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Thanks them for the lychees, apologies for not giving them a present. Has not yet opened the tin, but has opened his book of Wang I [Yi] and read his poem about the lychee tree, which he copies on another page, so knows what to expect. Asks Ursula to thank her father for his 'charming letter'. Hopes Julian was able to come for Christmas and was all right. Tet Htoot was meant to come yesterday, but went to Oakley, near Maidenhead, instead of Ockley; hopes he will arrive in time for the turkey.

Originally enclosing a letter to Ursula, marked 'urgent'; was going to forward it to the Darwins but changed his mind; Bessie is not coming home till the evening, and he thought he should send it at once. Has been home for a few days after going to Wallington, the [Gordon] Bottomleys and Aunt Annie [Philips]. Tom [Sturge Moore] is back here, but Marie is in London for the time being. Glad Julian will be able to come during his leave. Went to the Sickert show at the National Gallery; there were 'crowds of pictures, some very good' but in general the show at Agnews a few years ago was 'more select' and gave a better idea of him.

Printed notepaper, Trinity College Cambridge, written 'as from Newnham Grange'. - Thanks Bob for the 'delightful Xmas card (on a magnificent scale) of poetry' ["From the Shiffolds"]; Eily will also write separately with her thanks [see 17/178]. They are reading [Austen's] "Emma", and he feels 'rather like Frank Churchill' who says he 'cannot presume to praise' Mr Knightley, but does admire Bob's poems very much. Admires the start with a 'matter of fact line' like 'The other day I broke my spectacles' and the movement to 'lovely things about what the world looks like without them'; his own short-sightedness is not like that, but Eily will 'sympathise intensely'; also liked the poem about going into the woods. Had a 'delightful visit from Ursula & Philip' and a nice sighting of Julian, who 'seemed to think his show [at the Lefevre Gallery] was going quite well'; may be able to see it when he goes to London on Monday.

Newnham Grange, Cambridge. - Thanks Bob for letting her 'share with Bernard [his] delightful sheaf of poems' ["From the Shiffolds"]; already knew "Philip Erasmus"; thinks she especially likes "Rarely rarely comest thou", while the one about spectacles talks about what she herself has 'so often realised with passion - the beauty of the world... with myopic eyes'. She never wore spectacles until she went to the Slade, and 'most of the value of the... good drawing' she did before she was seventeen was 'due to the simple short sighted vision' she had then; wishes she could go back to the 'simple vision of a child'. "Valentine" should be a song; tells him to give it to R.V.W. [Ralph Vaughan Williams] to set. Was lovely to see Julian, Ursula, and 'that little "varmint" [Philip Erasmus]', who is 'really adorable'.

Trinity College, Cambridge. - Sat next to Julian's father-in-law [Bernard Darwin] in Hall last night and talked about the Shiffolds. The Russells have bought a small house but cannot move in for another month, so Peter and Conrad are in a boarding house. None of them can visit the Shiffolds at the moment as there is so much to do, but they hope to do so soon. Has not yet heard from her Chinese friend. The BBC does not want him; he is to lecture at Trinity, which he prefers. Enjoyed his visit very much: a 'great joy' to see the Trevelyans again.

Gorringes, Downe, Kent. - He and his wife thank Bob and Bessie for the 'charming' poems [this year's "From the Shiffolds"]: 'so regular & pleasant a part of Christmas'. Afraid he knew nothing beforehand of Leopardi, but now thinks him a 'very fine fellow', unless 'all the goodness' in truth comes from Bob. Philip [Bob's grandson] is here for Christmas 'very big & jolly with... [an] accent of the most bucolic character'. Thinks he is going to see his father [Julian] after Christmas. Philip is 'longing' for it to snow, a desire Bernard does not share.

Gorringes, Down, Kent. - Thanks Bob for the 'Christmas card of verses' ["From the Shiffolds"], which they [he and Eily] both enjoyed greatly; mentions some of his favourite parts. They are looking forward to a brief Christmas visit from Julian, Ursula and Philip; Robin will also be with them. They have 'enough gin but no servants!'.

St Helen's , Co. Dublin - visiting Dublin to buy plays by Yeats, has spent 2 evenings at Abbey Theatre, met a bookseller who had acted in Irish plays at Cambridge:

Gorringes, Downe, Kent. - His and his wife's thanks for Bob's 'magnificent Christmas card ["From the Shiffolds"], which gives him a 'nice Greek feeling' and makes him wish he had worked harder at 'that noble language' when he was young. The Darwins are looking forward to Julian and Ursula [their daughter] coming with Philip on Christmas Eve; thinks they intend to leave early on Boxing Day for a children's party in London. The weather is 'infernally seasonable' here, though the forecast is 'cheering'; hopes the Trevelyans are not 'frozen'.

Gorringes, Downe, Kent. - His and his wife's thanks for Bob's 'nice poetical Christmas card ["From the Shiffolds"]; he likes "The Pleasure" and "The Dream", perhaps he likes "The Pleasure" best as he 'likes some rhymes', and 'can't help it' if that is a 'weakness'. Hopes Bob's Leith Hill is not as 'badly scarred' as it was when he described it. The Darwins are looking forward to Ursula and Philip coming on Monday, and Julian on Christmas Eve. 'Poor little Philip sounds wonderfully well' after his illness; expects he is still 'rather weak in the hind legs'. Robin and Nicola are also coming; there is a turkey, 'the first to have occurred for several years', and he thinks 'enough to drink'. Hopes Bob has a good, 'though probably a more tranquil Xmas'.

Gorringes, Downe, Kent. - His and his wife' thank both Trevelyan's for Bob's [translation of the Homeric] Hymn to Demeter ["From the Shiffolds"]; is glad the story 'seems to end happily'. The lines about flowers are 'delightful'. Philip was 'much pleased and excited yesterday' to get Bessie's 'beautiful printed letter', and had a good try at reading most of it; thinks he is on the 'very point of reading'. He will be the 'angel of the Lord (with a paper halo)' in a nativity play at school on Monday and know his part 'perfectly'; hopes he does not have stage fright.