BR TO CONSTANCE MALLESON, 18 MAY 1917
BRACERS 19167. ALS. McMaster
Edited by S. Turcon. Reviewed by K. Blackwell

<London>
18 May 1917.1

My Beloved

Thank you for your dear letter2 this morning. I was quite inexpressibly happy yesterday evening, and the joy of it has remained with me undiminished — even all through a visitation from C.E.M.!3 — My dear one, you need not doubt yourself — you are capable of all heights. The better I know you, the more I realize your latent powers — they will all show themselves more and more as time goes on. The world is before you — I want to help you to know its heights and depths — and myself to know them with you.

This is written with the pen I have chosen.4 I am returning the others. This pen is delicious. I shall bless you for it all the many hours of every day that I spend writing.

Keep Monday or Tuesday morning or afternoon for shopping. Very glad to hear you have got £100. Be good, and spend it on debts!

Very busy — Nat. Com.5 just going to begin. All my heart goes out to you my Darling in joy for all you are and all you give me.

B.

• 1

  [document] Document 200143.

• 2

  your dear letter Her letter written in the early morning of 18 May 1917 (BRACERS 113022), wishing him a happy birthday.

• 3

  C.E.M. Catherine Marshall (1880–1961). For further information on her, see BRACERS 19043, n.5.

• 4

  pen I have chosen On 4 May Colette wrote that she wanted to give him a new fountain pen “which would be with you nearly all the time”. She was going to have a selection sent to him so he could chose the one the liked best. She also thought this a dull gift and wanted to give him an additional more exciting gift for his birthday (BRACERS 113018).

• 5

  Nat. Com. National Committee of the No-Conscription Fellowship.