1929-05-02 English Autobiography; Biography; Journals; Correspondence nonfiction prose masculine 21:18:08, Tuesday 7 August 2007editorialNZETCText-proofing of a sample of the text21:18:08, Tuesday 7 August 2007editorialNZETCConversion to TEI.2-conformat markup21:18:08, Tuesday 7 August 2007editorialNZETCAdding scripted markup21:18:08, Tuesday 7 August 2007editorialNZETCAddition of encodingDesc21:18:08, Tuesday 7 August 2007editorialNZETCAddition of bibls21:18:08, Tuesday 7 August 2007editorialNZETCAssembled all images21:18:08, Tuesday 7 August 2007editorialNZETCCreation of derivative images21:18:08, Tuesday 7 August 2007editorialNZETCValidation of TEI21:18:08, Tuesday 7 August 2007editorialNZETCValidation of names21:18:08, Tuesday 7 August 2007editorialNZETCConversion to Unicode (utf-8)21:18:08, Tuesday 7 August 2007editorialNZETCPromotion to production21:18:08, Tuesday 7 August 2007editorialNZETCAddition of text to access control21:18:08, Tuesday 7 August 2007editorialNZETCHarvest into Topic Map21:18:08, Tuesday 7 August 2007editorialNZETCChecking of text using browser21:18:08, Tuesday 7 August 2007editorialNZETCAddition of text to corpus21:18:08, Tuesday 7 August 2007editorialNZETCAddition of text to Library Catalogue14:47:45, Tuesday 23 September 2008editorialNZETCMake text available on NZETC website 2 May 1929 21 Brunswick Square London W.C.1 My dear Mummy,

I was much obliged by your last letter, cutting about Authur's Pass earthquake, which seems to have a considerable shake-up, Miss Nellie Scanland's daily Express concoction, & gant's adventures in Charing X Road. Dealing with last things first, I may say that I consider Aunt Hannah's action over Joe's books worthy of a divorce — good Lord! if I had a wife & she sold any of my books she'd go out on her neck before she had time to wonder about what was happening to her, & she wouldn't get in again. I never heard of such a blooming outrage, whether the books were out of print or not. Fair dinkum, there's a limit to the liberty of wives. I saw the drawing once in a shop-window in that same Charing X Road, but I am glad to have one for my very own. It's fancy the entire absence of morality women have where books are concerned — well, perhaps I had better say women in general. If Joe had sold a cupboard full of Aunt H's clothes to the Hayvice, thinking she had ample anyhow, I don't suppose Aunt H would have said a word...in fact, it wouldn't be a bad idea if tried it on. Perhaps he has already. Perhaps you had better have the door of my room locked when A H is visiting you — she might get a mania, & I would feel a lot a lot safer if I knew that adequate care was being taken. Memo: when looking for a wife, if ever, ascertain very carefully her position on Book Question. This indeed might be made the Acid Test. I wonder no one has made up a code of rules on this subject before. — As for Miss Nellie Scanland, all you can say is that that is the sort of thing that appeals to the Daily Express — the circulation of which by the way, I believe has now beaten the Daily Mail's, & this realised the great ambition of Beaven Brook's life. — And as for Arthur's Pass, all I can say is that I'm glad it didn't blow up when we were having lunch in a stray railway carriage not far from the station one rainy day in the Xmas holidays of 1925-6.

