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24 Bryanston Street, W.—Discusses the Cliffords’ health and movements. The doctors do not think that Willi should return to England yet. She and Fred think of coming to join them, perhaps with the children. Gives news of their present activities and engagements.

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Transcript

24 Bryanston Street W
June 13./78

Dearest Lucy

A great many thanks for 2 letters from Malta & Genoa w[hic]h I got the day before yesterday, & for the others from Malta w[hic]h I could not acknowledge as we had no address. We were thankful that Malta seemed to suit Willi & that you fell in with pleasant friends. It was a great pity that you had an accident & were laid up; how did it happen? I do hope you are quite right again. I hope you took your journey to Lugano very very quietly and that you will soon establish yourselves comfortably at Monte Generoso. Fred wrote to you yesterday to tell you of his interview with Dr Clark. He said that nothing he sh[oul]d like better than to order you home in August or so, it would be so good for Willi morally, but that unless he really improves in the next month it would be most imprudent. Both he & Dr Beatty agree that in his present state nothing wd be worse for Willi than an English climate. You know Fred & I have set our hearts upon joining you wherever you are when the time comes for our holiday, at the Rieder Alp or in Yorkshire or Scotland & I sometimes think that we might easily manage to bring out both our kids so as to enjoy them altogether—I mean Ethel & Alice & perhaps C. Alice too. We shd not bring Alice if we cd not bring Ethel too. Don’t you think it would make Willi happier to stay abroad if he were to see his little girl & have her for about 4 weeks? Everybody goes abroad in August & if you were to come home you would find all your friends scattered. We have been staying with Mrs Ritchie near Windsor for Whitsuntide, & they & the Douglas Freshfields are all thinking of going to the Rieder Alp with great enthusiasm. The Tyndalls would be close by at the Bel Alp. So that on the whole I cannot help thinking you would enjoy yourselves more in Switzerland in August than in Great Britain, & that I suspect would be the only month Willi would be allowed home.

The W. Colliers are in London for a week & ask after you. Also we have some Dutch people over here to entertain. We did so enjoy our holiday in the country & London feels most dreadfully stuffy & stale on coming back. It is a joy to breathe in the country. Fred will have told you about Walter’s lecture at the R.I. They went to St Julians for their holiday & the parents are in Paris. I am a great deal better, in fact quite well. We are to take our Dutchman & woman to the R.I. tomorrow to hear Prof. Dewar on the Liquefaction of Gases. An interesting article in Mind next month will be “An infant’s Progress in Language”—i.e. Alice’s, done by her dada. I do hope you will be happy at Monte Generoso & meet friends. Best love to yr old man & you. Ever dear Lucy yr affectionate

GHP.

Postmarked Englefield Green, Surrey; addressed to Elizabeth Trevelyan at Wallington, Cambo, Morpeth, but forwarded to her at the Shiffolds. - Apologises; asks if he may come on the afternoon of Thursday 10th. Is going to the [Douglas?] Freshfields on the weekend of the 26th; would be grateful if he could come back from there to continue with Ariadne ["The Bride of Dionysus"].

Refers to Nora's letter of two days previously, which was of intense interest to her. Says she has been absorbed by Henry Sidgwick: a Memoir, and suggests that in addition to the biography and letters, people who knew Henry could each write down an account of a memorable conversation with him. States that she is 'rather anxious, also busy' at present, but undertakes to try 'to join some memories with [her] sisters' [memories.' Expresses the hope that she and Nora may meet; says that if her husband could stay with Nora she would 'make out a promised visit to a friend at Cambridge'. Says that questions about [the living's] connection with the dead, in their moral aspects as viewed by Henry, have pressed on her lately. Thinks that she and her husband will come to Nora in May, and hopes that it will not be any inconvenience to her to receive her husband; say she is to go to the Donaldsons at Magdalene. Thanks her for the gift of the book.

Writes on the death of Henry Sidgwick, expressing her sympathy with Nora on her loss. Refers to Nora's letter written from Cliftonville two months previously. States how Henry's 'brave facing of the great parting and change' touched them profoundly. Relates that [F.W.] Cornish was present at the Synthetic Society in June, and heard Henry's 'noble delivery of what had to be said on that occasion, and received his own account, now to be forgotten of what was to follow.' Refers also to her sister, Mrs Freshfield, having seen Henry in Bond Street. Expresses her deepest regret at not having replied to the letter from Cliftonville, and claims that she had 'so much hope that ample time for correspondence' would follow. Claims to have wished to tell Nora then how she had ventured to ask Henry and Nora 'to be with all the young men' and [the Cornishes] about that time, having had such happy memories of a visit Henry paid to them in the summer of 1897, when he 'turned the conversation to subjects thrillingly interesting' to her [soldier] son, Francis, who 'went back to India with the recollection of something exquisite enjoyed with the older generation...' Says that [the letter] is an answer to Nora's note about Henry from Margate.

Northlands, Englefield Green, Surrey. - Very pleased that Donald [Tovey] can stay with the Trevelyans; describes his habits and diet at length. Asks if they will 'hale him away from Mrs [Ellen] Joachim's' after his time there; hopes he will go to Mrs Freshfield after seeing the Trevelyans, as 'there house is splendidly high up and she will look after him'. Donald has just gone out 'abashed and mournful' to apologise to one of his best friends for forgetting to go to his wedding. Hopes Bösendorfer will send the piano quickly and that Bessie likes it; tells her not to let it get damp or stand in a draught or suffer extreme changes of temperature. Bessie should get Donald to play her the Brahms Violin Concerto frequently, which he does very well and will encourage Bessie to learn it if she has not already. In a postscript, writes out the places Donald will be while she is at Nauheim and says she will ask every one how he is doing or she will have no peace.

