up and overflowing with limpid words', and praises his skill with mythology. Has written 'an extravanganza on Blake for the Burlington' ["Three pictures in tempera by William Blake', Burl. Mag, Mar 1904 4 p 204]. Julian is very amusing, and has begun to sing a little; Edith has a cello here and Fry is accompanying her 'in very simple things' - tells Bob not to let his wife know - which Helen enjoys.
Pen Rose, Berkhamsted. - Calls Bessie a 'jolly wicked old thing' and says her letter made her laugh aloud. She was indeed 'movin' in the very 'ighest circles on Wednesday, velvet 'at and all' [at an event for the Evening Play Centres Fund]; says her attempt to curtsey to H.R.H. [Mary, Princess Royal] was a 'lamentable failure', as was her attempt to keep calling her 'Y.R.H'. The 'children's part of the show was really jolly', and as Bessie says these things have to be done 'to keep one's nose in front''; the 'City paid up like anything' after last year's show, when Janet 'only had a President of the B[oard] of E[ducation: Edward Wood]' but have not been so eager to contribute this time; they claim they fear 'the watchful eye of Mr Snowden [Chancellor of the Exchequer]' though 'all the knowing ones know' there is nothing to fear yet. Has had a 'Marconigram' from George; he is staying with President [Abbott Lawrence] Lovell at Harvard instead of at a club; '[j]olly for him to arrive in the middle of the oil [Teapot Dome] scandals!'; he is giving seven lectures and will earn 'quite a handsome sum', which will be useful with Mary at Somerville. She is 'radiantly happy there' and discovering 'all kinds of things, not [emphasised] all connected with Political Economy; she is working harder this term for her 'Pass Mods'; her first term was a 'mere whirl of delight'; they will then take a fortnight's holidays near Woody Bay in Devon. Humphry has a motor-bike, and sometimes takes 'rapturous rides on it on Sundays', but he does not ride it to school. Glad Julian is 'really happy at Bedale's'; hopes he will stop growing soon. Would love to lunch with Bessie in London at some point.
2 Bankfield Lane, Southport.—Sends 2 Henry VI, Act IV. Discusses the question of her remuneration, and responds to his inquiry on behalf of a girl who is thinking of going to Oxford University.
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Transcript
2 Bankfield Lane, Southport.
15 June 1936.
Dear Dr. McKerrow,
I am sending herewith Act IV of 2 Henry VI (I am hoping to get Act V off by about Wednesday {1}). The parcel of slips looks rather bulky, but I expect you have a waste-paper basket and will manage to get rid of some of them! I have put down whatever occurred to me as I read and will leave you to separate what matters from what doesn’t. Many of the things I have noted concern small points such as the omission of stops, brackets etc. in the text. Would it be a help if I put in things like this, in green pencil or something easily distinguishable from your markings? You would see them then as you read through the text and it would save you the bother of finding the place from the slip and putting them in yourself. I find I can waste a lot of time looking up references in your text—but perhaps you are quicker at finding your way about backs and fronts and reckoning your sixes and twos than I am!
Your letter of the 13th reached me this evening. I’m sorry you are feeling so worried about the financial side of this business. I fear it is all my fault as I am probably doing far more than you want me to—but I didn’t think it was the slightest use my glancing through your notes or merely verifying line numberings and readings, as this wouldn’t have given me any idea of the kind of thing you have had to contend with. It wouldn’t have been any foundation for helping you with the later plays, if I had just ‘looked through’ these early ones—but I don’t see why you should consider the time thus spent should be at your cost! I should think it was very adequately offset by the time you have spent answering my questions and explaining difficulties! If, however, you prefer to make some definite arrangement later, when I have helped you with the proofs, I should say that the £5 you mention is a very generous return indeed for my share. For the present, however, why not liquidate your debt (if you really think there is one) by lending me your spare Theobald and Capell? I should be very grateful for the loan of these, because they would certainly save my writing slips on small points which, with the books at hand, I could settle for myself. I will promise not to badger you about Capell’s punctuation! I am all for eliminating as many punctuation collations as possible and would like to suggest leaving out every punctuation note that didn’t indicate a real difference of opinion concerning the meaning of the text. I find the punctuation of F1 far more intelligible than that of its editors.
I decided to buy the 39 volumes of the Cambridge edition, but they havn’t turned up yet. I am hoping they won’t prove as bulky as they sound! I enquired about the date and found it was 1892—so it is probably the edition you mention. I thought it would be more convenient in single volumes as I do so much travelling about—but if you would like me to verify your collations from the 1st edition, will you send the relevant volume with whatever text I have? It would perhaps be as well to check your readings with a different edition from the one you used.
