BR TO CONSTANCE MALLESON, [15 JAN. 1919]
BRACERS 19412. ALS. McMaster
Edited by S. Turcon. Reviewed by K. Blackwell

<letterhead>
The Manor House
Garsington
Oxford1^, 2
Wed.3

My Darling

Here I am, comfortably installed: sitting-room on ground floor (late Clive’s),4 bedroom above (late Shove’s)5 — people kind, and everything nice. I have done a good morning’s work,6 and am now just starting the evening’s work after a walk in the rain with O.7 to Cuddesdon to see the Bishop of Oxford,8 fresh back from U.S.A. about which he seems to feel as I do.

I will send a cheque for £1 tomorrow, also the song9 in both versions.

It was angelic of you to write a line to meet me10 — I can’t tell you how it gladdened my heart Beloved —

Unexpected haste because of visitor —

I am very happy — filled with you, every nook and cranny of me — All my love, my dearest Cherub —

B.

• 1

  [document] Document 200402.

• 2

  [envelope] The Lady Constance Malleson | 34 Russell Chambers | Bury Street | W.C.1. Pmk. GARSINGTON | 15 JA | 19 | OXFORD

• 3

  [date] The date is taken from the envelope’s postmark.

• 4

  Clive (Arthur) Clive Bell (1881–1964), art critic and writer. A pacifist, he spent part of the war at Garsington as a farm-worker.

• 5

  Shove Gerald Frank Shove (1887–1947), economist. A pacifist, he edited War and Peace and at times sought refuge at Garsington.

• 6

  I have done a good morning’s work Most likely on his “Analysis of Mind” project.

• 7

  O. Lady Ottoline Morrell, née Cavendish-Bentinck (1873–1938). For information on her, see BRACERS 19077, n.5.

• 8

  Bishop of Oxford Charles Gore (1953–1932), Bishop of Oxford from 1911. He retired in March 1919. He has been called “the most fascinating and influential bishop of the Church of England in the twentieth century” (DNB).

• 9

  the song See BR’s letter of 16 January (BRACERS 19413).

• 10

  write a line to meet me She wrote it while they were still at Lynton together (11 Jan., BRACERS 113161).