The Stella Maris Nursing Home, Trumpington Road, Cambridge. - Bessie will have heard from Catherine [Abercrombie] that Dr Noble thinks he should go for a few weeks into a nursing home to 'rest and be overhauled'. Is no worse, and in fact thinks he is 'definitely better', and he 'quite enjoyed the [Apostles'] dinner', but the doctor examined him 'very carefully' and thinks he needs the rest. Dr Noble is a 'nice quiet sensible man'; Bob thinks Dr Holloway and Dr Bluth would approve of him. Is very sorry to miss the St Matthew Passion and all the Busch [Quartet] concerts. It will not be long before they are 'both at home again together'. Janet seems 'remarkably well and cheerful'. Has to stop as he has several letters to write; hopes Bessie's cure is going well.
Has not written for a few days, but has not had much news; all 'pretty well in spite of the cold'; hopes Bessie has been able to continue her 'short walks'. Went to Leith Hill Place yesterday and had a 'delightful talk' with [Leslie] Hotson, the 'scholar who has so many documents about Shakespeare and Marlow and their contemporaries'; used to know him in the Quakers Mission in France during the First World War, and he was also an old friend of Lascelles and Catherine [Abercrombie]. The Times Lit[erary] Supplement is sending him a book of translations from Greek poetry by F. L. Lucas for review ["Greek Poetry for Everyman"]; 'sure to be interesting', and much of it probably good; will keep him occupied for 'some time'. Thinks he has told Bessie about the dinner the [Apostles'] Society are giving in honour of him, George and Desmond [MacCarthy]; they have promised not to make Bob give a speech, so he can enjoy his dinner. May be his last visit to [George and Janet] at the Lodge [since George's time as Master of Trinity is nearly over]. Will see Humphry and G.E. M[oore]. Hopes to visit Bessie again soon when it is 'not quite so cold'. Wrote to Bertie [Russell] recently. Asks to be remembered to K.T. B[luth] and Theo.
Has just got Bessie's letter: as Mr Orchard says this is 'the best solution', and Julian agrees, it had 'better be done as soon as possible'. Has been 'rather poorly' but is now much better, and is hoping to go to Cambridge on 15 or 16 February. Mr McEvoy seems pretty well, but is going back to hospital next week. Bob's book ["Translations from Greek Poetry"] is out; he has sent copies to Dora Sanger, Mary Fletcher, and the Bluths. Hopes Bessie is getting better.
Wallington. - Went to Hallington yesterday for tea; afraid Janet was 'no better, in fact noticeably less well' than when he saw her last, though she tried to be cheerful; she was 'very nervouse [sic] with her hands in a way that was new, and told me the same thing over again'. Clough Williams Ellis was 'very agreeable' and cheered George up a little, he also got Charles to talk; sorry he has gone this morning. The house is not noisy, considering there are 'three or four children in it at present'. Hopes all well at the Shiffolds; asks when the Bluths are coming and whether they are still at Cambridge. No reading aloud here at the moment, so he and Catherine [Abercrombie] sometimes read "Pride and Prejudice". Charles is 'much more affable than he used to be'. It is the Cambo Exhibition, which may involve 'a lot of tiring standing about'. Very glad Ada is at the Shiffolds. Hopes Bessie could make out [Gaetano] Salvemini's address; she should ring up Alys Russell, who will know it, if not; he knows it is 'Miss Massie', but not her initials so cannot look her up.
Wallington, Cambo, Morpeth. - They have written to Dr McKenna to see if he can see Bob on Thursday afternoon; would start home from there around 5 pm if so. Will let Bessie know as soon as possible; meanwhile the eczema seems 'a good deal better'. Kitty has gone hiking with a friend, leaving the children here. Molly's laryngitis is 'very much better'. Went to tea [with the Winthrop Youngs] at the Two Queens, which was 'very pleasant'. Charles is 'cheerful and active', and is reading "Middlemarch" to them in the evenings, which he does very well. They have seen Edith Bulmer sever times; she is worried about her boy, Martin, who 'is always getting bad colds and coughs'; she sends Bessie her love. Hopes the Bluths are well; sends his love. Hopes that Mrs MacEvoy is well, and sends 'kind remembrances' to her, Miss Goddard, and Mrs Young.
