26 Nassington Road, Hampstead, N.W.3. - Is 'pleased and proud to have these two noble volumes' [Bob's "Collected Works"] with an inscription. Has just written a short review of the first for "English" [Wilfrid Gibson, "The Collected Works of R. C. Trevelyan . Volume i: Poems", "English: Journal of the English Association", Volume 2, Issue 12, Autumn 1939, Pages 387–388] but fears it is 'not very satisfactory' as he did not have room to treat the poems in detail; trusts he has at least 'said nothing to hurt' Bob, and hopes he has 'managed at least to express some of the pleasure' he had in re-reading. Hopes to repeat that when he has the leisure to re-read the plays. At the moment, everything is upset, and he is writing in a 'half-denuded house'. He and Gerald [his wife] have taken a 'tiny cottage in Berkshire "for the duration"', and hope to keep [their daughter] Audrey's baby there in safety; Gerald has already gone and he will join her soon after getting some 'necessary business' done. Jocelyn's firm has evacuated to Glasgow, and Michael is working at an aeroplane factory in Gloucester, so 'Certainly Hitler has managed to dislocate our lives for us!'. Hopes things are not going too badly for Bob in this 'infernal world'; wishes success for the "Collected Works".
5, Raymond Buiildings, Gray's Inn. - Thanks Bob for his letter [15/285] and for saying he will send a copy of the "Annual [of New Poetry]", which he 'immensely' looks forward to. Good of Bob to think about "Georgian Poetry", but does not intend to bring out another volume this year; if he does do another expects it will be at the end of 1918. Saw [Walter] de la Mare on Tuesday, who had 'enjoyed his tour [of the US]' and seemed well; he 'only just escaped crossing in the Laconia [torpedoed in Feb 1917]'. Glad Gerald [Gibson] and Edward's god-daughter [Audrey Gibson] are at the Shiffolds; is writing to Gerald about something else 'so needn't send love in this'. Tells Bob to come and see him in London.
Hopes that Edward will soon be sent a copy of the New Annual ["An Annual of New Poetry"], which seems to be coming out 'after many delays'; does not know how it will do, but hopes it will do well enough to justify another volume next year. Unfortunately [Lascelles] Abercrombie] has written nothing new for inclusion; [Walter] de la Mare also seems to have nothing. If Edward publishes, as Bob hopes he will, another G[eorgian] P[oetry], Bob does not think there will be any trouble with including anything he might want from the "Annual", as the publishers Constables have been very reasonable. For instance, both [John] Drinkwater and Wilfrid [Gibson] have been allowed to publish separately poems included in the "Annual", even allowing Wilfrid to meet his obligations by publishing before the "Annual" appeared; this is 'very unfortunate' for the "Annual", which is meant to include only unpublished work - they had wanted to bring it out before the Christmas, but 'the printers either could not, or would not, hurry up'. Mrs [Geraldine] Gibson is here with Audrey until Wilfrid comes back [from a tour of the US]; Audrey is teething but otherwise very well. Mrs Gibson has 'very good accounts' from Wilfrid, and so far no letters seem lost; both he and de la Mare 'seem to have had great success'. Must try and see Edward in London soon.
The Shiffolds, Holmbury St. Mary, Dorking. - They are 'at last having delightful weather', and have heard the cuckoo most days this week. Julian is 'especially delighted by the cuckoo', and 'goes out early in the morning by himself to listen for it'. They discuss which poem is better - Logan's 'Hail, beauteous stranger...', 'if it is his and not [Michael] Bruce's, which seems uncertain', or Wordsworth's 'O blithe newcomer...'- and decide that 'on the whole' they prefer Wordsworth's, though like the other too; thinks it was a favourite of [John] Bright.
Took Julian out for a walk today, and 'he did a lot of climbing fir-trees, at which he is fairly good now. When he had got up as high as he could, he said he wished to write a poem, and dictated one to [Robert], not a very good one, but probably as good as most poems written twenty feet from the ground up a tree'.
Mrs Gibson leaves them next Wednesday; she has been with them three months, with her baby, and 'has been a very pleasant inmate'. Her husband will have to stay in America for now, but 'they seem to be treating him very hospitably'. Bessie and Julian are going to Aunt Annie's on the 14th, 'unless someone else at the Park comes out with the measles before then', which is unlikely. They are reading Guy Mannering aloud; Bessie 'has a prejudice against Scott, but has to admit that this is a good book'. She is however puzzled that 'Dirk Hatteraick is a Dutchman, and yet always talks German'; at first she believed 'Scott must have thought the Dutch talked German', but Robert told her 'Scott knew more about modern Europe than that'; still, it is odd. Sends love to his mother. They are 'so glad to hear that Booa is really better'.
The Shiffolds, Holmbury St. Mary, Dorking. - Thanks her for her letter; the 'sausages were very much appreciated, especially by Julian': thinks he had 'one for breakfast on three mornings'. Also thanks her for the Times [Literary] Supplement; will send it on to [Edward?] Keith. Is very sorry to hear how ill Booa [Mary Prestwich] is; has just written to her, and will try to get Julian to write as well. Bessie and Julian are well, and Bessie's cough now seems to have gone. The weather is still 'frosty', but generally less cold, with sunshine; however, they are 'very tired of the frost and snow'.
Is going to London tomorrow for a night, and will return on Tuesday afternoon with Mrs Gibson and the baby. Hopes to see Charles, as he has not done so for 'some weeks'. Bessie will write soon about Julian's birthday present. Hervey Vaughan Williams, the 'eldest son at Leith Hill Place' is engaged, and they are 'all very pleased'. Does not think his mother knows him: he is Margaret's brother, 'a very nice fellow, of huge size, and rather slow (not stupid) at talking and thinking, and slow at getting married too'.