Showing 19 results

Northlands, Englefield Green, Surrey. - Originally enclosing some brown thread giving 'the length for the chain'; they could perhaps also supply a few opals if there are some missing. Is very tired after 'these anxieties and agitations' and very worried about Donald: he is showing the strain by behaving towards her as he did four years ago which makes it 'difficult to take care of him', and she has 'no dear Bob and Bessie to trust him to'. The 'affair itself threatens to end in bathos': she has had a 'rapturous' letter from 'the wife' [Guilhermina Suggia] saying how glad she is to be with her Pablo [Casals] again. Wishes Professor Röntgen could force Pablo 'to unsay all the wicked nonsense he wept out to all and sundry here'. Sends her love to all six Röntgens; they will be very grateful if Bessie's brother in law [Julius Engelbert Röntgen] can tell them what should be done. Regrets the loss of twenty-six pounds on Thursday's concert.

Lanercost Priory, Brampton, Cumberland. - Thanks 'Uncle Bob' for sending his poems ["From the Shiffolds"]; likes several of them 'very much, particularly "The Prison-House" which reminded her of a poem she herself wrote recently that was liked by Frances Cornford. Feels as Bob does about the 'modern poets - sure there is a spring of pure poetry there, but not very successful at making it flow!' Wishes 'somebody would write a book explaining T. S. Eliot, like Daddy did for [George] Meredith'. She 'hardly dare[s] ask, fearing the worst', whether Aunt Bessie has head any news about her Röntgen nephews, or whether Professor [Pieter] Geyl 'survived the ordeals he underwent'. She and her husband are 'very happy here, and thoroughly enjoy country life'; the church is 'superb - the ancient 12th century Augustinian priory'; the house 'partly consists of a tower built by Edward I', who came several times. They are just twenty miles from Hallington, which has been released from use as a hospital; her mother spent a few days there before Christmas organising redecoration, but it is 'still full of hospital furniture'. Saw Aunt Annie [Philips] before October, who is 'very old now, and tired, but her interest in things is undiminished' and she 'much appreciates Aunt Bessie's letters'.

Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland. - Bessie's 'long letter' came this morning. All well here; his eczema is better. Hopes Bessie's 'oily and pipy troubles are over'. Not much news in Hank [Röntgen]'s letter, except that they have moved to a house in Scheveningen they like better than the old one; she and Frantz have got Bessie's letters, and she will write soon. [Claude] Colleer Abbott will probably come to Wallington for a night on 17 or 18 Apr. They [Bob and Catherine Abercrombie] are coming back on the 10 o clock Newcastle train; asks if Charman's car can meet them.

Wallington, Cambo, Morpeth. - Marked 'Private'. Bessie's letter with enclosures came this morning; thought what Rex Warner said about Lucretius was quite good, though agrees with Bessie it was 'quite dull and wordy'; he should not have quoted 'so many Latin lines on end'. Does not know whether they [the BBC?] will let him read his script and the quotations, and will 'make a stand' if necessary. [Edgar] Bainton was 'very nice in his gentle friendly way' and did not seem much older. He is seeing BBC people tomorrow, and would like to see Bob again at the Shiffolds; perhaps that could be arranged at the end of August or beginning of September, as Bainton will quite soon return to Australia. Saw van Stuve briefly, who was very sorry he could not visit Bessie. Julian seemed 'quite cheerful'; he had enjoyed Frants [Röntgen?]'s visit and they got on well together. Agrees Miss Cook is 'a surprizing person'; expects she will enjoy herself at Wallington and get on with people. Miss Clark is here for several days, 'which is rather a bore'. Kitty is looking forward to seeing Bessie; her children are amusing; Elizabeth is 'quite a comic actor', and he expects 'rather a problem'. Has had 'rather a sad letter' from Irene [Cooper Willis?], whose little niece Patience is leaving England for good soon because her parents are going to live in Trinidad. Irene will be back on the 22nd so Bob will see her some time. Tells Bessie not to worry about the poems in his bureau drawer; had thought of showing a few to John [Dower] or Kitty. George Mac[aulay Trevelyan?] is coming tomorrow, so Bob will see him. Wonders if Bessie has heard anything definite from Miss Dyson. Has 'hardly seen Charles or Molly to talk to yet'; there was a Women's Institute meeting here yesterday.

Addressed to Julian at 7 Villa Brune, Paris XIVᵉ, France. - Belatedly sending a copy of his new book "Rimeless Numbers". Bessie and the Röntgens, and he thinks also [their son] Frantz, are coming on 7 or 8 June, and will stay at least two weeks. He will go, probably with the Allens [Clifford and Joan], to the Lakes from 10-17 June, otherwise he will be here, except from 21-23/24 June. Hopes Julian will be able to come while the Röntgens are here. D.F.T. [Donald Tovey] is visiting in early July; he plans to compose an opera on the text of "Twelfth Night" 'cut down... but not rewritten'. Met a 'black-bearded man', whose name he has forgotten, at A[llen]'s, who said he had been staying with Julian; he was a 'friend of Keynes etc' and said Julian was coming to England in July; Bob hopes he will come earlier or he will miss the Röntgens.

Greets Elizabeth as 'Beste Tante Bes!'

The house, named 'Gaudeamus', was designed for Julius and Abrahamina Röntgen by their son Frants Edvard and built in 1924.

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.