West Hackhurst, Abinger Hammer, Dorking. - Tells Bessie to 'keep the Boswell for Beethovenian cycles'; is glad that Bob is reading aloud from it. Pleased they had 'such a nice visit from [their grandson] Philip. I expect and hope that he cried on the chord of C because a chord is too much of a good thing at once, whereas a scale is just a lot of nothings-at-all in a row, and he could deal with them severally'.
Asks if she has heard how Hsiao Chen is; he wrote to Forster after Dr Bluth took him for an x-ray, and 'was hoping to avoid an operation'. Afraid Margaret's operation 'though not making her worse, did not do her any good'; does not know what arrangements Florence [Barger, her sister] is making for her. Understands that 'Evert and his Molly [Mollie Sinton, who married Evert Barger in Jan 1944]' are being very helpful.
His mother is 'fairly well and sends love'. Forster fears they have 'now left it too late and date in the year' for Bessie to visit; looks forward to coming to see her and Bob at the Shiffolds. Now has a copy of Trilling's monograph', and could lend it to her if she likes. It is 'an intelligent but almost overwhelmingly serious piece of work. It praises me for my seriousness; then censures me for my lack of seriousness... but when summing up it suggest that my very absence of seriousness may imply a seriousness far more serious than superficial seriousness'. Was 'rather difficult to know how to thank the author', but he is 'pleased with the book, and tried to say so'. His mother 'cannot read it for nuts [?]'. Has had 'several letters from America, and some tins of food'.
Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland. - Cold weather here, with some rain and hail, but the house is 'kept fairly warm'. Kitty left this morning; her children stay here. Marjorie's children are 'nice but noisy, talk the whole time, but are charming and amusing'. Going to tea tomorrow to say goodbye to the Youngs. Catherine [Abercrombie] was driven by a friend to Edinburgh, and stayed a night with [her son] David. [Claude] Colleer Abbott is coming on 18 April for the night. Molly's laryngitis is better, but she needs to be careful not to talk too much. Very glad the Bluths are better; asks Bessie to give them his love. Is better himself in general, 'but it is a slow business'; the 'lotion bottle' and parcel arrived all right.
The Shiffolds [this is an error for Wallington]. - Very glad to hear from Bessie's letter that her 'oily difficulties are solved'. His legs are much better, but there is still some eczema on the thighs and arms. Very glad that Morgan Forster is recovering, if slowly. Does not know if he can find a quotation for him [for the libretto of "Billy Budd", see 3/83], but when he returns home to his books he will try; agrees it should not matter whether it is a real quotation. The paper Bessie sent was not an income tax receipt, but a tithe receipt. Went to tea at the Two Queens' yesterday; Geoffrey and Len [Winthrop Young] were both very pleasant, and they hope to see them again. Catherine [Abercrombie] is going by bus to Edinburgh to stay the night with [her son] David one day next week. Kitty's Elizabeth and Catharine arrived this morning, and he thinks Kitty and Erika come on Monday. Things 'seem to go smoothly here'; Charles is 'cheerful'; Molly's laryngitis is much better; Catherine sends love to Bessie. Hopes the Bluths will be able to come; later on if he [Karl] is not better.
