Item 12 - Letter from Laurence Housman to Denis Symons

2 sheets

Longmeadow, Street, Somerset.—Proposes to help pay for the education of his children.

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Transcript

Longmeadow, Street, Somerset
May 14th 1929

My dear Denis

We are sorry to hear of your disappointment over Hampshire: but it might have been a heart-breaking job to work under a set of reactionary or stick-in-the-mud authorities, as I hear these were. Anyway Shrewsbury, Shewsbury, Shroosbury or Shoosbury has its compensations.

This is to tell you that, in a year or so, when education may be beginning to be an anxiety to you, I intend—if my finances hold good—to make a contribution toward the training of your offspring. There is just one proviso which may stand in the way—though I hope not. If your Uncle Basil’s circumstances require brotherly assistance, he will have to be a first charge on what I can afford. But if that does not happen, I hope to be able to let you have £50 a year while your income stays as at present, and when charges for education begin to get burdensome. If you should come into any inheritance of family money to that amount or more, I should feel released. And of course, if my public began to pay as little attention to my writings as many of my relatives do, I should have to tell you of it and attend only to number one. But so long as my income keeps to about what it is now, and yours ditto, that is what you may look forward to. And if you will tell me when a move on in the educational scale is necessary, I will begin to stump up. I don’t know whether Shrewsbury School takes day boys, but I suppose not till the age of 12 or 14. Meanwhile, what will the stages be? And when will they begin?

I don’t know whether Gerald will continue to exercise his charm on me as he grows older—probably not; I expect it’s a mere flash-in-the-pan, due to tender years and lack of knowing better! but I hope he goes on being good and serene.

Our love to you all.

Your affectionate uncle
Laurence.

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Ruled paper.

This description was created by A. C. Green in 2023.