About the Oxford colleges—I am afraid I know very little about them that is likely to be of much use. I think the name of the bigger colleges (L.M.H. and Somerville) carries most weight and I believe that while L.M.H. is popularly supposed to attract the lily of the field Somerville is credited with a large percentage of hard-working toilers and spinners—but what real basis there is for this distinction, I don’t know. If the girl you mention is likely to turn out a physicist, I should have thought that Cambridge was the place for her. Girton, I know, does a great deal to help its students and, as it is a wealthy college as regards scholarship endowments etc., it certainly does what it can to ease the financial burdens of the less fortunate. I don’t know anything about Newnham, but I do know the person in charge of the physics department there is a really competent and charming person. I can easily, however, find out more about the Oxford colleges as Dr Chattaway was a science Fellow of Queen’s and his daughter, also a scientist, was and is now connected with St. Hugh’s. {2} In the meantime, I should think that the best thing for the girl to do, if she definitely wants to go to Oxford, would be to write for particulars of the scholarships available at the different colleges to see which is likely to offer most financial help. I don’t think there is much difference in fees between one college and another, (but this is merely an impression that the fees at all resident women’s colleges run to about £150 a year) and I don’t think there is likely to be very much difference in teaching between one college and another in physics and mathematics, as the numbers (at any rate among women) in these subjects are small and tuition is therefore managed on inter-collegiate lines. Lady Margaret Hall and Somerville definitely cut most ice and if the girl has a fastidious eye L.M.H., other things being equal, is the place for her. I don’t know much about St. Hilda’s and St. Hugh’s—save that the latter is powerful in prayer. But I am afraid this is too vague to be any real help. I will find out more.
Thank you for new light on Cymbeline! The child’s interpretation of the text, as you say, is so adequate a motive for murder! I don’t think you need feel at all worried about the amount of time I am spending on this job—I get quite a lot of kick out of it! And I am always hoping to solve one of my major Shakespearean problems. A friend of mine was getting up an amateur dramatic performance in a Yorkshire village and desperately trying to head the villagers off Shakespeare. Seeing they were determined to do a Shakespeare play she asked them why. The answer was ‘We can understand him; he talks like one of us’. I often wonder what the villagers had read and how they had read it!—I am quite sure, however, that the reference wasn’t to the horrific words of the sea-captain I have just been wrestling with!
The green tape is giving out. Worse is to follow. You have been warned! I have some perfectly vile pink tape I am proposing to use up on your parcels. When I asked my sister to get me some quiet coloured sealing wax to tone it down and showed her what wanted toning she ejaculated ‘Christ!’ and brought me a stick of tar-black. The combination will look awful. Probably the post-office will confiscate the parcel as looking too sinister. The only other way I can think of for using up the material is to get a pair of shoe socks and make a surréaliste picture like one I saw in Venice a few years ago—it’s a pity I am a bit late for the exhibition!
My spirits you see are rising (if my sense is evaporating!). It is because I have cast the financial problem aside. Frankly, I hate haggling over money-matters and I would much rather not bother or have you bothered about them. Why not take what I do as a gift?
Yours sincerely,
Alice Walker.
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Typed, except the signature and a correction. Sent with MCKW A4/34.
{1} 17th.
{2} Margaret Chattaway, a botanist, was a commoner at St Hugh’s College from 1920 to 1923, and perhaps later a Fellow there.
Thanks Nora for sending her her [Green's] husband' letters: he wrote so few letters that she values the ones that do exist all the more. Declares that she very much enjoyed reading Henry Sidgwick: A Memoir, and that it seems to her 'a most vivid picture" of Henry. Remarks that one thing that struck her was 'his wonderful patience and gentleness with those who differed from him.' Has just heard that Miss Maitland has died: it is a great loss to Somerville. Is staying near the Vaughans for a fortnight; Madge has recovered well after the birth of her son David. Hopes that Nora will have a good rest.
Green, Charlotte Byron (1842-1929) promoter of women's educationMadeira Cottage, Lyme Regis. - Has had liver trouble: apologising for not writing sooner to thank Trevelyan for his letter and Moore's poem. Change of scene has not been as effective as he hoped so far and Helen has been rather silent, but he thinks the last few days have been better. Wishes for some sunlight. Thinks Bertie [Russell's] article in the "Independent Review" ["Free Man's Worship"] is very kind though cannot match his resignation: clings to 'a cowardly "hope"'. Margery hopes to put on a masque for the opening of the new Library at Somerville College: asks if Trevelyan could write something
Madeira Cottage, Lyme Regis. - Still more or less an invalid and can write while Helen is taking walks with Margery and the nurse. Helen is certainly in a better and more stable condition. The masque [for the opening of the new library at Somerville College, see 4/55] would be put on in June so he supposes Trevelyan will not be able to manage it, but it would be a pity. They want a mythological subject, the Triumph of Athene over Aphrodite and Juno, and Margery could send details. Asks where the Trevelyans are planning to go abroad. Stresses that he does like Bertie's article [Russell's "Free Man's Worship"].
48 Bernard Street, Russell Square, W.C.1. - Will not be able to attend the L.A.A. [London Artists' Association] meeting tomorrow: is painting his sister Margery's portrait for Somerville College at Helen [Anrep's] house near Ipswich and has just come up for the opening of the Persian show [International Exhibition of Persian Art, Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House]. Is not sure whether he should send Trevelyan's communication on to the L.A.A. members: decisions have to be made on solely on the quality of artists' work, rather than their financial position; this is a very difficult time for those who make their living by art. Expects Julian [Trevelyan] is right to leave Cambridge and go to Paris. The Persian show is very good, though he does not think it will hold people as the last three did.