BR TO IRINA STICKLAND, 5 MAR. 1947
BRACERS 57203. ALS. McMaster
Proofread by K. Blackwell

<letterhead>
TRINITY COLLEGE,
CAMBRIDGE.
5 March 1947

My dear Irina

I had not meant to leave your letter unanswered, but now that I have another from you I am spurred to write at once. I don’t feel surprised at your finding Scotland unbearable, but England has been pretty trying during this five weeks’ frost. I have felt all my faculties congealed. This week has been made gloomy for me by having to think about the atom bomb and human folly. But I am glad of the chance to talk about it.

Yes I should expect the Scotch to be more religious than the English. Do you remember when Shelley and Hogg were in Edinburgh, and on Sunday morning their landlady came and said menacingly “the folk are drawing nigh unto the Kirk”.

I am interested in all you say about the twins and glad they are so full of life and talk. Give them my love.

How right you are about chastity. I gave it a good try once, but never again! And I am convinced you ought not to stay too long in Scotland. I don’t know the lines of Beaumont that you speak of, so do send them.

The next time I shall be in Cambridge will be April 23, so it is no use your writing till then.

I am very glad your book gets on so well. And I like “Odour of Mothballs”.1  But if you write Home Life with a Philosopher, by One, the fat will be in the fire.

I got the Grand Panjandrum from the beginning of Maria Edgeworth’s Harry and Lucy. Harry is a serious child who exclaims “gunpowder out of the heels of their boots! What horrible nonsense”. Throughout the rest of the book he asks “Papa, how is glass made?” or some such question.

Goodbye with much love.

B

• 1“Odour of Mothballs” No book of this title was found.