Now first things last: I was glad to learn that you were getting on so well that the oxygen machine was to be packed up — a pity you can't have a cinema-picture of your- self getting out of your window on to your trolley sent over. Then we could have a private show staring Jane Beaglehole. The difficulty of course would be to get it past Jix or J P O'Connor but I dare say in the case of a purely private film for purely private purposes they would be in- clined to waive the customary cutting which goes on in the interests of British morality. I am sorry to think that you take advantage of your position to give Daddy so much fresh air — poor devil, he might get blown through the wall into the porch some night & wake up cuddling the milk- bottle. The ways in which wives seem able legitimately or rather legally to victimise their husbands do really seem endless. — Well, I must say it seems quite fitting that Keith & Frannie should move to Highland Park at least — the place is full of newly-weds & wedded-a-year-or- so's with a kid apiece — Wives & Martin Smiths & so on, let alone the vast shoal of legal luminaries that park themselves there. The view may be alright, but what a neighbourhood to live in! I suppose Frannie will be taking on bridge & golf next; & poker might be good for Keith's finances, with a bit of practice, if not his morals. I think it was at the Wiren's that I lost 1 1/2d in ha'pennies at that game, the only time I have ever played it. It seems unious that people can't think of some less dreary way of losing their money. — Glad to hear of Mrs Hooper's improve- ment. — I hope you got something out of Lord Sydenham's autobiography — As far as I can make out, his working life seems to have been mainly spent writing letters to the Times & the Morning Post. However I can quite approve of your getting through Well's Outline of History, uphill to the bitter end. You'd better take on the Outline of Science now, which is coming out in fortnightly parts. I noticed there were some very interesting points about whales & mice in the first number, which is the only one I have had an opportunity of seeing so far. As for Dr Bennett's nice Conservatives, yes, I would be quite willing to meet them, Stanley Baldwin seems quite a likeable personality in any- thing where politics are not concerned. But lord, however nice they may be, that doesn't make up for the startling ab- sence of grey matter they seem to display where running the country is concerned. The latest election gag is to plaster all the hoardings in London with immense posters of Baldwin & the simple legend "Safety First"; this apparently is an effort to nerve the country to do something about something — in opposition to Lloyd George, who may be a twister, but at least displays some plan & considerable purpose. He seems the only leader over here with any real guts — I did not charter a taxi to take my thesis to the univ. because it cost 3d, or was it 4d, to get there in the tube, & a taxi would have been about 4/- or 5/-. I've your P. G. Wodehouse quotation about P Smith & Simpson's, no I have never taken Ern there, nor myself. 2/6 may be a very moderate charge to get full up on, but you can do it for 1/1 at our Chink's. — I dont know why Keith & Frannie should complain about F. G. Smith's torrent of talk — they seem to have got pretty good use out of his car. They are really pretty well off if only they knew it. Well, you might give my fond regards to P.G.S. next time you can get in a word edgeways — I believe I owe him a letter or is it my trn turn to write or something, & some day I may do so, if I don't arrive in person first. On the subject of your reading again, it seems from Daddy's letter that you have formed the habit of listening in to church services, & simul- taneously reading secular books. How you can reconcile this with any idea of reverence, however subtly refined, I don't know. It beats me. Even if it was the bible of the Pil- grims Progress you were reading, or Willie's Rest (that's a book I should like to read again, by the way), I don't see how you could be properly respectful to the parson, let alone Him on high. I honestly don't think this ought to be allowed. It's over the edge. You know you wouldn't do it in church; & in the temple of your heart, it seems to me a very equivocal way of coming before the Lord. I don't see that it will do you much good to come up before the thrown with clean hands if your attention keeps on wondering. I dare say now I come to think of it that that was what peeved God about the fallen angels — they were a high-brow type & they got bored with the sort of theology preached in heaven & the church-services & what-not. I dare say they all brought Edgar Wallace & P.G.W. into the back rows with them, & then it was All-Up. See Milton for synopsis of subsequent scenes. — It wouldn't do you any harm to go through Paradise Lost again, anyhow, when you're hard up for something to read — it's about as long as a novel. It's a pity you're not naturally keen on theology, you know — you could take up the early Church fathers, & they would keep you going for a couple of years at least. — I note Daddy's excitement about my visit to Oxford — I hope it all turned out satisfactory for him: but what can you say about a place like that? I hope to go again for a week-end in the summer, if the summer ever comes — here it is May 2nd, & I have the gas on in my room & shiver at that unless I have the window closed tight. I also note the bits about writing the thesis, complaints by Camp- bell, Ernest etc. I must say, now that mine is 3 months behind me, that I think the writing of a thesis is an admirable training for these young fellows in logic & arrangement & expression. I like to go off to the flicks of an afternoon & leave these two & Duncan at it — nothing like it for discipline. I must say that the average Ph.D. student as I meet him nowadays, seems to work with much less vigour & application than we did in my time though.

I think I wrote my last letter from Cambridge, though it seems a good deal longer ago than a fortnight, & on a Thursday morning. Oh yes, after which I wondered forth to take in the bookshops, & found them all closed, together with every other shop, that being Cambridge's half day off, & very annoying it was. Before I go on any farther, let me copy out that tomb-stone inscription I picked up at Harrow, lest I afterwards forget:

It may not be a very pleasing subject, but I'm sure it could not be celebrated in better heroic couplets.