Has only just finished reading Henry Sidgwick: a Memoir; explains that they [she and her husband?] went abroad in March. States that as a biography it is 'vividly interesting from the first page to the last....' Remarks on the strong sense the letters 'unconsciously give of the expansion and development of [Henry's] life'. Refers to his attainment of a fellowship and the establishment of Newnham College, and describes his marriage as 'the crown to the perfecting of his life.' Refers also to how nobly he met his fate. Relates that they used to call him Socrates. Invites Nora to come to spend a day with them at Wych Cross during the holidays. Speaks of Henry's conversational gifts, and declares that she liked Leslie Stephens' and Mr Bryce's accounts of 'his talk'. States, however, that she and her sisters feel that the 'irrecoverableness' of the charm of Henry's conversation 'is not ever guessed in the letters.' Refers also to his recitation of poetry, and claims that his talk 'was the expression of his whole being....' Claims that she can think of six men - including her brother [Richmond] Ritchie - 'who can none of them at all tolerate each other, who all lay down their arms and speak with unqualified and enthusiastic admiration of [Henry]'. Hopes that they may meet before long.

Northlands, Englefield Green, Surrey. - Donald [Tovey]'s bad health has delayed his stay with the Trevelyans; she was with him in London with their 'very dear friends the Wallaces in their terrible bereavement' [the death of Emily Wallace] who kept saying how tired he looked; she got him to bed, and brought him to Northlands yesterday in a motorcar. He has bad tonsillitis, but is recovering, and when she is sure he is well and safe for Bessie and the baby [Julian] he will come; thinks this will be Monday at the latest. Donald is bad at taking care of himself in many ways. Asks Bessie if she can 'bemuttern' [mother] him a little, by making sure he takes his Sanatogen and another medicine. Is rather anxious about the Ariadne ["The Bride of Dionysus"] work after the busy spring and summer he has had. Has been reading some of his "Encyclopædia [Britannica]" articles, which are 'quite glorious both in matter and style'; his composition will be even more so and she wishes it good luck. Discusses his luggage; asks Bessie to get him to change when he is hot, and hopes he pays his laundry bills. Asks how long he is to stay; believes he is going to Mrs [Augusta] Freshfield around the 26th. The thought of going to Nauheim is 'dismal' to her. Donald in good spirits as he has been well all year, and is 'good friends with Miss Kelly'; does not think her brother [Frederick] can 'ever make him nervous again'. Very glad to hear Julian thrives. Asks Bessie to let he know how Donald does. A postscript notes that there will be some lotion and Listerine for Donald's bedroom; another postscript written on 12 August says Donald is much better and will be with the Trevelyans on Monday; his two boxes are at the station already.

Kirsch's Hotel, Bad Nauheim. - It is good of Bessie, when she has Julian to take care of as well [to look after Donald Tovey so well?]; thanks her for writing; thinks it will not be safe to try the Sanatogen for a while but to keep with the brown tonic, which contains quinine. Wonders if he is going to [Augusta and Douglas] Freshfield next Sunday; wishes she were at home, but supposes it is necessary if she is to be fit for next term. Has told Herbert to send more of Donald's tonic; tells Bessie to open the box of apples which will arrive from Shoolbreds as Donald was to offer them. A postscript notes that there may be 'great trouble brewing from Worplesdon' [home of his family] again, and asks Bessie to 'watch over him if he seems excited'.

In relation to Easter, states that his plans are uncertain. Is glad that she is interested in [William] Lecky. Gives his thoughts on reading and thinking; believes that 'it is not so easy as people think to choose reading that really sets the mind to work and makes it grow'; however, since everyone is 'always... much "involved in matter' as Aristotle says', the world and our 'little petty interests are "too much with us", and anything that lifts us out of them is a gain'. The ability to be thus lifted is something he much values in people; it is not proportionate to talent - intellect viewed as an instrument'. Arthur Butler has it, and it is one of the things Henry likes in [E. A?]. Scott.

Remarks that his mother has not written to him lately, and that they have 'in a sort of way dropped out of correspondence'. Claims that it was not he who objects to gossip; asserts that he has always maintained that 'it was the only way most people [had] of exercising their minds really, originally, on moral and social questions'. Says he is certainly interested in the Ritchies [the family of William Ritchie]; wishes that his mother could see them 'and ascertain whether the interest is due to [his] very limited acquaintance with (feminine) human nature'; has met many families but 'never... with one that took [his] fancy like this'. Asks what she thinks of Mrs Gretton; thinks that she must be livelier than most Rugby people, but that 'she is to be taken "cum grano" '.

Reports that Macmillan won't say who wrote Ecce Homo [recently published anonymously by J. R. Seeley], but has promised sometime to ask twenty people to dinner including Henry and the author. Reports that Gladstone wrote to Macmillan 'a letter acknowledging a presented copy and calling it a "noble book".' Relates that some of the 'younger men', such as Myers, are 'tremendously stirred by it', but that Henry is 'not quite in the same way'; quotes Carlyle saying that 'man and his universe are eternally divine', and adds that the author of Ecce Homo 'means us to go further and credit what is now to us incredible. He may be right'.

Expresses surprise at Mrs Gretton preferring the eldest Miss Ritchie [Augusta], and declares that he does also, although he does not think most people would. Refers also to the second Miss Ritchie [Blanche], 'Cornish's betrothed', as 'more unworldly perhaps.' Declares that when he comes across girls who interest him he uses his opportunities with considerable eagerness, 'because they are necessarily so few.'