BR TO OTTOLINE MORRELL, 30 SEPT. 1911
BRACERS 17283. ALS. Morrell papers #201, Texas
Proofread by K. Blackwell et al.

In train to Cambridge
<letterhead>
Ipsden,
Wallingford.1^, 2
Sat. Sp. 30. 1911

My Darling

Your letter of Tuesday and Wed. was forwarded from Cambridge and only reached me this morning. I hope now the baths are over you will get the good of them and no longer feel so tired. Also I hope you will manage to get rest when you need it. Thank you very much for letting me see the letter about Mother Julian, which I am returning. I am very glad to have seen it.

I am doubtful whether you will get this in Vienna, but I will risk it. I bade farewell to my uncle and aunt without regret. My Aunt was asking if Montagu Butler our Master was still alive, and remarking that he must be very old as he was Head Master at Harrow in her brother’s time. I replied that he was so in my father’s time — at least 20 years sooner. But this made no impression, and she repeated, as the more remarkable fact, that he was there in her brother’s time. This is typical of her self-absorption. — My uncle’s son Arthur is in Crompton’s office, meaning to be a solicitor. He tried for Civil Service but was not good enough; at Balliol he did history and got a 2nd. I have tried to be kind to him but I can’t like him. He is weak, and weakly excitable; very shy, no will or power of decision. But I think he is amiable and very affectionate.

I can well believe that what Anrep says of the effect of Dostojewsky. He makes me feel insane. He does the sort of epileptic psychology so well, in which ideas germinate underground and suddenly come to light. For me, he is unwholesome reading because of his intimacy with that sort of thing; and I should think anybody at all ill-balanced might be very much upset by him. But I also agree with what you feel in his praise.

My Aristn. Paper is October 30; Bergson will be there, and I shall meet him at dinner on Oct. 28. He writes that he is much interested in my subject but does not expect to agree with me. I think I must add some paragraphs for him. His view is that the raw material is a continuous flux to which no concepts are exactly applicable. I might suggest that the continuous flux is a philosophic construction, not “raw” at all.

I am amused by the account of your packing and distressed about the specks. I hope the loss of them won’t be a great inconvenience. I hope you used the Manager as a corpus vile for the exercise of universal love! Do tell me whether you finally paid for the speck on the sofa. He is a wretch!

Yes it seems years since I was at Trinity. Such an incredible amount has happened since. I have now no feeling of instability in our relations. Until near the end of the term at Peppard, I felt that if P. or Julian were very ill, or even possibly if you had a bad illness, it might put an end to things. Now I don’t feel that. There is the tie of great work which we can accomplish together, not separately. That, I feel, will stand all the shocks that are likely to come. That feeling makes it much easier to devote myself to technical work, because I do not feel hurried. There is a great future before us in the way of work as in other ways, and it is very inspiring. — I am so glad you like my letters. Now I must stop. Goodbye Darling. All my love goes out to you.

Yr.
B.

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