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Northlands, Englefield Green, Surrey. - Is still 'very vague and confused about Dutch money'; asks Bessie if she has calculated Augustin's bill correctly; it is 'a rather disappointingly large amount' but the success of the concerts 'helps to keep the artist in Donald [Tovey] alive. Wishes she could hear of Fritz Busch's safety: would be best if he could be '"safely wounded" as the mothers say'. Donald is at Dyffryn Rectory [to see his aunt, Anna Walter Thomas?] and returns to Edinburgh on Saturday. Asks Bessie to ask Donald to let her have any notices of his concerts which might have been contained in the letters she forwarded to him today; was very grateful for the one Bessie sent her which seems 'quite remarkably good and comprehending'. Donald is playing very well, but was 'extremely nervous' for the Chopin recital, partly as the piano was so bad. She was away for Christmas with her 'very depressed brother [Henry] and his wife' and is now trying to deal with work.

Trinity College, Cambridge.—He came up safely, but caught a cold on the way. Miss Fison was married on Thursday. Discusses a suitable time for his parents to visit. Encloses photos of scenes from their play.

(Undated, but evidently written shortly after Clifford came up for the beginning of Easter Term 1871, which began on 14 April. Anna Fison’s marriage probably took place on the 13th, and the letter was probably written at the weekend.)

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Transcript

Trin. Coll. Camb.

Dear Papa and Mama

I can’t find any larger paper though I know I have got a lot somewhere. I came up safely on Monday, but caught a little cold on the journey and more from the smoking of my bedroom chimney which made me arise in the middle of the night, take up my bed and walk into the sitting room. But this is over now, and my face has been tolerably free from pain for a day or two. Miss Fison (Mrs Potts’s sister) was married on Thursday {1}—they wanted me to go there in the evening, but of course I am only able to go out a little in the middle of the day. I want to know when you would like to come up and see me, because you must do it before I leave my rooms. There are some nice lodgings nearly opposite me that I can have. One course of my lectures will be over quite early—by about the last week in May—and perhaps that will be the best time if if suits you. The Long Vacation is difficult to arrange yet, and if I come up here at that time I shall probably be very busy about my things. There are 2 bedrooms and a sitting room in the lodgings. I enclose 2 photos of scenes from our play. the† shirts should be red of course, but they do not look well when coloured. My very best love to all the little ones.

Your most loving son
Willie.

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{1} Anna Fison married David Walter Thomas, a Welsh clergyman, at Cambridge in the second quarter of this year. She was still unmarried on 2 April, the date of the census. Her sister Jeannetta was the second wife of the mathematician Robert Potts.

† Sic.

Northlands, Englefield Green, Surrey. - Apologises for telling her so late about his plans again: is going to see his aunt [Anna Walter Thomas], which he has been putting off for two years, over Christmas; Miss Weisse has planned something which will delay him another day; the Trevelyans cannot do before the 20th or he would have come over now. Must be back at Northlands for New Year's Eve. Bessie will have to 'say something pretty strong to Miss Weisse' soon: she is still spreading the 'dismal & (both to [Tovey] and to her) utterly discreditable & mischievous lie that [Tovey] is "in a dangerous state of depression"'. Meanwhile she holds him 'here by the leg', even organising for his father's solicitor to come here to settle his business with him tomorrow night. Will have to get away if he is to be told 'absolutely nothing but lies', but his friends should understand that because musical prospects in England are so bad, he would have to leave the country altogether. His 'fine London concert patrons' are too busy 'choosing between [him], Kelly & Grainger' to give him 'any prospects at all'; their circles are also 'far too appearance-keeping' for him to 'earn an honest living'. Should not need to keep up appearances in Vienna, but begin with a 'European reputation' unhampered by the 'handicap' which his 'ten year's service as charwoman to the C.C.S [Classical Concert Society]' now seems. Is not sure it will be any use protesting to Miss Weisse though, if the 'lessons' she has had are not enough.

University of Edinburgh. - Thanks Bessie, and asks her to thank [her sister] Mrs Röntgen for taking that trouble. Thinks everything is clear, except for 'two little places' which will wait until he gets back to Holland. The Röntgens seemed very well; Franz [Frants] was ill when he arrived, but was soon recovered. The Trio [Julius Sr, Julius Jn and Englebert Röntgen] has been having real success, received enthusiastically by 'audiences of 1500'. Englebert has developed 'most strikingly' in style and tone; Tovey felt 'as if something like the Joachim Quartet was still alive & young'. 'Der Papaselbst' [Julius Englebert Röntgen] is well, although sad about the state of the world, and has been writing some 'most beautiful unaccompanied choral music: Psalms against war'. He took Tovey to a beautiful neighbouring swimming bath and proved himself a good swimmer.