Havering, Bent Field End, Stansted, Essex. - Thanks Bessie for her letter and the two Bottomley letters. They had a pleasant time in Bath with Riette and her friends. Binyon came for the last weekend and lectured on Persian painting; he and Moore read from their poetry at a Mrs Knight's, a 'tall and elegant lady' with a 'tiny little husband... an artist not much out of the ordinary but intelligent' [Charles Neil Knight?]. Went for some 'delightful excursions' along the Avon. Is charmed by his two granddaughters in Stansted, the household is calm and he thinks there will be no reason to cut short their stay. Saw [their son] Dan in London, who 'looked tired and worn'; hopes he will come for a few days soon; is reading a Hemingway he lent him. Sends his love to the Bluths [Karl and Theo ] and Tet Htoot, and friendly greetings to Miss S [Simpkins].
Wallington, Cambo, Morpeth. - Kitty and Molly suggest that Bessie and Miss Cook should get a first class ticket, otherwise they may have trouble getting seats, and '[p]orters are few'. Wonders whether Julian could meet them at Waterloo and see them to Kings Cross and onto the train; otherwise they could go to London on Wednesday and stay with the Bluths or elsewhere to give them time to get to Kings Cross. Bob would come to see her after his broadcast, then go to the National Liberal Club; perhaps Julian could get Bessie and Miss Cook rooms at a hotel, since he would not.be able to put them up at [Durham] Wharf. Finding it a 'little dull' since it is hard to get conversation with all the children around and everyone so busy, though he sees John [Dower] most morning and will go for a short walk with Kitty today.
86 Chesterton Road, Cambridge. - Is glad she liked the Gainsborough card, which he thinks is charming and worth keeping; Dorothy disposes of most of their cards, perhaps to hospitals, but he always keeps a few; reminisces about the scrap-books he and his siblings used to make while his father read aloud to them; he still has his books. His health was good enough for him to go to Buckingham Palace three weeks ago to get his 'badge and ribbon from the King' [the Order of Merit]; he also took Tim to the Christmas Feast at Trinity and saw George [Trevelyan] for the first time since he had retired as Master. Is hoping he will be able to come to Leith Hill Place next summer: was very disappointed not to be able to come. Also thinks well of Britten: very much enjoyed his "Let's Make an Opera", and Tim thought well of "Peter Grimes" and other things by him; not sure about "Billy Budd" when he heard it on the radio, however, thinking it 'scrappy' and full of what Vaughan Williams calls 'wrong notes'. Thought [Roy] Harrod's life of [Maynard] Keynes was not well judged, but he had not noticed exaggeration of the influence of Bloomsbury. Had forgotten that Norton stayed with the Trevelyans when he was ill; was very fond of him. Bessie seems to imply Bloomsbury harmed him; asks if this is what she thinks. Agrees that it is a good thing that [his niece] Riette has gone to live at Well Walk; Tim went to see them there and had a nice time; thinks Riette very charming. Is sorry Bessie has been laid up by neuralgia, but is glad Dr Bluth's treatment seems to have improved it.
41 Queen's Road, Richmond, Surrey. - Bertie is getting on very well [after his prostate operation]: 'looks like himself again - except painfully thin - and smokes his pipe like billy-o.' Has told him about Bessie's letter, and the excerpt from Dr [Karl] Bluth's letter; he was very pleased. He can only read light thrillers at the moment, but thanks Bessie for offering to send the "Persian Adventure". Will probably be able to go home in a week; their ceilings fell down just before Bertie's operation, so the house is 'full of builders and plastic and dust'. Is sorry to hear that the glare of the sun on the snow pains Bessie's eyes.
