The Shiffolds, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking. - Bessie is getting on 'as well as can be expected in this cold weather'. The doctor is coming again tomorrow. Robert does not expect she will fully recover 'till after the confinement', but hopes the weather will become warmer, as 'the cold aggravates this particular ailment'. Bessie is coming down 'for tea now, instead of only for dinner'. Julian is well, and 'seems to like the cold weather'. Bessie has just finished the last volume of Jean Christophe [by Romain Rolland], so he will send it on; has not read it himself yet, but does not want to until later, as he is rather busy now. Is making a 'long list of people' to send circulars about his book, with 'one or two specimen pages, and a list of contents probably''. Important that he should 'try and sell a few more than usual', to increase interest in the opera [The Bride of Dionysus, written with Donald Tovey]. His friend Abercrombie has lent him the list he used 'very successfully' for his own circulars, and Robert is adding more names. Asks if she would mind giving him addresses for the 'few people' he has written on an enclosed sheet [no longer present] if she knows them. The 'only chance now of getting anyone to buy poetry is to get at them by circulars', so is sending them to anyone he knows or 'knows about, who is at all likely'. Does not see why '[i]f one sends a notice of a concert or a picture exhibition' the same should not be done for a book.
Abercrombie's book Emblems of Love, published with John Lane, is 'very remarkable, and full of genius, but also rather unequal'; if she reads it, she should not read the long poem Vashti, at least until she has read the rest, as it is 'too long, and redundant, though often quite fine'. She need not worry about the addresses, but if she 'happen[s] to know them' it would be very kind if she could 'write them in'. Wants to send a circular to 'old Lord Peel', as he has heard Peel liked one of his books. Has 'over 600 addresses', though most are from Abercrombie's list.
Expects Bessie will write tomorrow, after the doctor has been. They are 'so sorry about Charles and Molly'; wishes Charles could 'get away to a warmer climate'. Sends love to his father.
