Item 1a - Letter from Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence to F. W. Pethick-Lawrence

3 single sheets

(Aboard a ship, crossing the Atlantic.)—She and Susan were seasick for a few days, but took part in last night’s concert. Has met an American called David R. Smith, who is interested in finance.

(Letter-head of 87 Clement’s Inn, W.C.)

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Transcript

Oct. 24. 1914

My Dearest. Just a week ago since our ship cast her moorings {1}—and I saw you waving from the shore. Well! Thank the Lord that its over! (It isn’t often you have known me in the mood to bless the Fate that decrees to all things an end.) The first two days were all right and I said to myself—“Hallo! we’re in for luck”. I contented myself with putting all sedentary occupations aside—& ran about the ship or rested quietly on my deck chair & enjoyed the various incidents & the flashing of lights in the Channel at night. On Monday a change came & from that morning until today we have had rough very cold windy & wet weather. I have been more or less upset the whole time, & it has been anything but joy to be alive. But there is one thing you can always comfort yourself with at sea. And that is the thought that however bad it actually is, it might be inconceivably worse! I had every reason to take this consolation to myself, what with my comfortable cabin, & my perfectly sweet & charming companion. For two days she was down too, & we could only send messages through our stewardesses. She did not want me just then, nor I her. But on Wednesday she was frisking round & during the last three days has beguiled many a tedious hour with reading & talking to me. Yes, Susan is a great success. She is the most popular person on the ship & quite deserves to be so. For she is as kind & good-natured as she is charming & pretty.

Last night there was a concert & Susan & I provided the pièces de resistance. I told funny stories for twenty minutes & she played the accompaniments, sang three times & recited twice: All our efforts were appreciated & everybody was very friendly. Barry Pain is on board & he recited his War Poem—“The Kaiser & God”[.] He is the most unattractive man imaginable—ugly, awkward, scowling & surly. I liked the poem & his rendering of it as little as the man himself. I ought in fairness to say that I have not spoken to him. I have not seen him speak to anybody. Tell MaiMai that I’ve blessed her for that tin of Bengers Food that she put in. It has been my one standby. On the strength of Bengers alone, I was able to rise & dress myself & carry through at the Entertainment last night. My only chance is to give the ship food the clean cut. They haven’t Bengers or anything of the kind on board. There are no milk puddings in their daily fare. I get milk brought to my cabin & make it myself—& as long as I touch nothing else, I can get along. Actual sickness is not so bad as the acute indigestion which any deviation brings on. For two days, until I thought of Bengers, I took nothing but Appolinaris water. How I have blessed that priceless tin! {2}

There is a man on board that would interest you very much, i.e. his talk would. He is just a typical American. Came up the first day & buttonholed me. “I’m David R. Smith, and I want you, Mrs Pethick Lawrence, to answer me one question.” Well, he has gone about the ship, knocking down the front doors of reserves whenever he could, treading on toes, receiving snubs like a duck takes water, finding out the mothers who have no servants to look after their children, wheeling perambulators, & getting up the Concert. He’s looking for me now to read me a chapter from his Father’s book on political economy. But what would interest you is this—he is an enthusiast upon Finance & a better teacher even that yourself. He is convinced that he can make me understand the whole Money question if I will give him two solid hours. He is a keen Bryanite {3}. He is frightfully excited over his tenshillings English notes—the first Paper Money actually stamped as legal tender—“the best money going in the world” he says. Well I cant reproduce his arguments or facts, but I simply long to {4} you to be in my place. This Money question is to him what Suffrage is to us or Salvation to “the Army”. He has taken his stool to the street corner night after night, till an audience has grown from a boy & a dog to a crowd blocking the whole square. He is thankful to have me to spend his energy on. In spite of the above description David R Smith is no charmer. He comes a howler in taste again & again—& his compliments make me squirm. Poor Susan has suffered. He asked her to sing “Tipperary” as it needed “a good looking woman”! But the man’s intellect, energy & initiative are overwhelming!

Today the sun shines again, & if we have a good day I can get out my newspaper cuttings & other material & set to work on my American speeches. I’ll put in a little note for yourself & you can send this letter to Mother[,] Mary Neal, Aunt Ellen & friends. My love to them all.

Ever
Emmeline

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The address printed at the head is 87 Clement’s Inn, W.C., but the letter was evidently written on board ship.

{1} Emmeline was aboard the Atlantic Transport liner Minnehaha, which left London on Saturday, 17 October, but her name is not among the passengers who boarded at that port.

{2} Followed by a space, which has been taken to be the equivalent of a paragraph break.

{3} A supporter of the Democratic politician William Jennings Bryan.

{4} A slip for ‘for’.

This description was created by A. C. Green in 2020.