BR TO CONSTANCE MALLESON, [5 OCT. 1916?]
BRACERS 19052. ALS. McMaster
Edited by S. Turcon. Reviewed by K. Blackwell

<letterhead>
57 Gordon Square
W.C.1 ^, 2

My dear dear Love —

Your letter was divine — I can’t tell you the comfort and joy it gave me to feel your love around me — I love you, my Beloved. It is a joy to owe things to you — to feel how much you give. It was a wonderful happiness being with you that little moment and seeing the river dancing with delight. I got troubled about the world, and the N.C.F.3 — but one must leave something to Providence. The result of seeing you and getting your letter was that I wrote an article for the Tribunal4 which I hope may do some little good. I enclose it because it was so directly inspired by you — but I shall have to have it back tomorrow morning so don’t bother to read it — only I feel it belongs to you. I like you not to like possessions — only it is difficult not to want to give you things. No doubt it is more blessed to give than to receive but some one must receive if some one gives. — But I will give you all the more spiritual gifts, which won’t be at other people’s expense. My dear one, my dear one, I love you almost more when the world troubles me than when I feel triumphant — I long just to rest in your love — to drink deep draughts of peace — and to feel my spirit grow under your divine power of giving. Goodnight my Beloved — I want to feel your hand on my hair. I love you very very deeply.

B.

• 1

  [document] Document 200017. There is also a typed copy, document 201111, numbered “10” which has been crossed out with “11” written beside it.

• 2

  [date] Dated 5 October 1916 by Colette, “probably Afternoon — on getting my ‘2.30’ pm letter.”

• 3

  N.C.F. No-Conscription Fellowship.

• 4

  article for the Tribunal “What We Stand For”, The Tribunal, no. 30 (12 Oct. 1916): 1; 73 in Papers 13. BR preached: “Let us never forget … that the first test of our beliefs is our way of dealing with our own internal questions” (Papers 13: 471).