Pièce 138 - Letter from R. C. Trevelyan to Caroline Trevelyan

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The Shiffolds, Holmbury St. Mary, Dorking. - Hopes his parents are well; the weather has been quite good here. Paul has been 'much better' recently; thinks it 'must have been teeth'. Will write to his father soon; sends thanks for his last letter. Donald Tovey and his father have been here since Monday, till tomorrow: Tovey's mother 'died rather suddenly on Christmas day', so they got them to visit 'to give his father a change'. His mother had been an invalid for a long time. Donald must have two new quartets ready for his concerts on the 23rd and 27th January, so is working very hard; he finished the first yesterday. Does not have firm plans yet: may go to La Croix for a few weeks to 'get started on some new work'. Bessie seems very well.

It is lucky that Taormina is 'on rocks, and though badly shaken [in the Messina earthquake of Dec 1908] no damage was done'. The Grandmonts seem all right, though 'rather upset': Mrs Grandmont, in her letter the day after, 'talked of going to Messina to help'; they had 'not yet realised how big the disaster was'. Probably the main thing to be done is to 'help the refugees at their arrival at the various towns'.

The postponed meeting about the school at Forest Green is tomorrow.

Dated by Trevelyan as 1908, but reference to the death of Donald Tovey's mother shows this is a mistake for 1909.