Will send Bessie a letter for G.B. [Grete Busch?] soon, though would be 'ashamed' to make much of his news since she 'so thoroughly sees how unenviable is the [position of a man who is out of it all'. Dreads Miss Weisse breaking bad news to him so is very glad he knows from Grete that she wants to get bad news before it reaches Tovey. Miss Weisse is in 'a very nasty state of mind... peculiarly inhuman pro-Germanism' which he would mind less if she were still in Germany or 'didn't do her duty to England with the savage energy of a District Visitor of the most ruthless kind'. He himself cannot hate anything as she does everything English. However, he is with his 'saintly & dear old aunt', who has much of his mother's wit, and returns to Edinburgh on the 2nd. Is concerned that Miss Weisse may accede to Lady Lewis [Elizabeth, Lady Lewis?]'s request to give Guil[hermina] Suggia an engagement at Northlands. Also, in a letter she sent enclosing Bessie's 'which she thinks contains Dutch criticisms', Miss Weisse urges Tovey 'to join some military organisation' which will benefit him 'both morally & physically'. Will not do so until he has finished his work in Edinburgh, in March, when he will probably join something in Surrey or Berkshire. Thinks Miss Weisse wishes to make his position in Edinburgh 'untenable', as she wants him to do more concerts in Holland as soon as Augustin offers, and knows he could not manage all three. Says in a postscript that he saw the Hubrechts at Utrecht: Mrs Hubrecht [Maria? or Johanna Maria?] took him to tea and he met Paul, and saw photographs of Jan dressed as a yound lady 'so exquisite' that he had to 'strike a Tamino attitude'. Professor [Ambrosius] Hubrecht was better than he expected, and joined fully in the conversation.

Northlands, Englefield Green, Surrey. - Thanks Bessie for all her 'kind words'; thinks she had better read the enclosure, which is 'practically' what she has written to Donald [Tovey] then burn it. Donald must be 'very hardworking and very humble and courteous' if she is to continue 'making a home for him'. This business [the quarrel with Pablo Casals] shows him to have been 'a self righteous arrogant goose' and 'that young woman' [Guilhermina Suggia] has 'sized him up'. Donald writes 'gaily' that she should write and ask Enesco to find another cellist. Wishes 'he had run away with Guilhermina - she might have prevented such follies and made him work'. Intends to ignore the existence of the concerts, though has already given fifty pounds towards them. Is sorry for Willy Strecker. Thinks Donald's letter to Casals 'odious'; told her brother he should never have let Donald send it; he agrees and was amazed at 'the moderation and dignity of Casals' reply'. Donald should have left the 'London gossip' alone, which would have denied Guilhermina the opportunity of 'poring out all her amusing venom'. Casals denied to her that he had accused Donald of anything other of being 'too assiduous in his attentions'; she is very sorry for him. Wrote and telegraphed Donald warning against his friendship with Guilhermina and urging him to come home to see his sick father. Told Henry [her brother] that he was 'the fourth Oxford man to have been a fool about this business'. Is very worried about Donald as these 'bouts of loss of self control' are becoming more frequent and more violent; the 'Speyer business' was bad enough. He needs to work hard, and 'earn his Vienna ticket now by two articles in the Times'. Thanks Bessie about Christmas; Donald says he ought to go and see his aunt in Wales. In a postscript written after she has read Bessie's letter again tells her not to say 'how well in health and sane' Donald is since the 'only excuse for his behaviour is that he is ill, which makes him 'just like his father'. Has just received 'another horrible letter from Donald', enclosing Hugh Godley's letter. Godley 'wished Donald to break with Casals' and wishes him to break with her. Is telling everyone who asks that Donald's health alarms her. Her brother agrees it was very wrong of him to go to Vendrell after 'the Vienna episode', which she herself had not known of.

Northlands, Englefield Green, Surrey. - Is writing in case Donald [Tovey] has not done so to say that he cannot now come to the Trevelyans; he is going to Wales today to see his 'delightful Aunt [Anna Walter Thomas], then will travel with Sophie Weisse to Germany where he will see [Fritz] Steinbach at Cologne and the Buschs [Adolf and Fritz] at Mainz before playing in Vienna on 8 Jan. Hopes to see him for Christmas at Marburg, where she will be with Henry (her brother) and his family for 'their sad holiday [after the death earlier in the year of Henry's daughter Peggie?]'. Thinks the travelling is good for Donald; he is 'already better', working on a concerto grosso for string orchestra with 'the opera ["The Bride of Dionysus"] in the background, and his playing is 'in perfect order; he played the [Beethoven] Waldstein Sonata 'superbly' last night. Hopes they will both return by 15 Jan; hopes the Trevelyans will then come and spend a night or two with them, when Lady Hely Hutchinson and her children Natalie and Victor will be staying. They have just had Molly and Desmond MacCarthy there, whom she 'love[s] very much'. Will send 'another music picture book' for Julian.