The Gallows, Ryton, Dymock, Gloucester. - Glad to hear that Trevelyan has returned safely [from his trip to India, China and Japan]. Hopes that he will soon come to visit them; Abercrombie has "rigged up" an outside bathroom. Trevelyan should have some fine new material, but Abercrombie hopes he won't become an "Eastern poet" as Bantock became an "Eastern" musician after one trip to Egypt. Asks if Dickinson writes for the "Manchester Guardian" under the name "Don", as an article contrasting China and India has recently appeared. Has told Ransome what Trevelyan says about the case [brought by Lord Alfred Douglas] and hopes he may recover soon.
2 St Margaret's Road [on University of Edinburgh headed notepaper]. - Is sorry not to have written sooner: meant to do so when [Trevelyan's] "Pterodamozels" came but this has taken longer than he expected. The move to the Toveys' new house happened just when Trevelyan's letter about [John] Foulds arrived; Grettie had a collapse due to the strain of the move and is only now recovering. Would be jolly if Trevelyan came to Edinburgh in October. Trevelyan may show Foulds anything of Ariadne ["The Bride of Dionysus"] which may interest him, as long as he first see the parts which are in a final state - 'the big sheets or Raabe's copy'.
Is interested in what he has seen of Foulds' work, though has seen nothing recent: sent an early set of variations on to Röntgen, who was very pleased; Trevelyan should encourage Foulds to send something to the Carnegie people, as their first year's list is very successful, with Vaughan Williams, Bantock, Stanford and Frank Bridges and 'three totally unknown names with them' [Boughton, Howells and ?]: calls it, short of founding orchestras, 'much the best thing that has yet been done for English music.' Grettie liked [Trevelyan's] "Pearl Tree" but since she is still recovering he has not introduced her to the "Pterodamozels" yet: [Austen's] "Emma" 'represents the limit of our joint capacity for satire'. Has discovered Chapman's translation of Homer, and also that with help he can read Homer himself.
On University of Edinburgh headed notepaper - A great pity that Johannes [Röntgen] is missing the only concert with a modern work he does not know, Bantock's "Sappho" [performed by the Reid Orchestra, March 4, 1920] 'which is worth six times the best of Mahler', and was the main reason Tovey did not advise the Röntgens to send Johannes to Aurog [?] for the rest of the spring. Will try to arrange lots of interesting private chamber music, and give him 'plenty of orchestral exercises on paper'. Thanks Julian for his letter; hopes he has recovered. 'Mr N.N.' [Nimble Niceman, pet name for John Wellcome Tovey] has whooping cough, and Grettie has rheumatism; Tovey is 'on strike for a 48-hour day as usual'. The local press criticise the public for not giving the Reid Orchestra better audiences, but should instead point out that attendance is double last year (though this still is not enough).