BR TO OTTOLINE MORRELL, [27 MAY 1911]
BRACERS 17177. ALS. Morrell papers #102, Texas
Proofread by K. Blackwell et al.

<letterhead>
Trinity College,
Cambridge1 ^, 2
Monday morning

My Darling

I am hoping for a letter from you by the 1.30 post, and I shall keep this open till then. I was much amused by “Elijah”. I think he ought to have departed in a fiery chariot and left his mantle behind him. Burnley must be awful. It is awful that so large a part of the population lives in places like that. And it seems as if the ugliest places produced the best people. The worst people are the people in Cathedral towns. I don’t know what to think about beauty — it seems usually to demoralize people, and yet it is so important.

I don’t make any attempt to un-christianize Hill. For the present I confine myself mainly to politics with him. He has always been a Tory from a theoretic belief in aristocracy, but he is gradually turning into a Liberal. — I don’t think you are not interested in politics, I only mean your interest comes rather through duty, and is not instinctive like your interest in religion or poetry. Crompton, for instance, gets his vision in political things — Henry George is his religion. I don’t think you do, and I know I don’t. I feel a world where political conditions were perfect might be intolerable — I dare say New Zealand is an instance — certainly Australia would be even if its politics were perfect.

Yesterday North and I took a boat and went 10 miles down the river to an inn called “Five Miles from anywhere”. North did most of the rowing (he is very good at sculling), and I enjoyed it hugely. The river is extraordinarily lovely — it runs between willows and flood-banks, through a great flat deserted country, where everything stands still and one feels there is no such thing as time. It has a strange beauty of its own — a large calm and peace which one only gets in flat places. It is not unlike the country round Ravenna — except that there is no Pinata.

In the evening I went to hear Bevan (the Prof. of Arabic) read a paper on Paley’s Evidences. It was very well written, very witty, and as superficial as Paley. This morning I have gone on with writing my popular book and reading Moore’s lectures. I dare say I shall get the popular book finished in July after all. — My last lecture is on Friday — after that I have no engagements and can come anywhere at any time when you are free. I should like to know of a few times when you are certainly not free, so as to pay a few visits. I want to go to the Bob Trevy’s some time, also to my aunt on Hindhead, and perhaps to the Pope Hennessy’s.

I have got over the tendency to gloomy forebodings which I was suffering from — several very long nights of sleep have helped me. I am utterly filled with the longing to see you and to be with you, to feel your lips and to hear your voice. The joy and rest you give me are inexpressible — the rest is almost more wonderful even than the joy. I had always thought before that there could be no rest except death, and wished for death chiefly on that account — but now I find perfect rest in you.

Later. No letter yet, so this must go.

Goodbye Darling, I count the hours till Wed. I long for you my Ottoline.

Your
B.

Notes

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