Little Datchet Farm, Malvern, R.D.1, Pennsylvania. - Thanks Bessie for sending the gratifying comments of her German friend Dr Bluth about his book ["An Inquiry into Meaning and Truth"?], though is puzzled by Bluth's allusion to [Hans] Reichenbach, whom he got to know well when he was at Los Angeles. He is 'a man of simple kindliness', he thinks 'remarkably free from complexes' and 'his philosophy is thoroughly sane'; never encountered 'reactionary sentimentality' in him. Visited [G.E.] Moore at Princeton, who was 'exactly as usual'. They had an enjoyable visit from Joe Wedgwood, who has 'got into hot water' for suggesting the British constitution may be better than the American in some points. Is afraid the British government has been 'foolishly harsh' about German refugees, and public opinion is just as bad; expects it will get worse. In America, people are so far 'fairly reasonable' but fears this will not last. All the more difficult to be optimistic about the world after the war. Asks how the war touches Bessie's daily life 'in physical ways': does she constantly hear aeroplanes, are the woods cut down and the beauty of her surroundings destroyed? Is very sorry her eyes are so bad: hopes Bob continues to read books to her. She has read to him and Russell so many times: hates to think of her being unable to read.
39 Royal Terrace, Edinburgh, 7. - Thanks for Bessie's letter. Thinks Dr Thin will write to de Souza. Is 'very puzzled' at what Bessie writes about Dr Bluth: does not understand what sort of treatment he means. Asks if it is 'drugs or... some form of phycoanative [sic]'. Dr Thin is not encouraging, and does not think Donald's condition will change much.
The Master's Lodge, Trinity College, Cambridge. - Thanks 'Auntie Bess' for her 'jolly letter', which went up to Hallington in the letter to 'Mummy T' [Janet]. Agrees with Mr Badley now her two boys have been born, but would have been happy with a boy and a girl as providing a brother for Tommy. The government has gave her 120 pre-natal coupons, and she now has [ration] books for both twins. G[eorge] and H[umphry] look very different from each other; she is alternating their feeds, with the nurse bottle-feeding in between, and the doctor is pleased with them. Has had a long rest in Cambridge, having left the rest of the family behind; will be very glad to return, after almost eight weeks. Hopes all the Trevelyan cousins will meet one day: Tom, Philip and the twins could have 'great gambols together'; wonders how soon they will 'all forgather at Wallington of a summer', as their fathers did. Bessie must find it an 'eternal joy' to have Philip with her; hopes the Bluths will have some pictures of him.
39 Royal Terrace, Edinburgh, 7. - The Toveys returned about ten days ago, helped by Clara's brother and their nurse; they are living on the ground floor as Donald cannot manage the stairs. He can only give chamber music lessons and enjoys this: 'it still seems to give him a feeling of mastery'. He is giving them at home, and they are arranging for as many chamber music combinations to come and play for him. Thinks he has improved slightly since the return, but he varies a great deal. She herself has not been laid up in bed but has not been well at all; thinks she is now rather better. They still have their Australian nurse, but are not sure how long she will stay; is writing to Miss Monks again as she 'sounded rather unsettled'; asks if Bessie knows of anyone else. Kind remembrances to Dr Bluth.
Hedenham Lodge, Bungay, Suffolk. - They are sorry they will not see Bessie, but understand her feelings: when Bessie said she would come Clara was afraid she might find it too much and that it was 'very brave' of her to attempt the journey. As to Dr Bluth, will leave it to him to decide. Donald's improvement noticeable in 'many little ways'.
Hedenham Lodge, Bungay, Suffolk. - They have telephoned and put off the doctors who were to have come from London; does not know whether this is right or wrong. Donald is 'much clearer, but very weak'. Was frightened when Dr Corbett spoke about an 'alienist' [psychiatrist] and would like to consider this with the Trevelyans before acting: asks if their friend [Dr Karl Bluth?] might have time to help. She must also talk to them 'about the OUP' and what she ought to do about Edinburgh.
The Master's Lodge, Trinity College, Cambridge. - Thanks Bob for his letter; since he, Bessie, and Desmond MacCarthy all think that George's "Autobiography" was all right and a good length, George feels he has 'managed that rather delicate operation satisfactorily'; Glad Bob likes the rest of the book ["An Autobiography and Other Essays"]. Fears he cannot say that Janet is getting better, though she is no worse; glad that Dr [Karl] Bluth has seen her, who 'quite agreed' with their Dr Simpson about the case.