Well, to get back to Cambridge: I thought I might cycle over to Ely that afternoon instead, but rashly offered to help Forbes to shift his stuff from one room where he was working to another — he had been leading a very harassed existence, chased from one room to another, with half his stuff carted over to his new house & the College in the throws of pre-term cleaning. He accepted the offer, so I spent the spare time reading on the backs of Kings, just next-door to Clare. I must send you some postcards of Cambridge some day — I don't think I have already done so, have I? I got another room in Clare last night, although term had officially started, & was privileged to dine in hall at the High Table with a whole cohort of fellows this time & the Master. I'm sure you would have thought I was rising in the world if you had been able to see me. But I seem to have stuck to my ordinary level since. On Friday morning I had a look at Heffer's & Bowes & Bowes, but I could only afford to spend 6/6- or rather that is all I spent, I couldn't afford it anyhow. I got Maurice Hewlett's Last Essays remaindered & a 3/6 cheap edition. Some of the essays are good. I thought I would go to Ely that afternoon; but I found that McG. was back & waited round for him unsuccessfully til it was too late to go, & then went for a general ride round the country instead. There are some very beautiful little villages round that way & dis go in for whitewash & thatch a good deal — some very beautiful country. England entirely does itself proud in the way of trees. I felt a bit oppressed at the idea of another session with the fellows, so I stayed out until after dark & dinner time & spent 1/6 of my own on high tea on an immense lawn just over the road from the church in a village whose name I have quite forgotten. And as Clare seemed pretty full of returned students & I didn't want to get in the way I hopped it to the 4/6 bed & breakfast place Ern stayed in when he was at Cambridge, which was fairly satisfactory — having previously waylaid McG. at his digs. Next day I called on him early & we inspected the house again (my 3rd or 4th time I think); after which & due consultation with the builders, plumbers & painters we picked up his girl from Texas, & Helen Allen who has gone up to Cambridge for a term & had lunch together. It doesn't do to go round with Cambridge people though, the lunch, a very exigious (?) affair, done me in for 3/-. Then we all, & Forbes, went over the house again, very thoroughly, inside & out, & also very hilariously, after which we adjourned for tea to the rooms, very palatial, of a biologist tutor in the new Clare buildings — this was also very hilarious. After this I put my swag on my shoulders & myself on my bike & rode back in the moonlight to Welwyn Garden City; about 3 1/2 hours it took, very pleasant, with the wind behind me, & a lump of chocolate for sustenance. I did the last few miles without a light, as my lamp kept going out for some reason, & met with no hindrance. The next night, going to ride a couple of hundred yards to another house in W.G.C. I ran into, or rather past, a cop in the first 5 yards, & the first & only cop I have ever seen there, who seemed quite pained because I hadn't thought it worth while to light up — the moon was brighter than ever too. It seems that one day you can get away with anything, & the next you can't move an inch — well, not more than 5 yards, anyhow. I came back that night partly to have a ride with Lorrie on Sunday, partly because I had no money left, however L had gone to town, & as I didn't go to bed til very late after a very hot bath I didn't wake til about 2p.m. — which afterwards turned out to be 3, as Daylight Saving started that night. Nevertheless I managed to work in a couple of hours explora- tion in various directions before nightfall; & rode into town next day, reading in the sun on a convenient hillock about 1/3 of the way down for about 4 hours after an early lunch. I got quite sun-burned that day, & couldn't make out why I was coming into town anyhow; but the weather changed very much for the worse the next day, & has been very so-so & confoundedly cold ever since. A cobber of Lorrie's offered to take us to Wales & back for the last week-end in his car; Lorrie wanted to have a last spree before the arrival of his family from N.Z. (including several aunts — why not pack up & do likewise) & he was going anyhow by train, which he had to do in the end, for the car was an Austin, it had to be repaired, there was a strike at the Austin works (these dud workmen!) & no spare part was obtainable in time; after a visit to the Bank, I decided I couldn't afford the railway fair all that way, & so saw off Lorrie on his own. I'm rather sorry now that I didn't damn the expense — time is getting on, & I don't suppose I'll have another chance to climb Snowden & her attendant satellites.