W. GLADYS RINDER TO BR, 3 SEPT. 1918
BRACERS 79631, ALS. McMaster
Proofread by S. Turcon and K. Blackwell

3 Sept. 1918

Dear Bertie,

Thank you very much for your letter, the new way of beginning gave me real pleasure. I’ve disliked the other way for some time. As I was properly brought up I always try to copy a good example, and hope this practical instance will meet with your approval, if not please just say so!! I so much enjoyed seeing you last week, — looking so well too; but coming away is just horrible and then one never says the right things or half as much as there is to say. It will be lovely when you are out. I am much looking forward to next Wednesday. Hope you received the mss. for Dewey and Stout which I sent to the Governor for you on Monday. It contained proofs of both articles and was , I think, to be returned to Carr who sent it me. Saw C. this evening. She is just beginning to see her way to rewrite Wuthering Heights. Waley was given last week — (as you doubtless have heard otherwise! And Peacock in one volume, thin India paper, quite nice, is waiting for you. Bob Trevy said Waley was going to send or give me a new Chinese story for you. Am having tea with E. Sharp tomorrow, she is a thoroughly nice person (by the way, she greatly admires you!!) I like her so much. She is very pleased that you approve of her taste in novels. The four fresh ones were, I think from her — and that reminds me, please don’t hesitate to give me books in cases when I come if it suits you better than C.P. Last weeks were heavy but, no we didn’t hate you! And incidently I laugh now to think what an amusing spectacle we must have been in Parliament Square, Lady O. and I chasing and waving to taxi drivers from opposite islands what time B. Trevy, coat flapping, hat on one side and stooping more than usual with the weight tried to be everywhere at once without any success! It really was most amusing.

Lunched yesterday with Mrs. Rollo Russell, who speaks of you in that hushed tone usually reserved for sacred subjects (it invariably makes me very flippant so after a very short time she is pained!) She sent you her love, and her son very much hopes he will see you before he goes back. She says a “distinguished scientist, Egyptologist and linguist, who you will remember as having met at dinner at her house, name begins with G. but the rest is perforce wrapped in profound mystery — is very anxious to discuss with you the “problem of the relation of language to thought, and the definition of subject, predicate and so forth” directly you come out. She evidently means to carry you off the first evening! I am longing to read Waley, it looks so interesting.

I am having supper with CA at 27 CSt on 10th; — no, CEM will not be there but I wish you could be! We may mention you in the course of the evening. Seriously I shan’t think of repeating what you said about C.A. and have warned Lady O. Thought at time you were too pessimistic. It’s impossible to estimate the effect the removal of the sponge will have, and it is in a nursing home in Edinburgh.

Mother thinks we shall be able to move into the cottage we stayed in at Easter by the 17. We shall be there all the winter, or rather we shall rent it all the winter! A and I each have a week’s holiday to come and if possible we mean to carry CA down there with us, isn’t it a good idea! So as far as I now know all will be well for Oct., I’m so glad you like the idea. — A glow of virtue comes over me when I think of my selfishness in lending it like this — (such a rarely pleasant sensation) as I had always hoped you would have come down with us sometime; we had looked forward to pointing out our favorite beauty spots! Our party was great fun, HW Nevinson was very amusing, told us a story of a patriotic poem of Harold Begbie’s which had this charming refrain. “Hoh, a man can do some trilling when he knows he’s born again.” HWN swears it was not satire but solemn [illegible] in which case it gives one to “think furiously”! Ramsay Mac. was not hurt at all, he told Nev. with glee! that the opposition had much the worst of it “indeed I think one of them was killed.”! Worse than me, isn’t it. So you were interested in Des. and Ref. it interested me very much, but I think the author is mistaken in connecting homosexuality and pacifism so closely. There may be a link, but it is not be to found by clas[s]ing virtues or vices (are there such things!) according to sex and deducing inversion[?] from the fact that a man’s hatred of war is the outcome of a desire not to hurt people, and of being gentle and kind, e.g. feminine according to her point of view. But she is certainly very courageous, I never should have expected such a book would be circulated. The New Age review cut it up v[ery] severely so Cousens wrote a really excellent letter but Orage wouldn’t print it. The two principal people in that book were certainly tortured, I felt that they would never achieve an inward harmony in this life, so there was no way out of their misery unless they had been able to act naturally without feeling self-reproach. Self-reproach may be salutary for a moment but prolonged, I’m sure it poisons one’s whole organization as much as hatred does — perhaps it is a form of self hatred. I was much interested in what you said about E. Bronte. Quite agree that happiness is good for people — it's extraordinarily vitalizing if nothing else, — also that the idea that tortured and starved people produce the best work is morbid, but I’m not quite certain that E.B. was starved. Also I cannot believe, with Miles for instance that the stimulant of happiness in love, — even if only for a very short time — alone produces good work. Happiness of that kind is so rare that if such a view were correct many of us might just as well commit suicide at once. — The gospel of “You will die unless you do find a mate to whisper to” is a very depressing one for outsiders, and makes them so abnormal that it must be most difficult for them to feel in harmony with the world, or what is more important, with themselves. I really am struck by the fact that novelists, poets and social reformers don’t seem to realize how large a number of people there are who are unattractive from that particular point of view. They may be unimportant biologically but they should surely have a jolly world to live in while they are here. As it is because they’ve never had a chance of one of the best things life offers they are told they are dead, and their work of no very great value. — (Oh dear, I’m afraid you’ll be bored, I was just writing on without considering that possibility for which please forgive me. —) Must just say why can’t they be great in spite of being starved or thwarted as you suggest about E.B.

Have not yet seen D. Burns but hope to do so tomorrow and will see that he understands you have not changed etc. and conveys it to Dr. Nunn about N.C.F. Committee, it will be your turn to hate me now but couldn’t you send me a formal note or message which I can simply transport to Dr. Salter. It’s all very well to make those pleasant jokes, but I’m already not very popular, my principles aren’t sufficiently rigid, and if I have to explain your resignation in my words it will put the cap on it as they say. I wouldn’t mind if it would really help you or anyone very much but it wouldn’t I will make clear about your better nature, the sad news of its demise deeply grieves me! — The Committee and certainly Miss Beauchamp are somewhat inclined to think the proposal of internment instead of release is due to my dealings with the Evil One — in plain language, with Ld P., Mrs. H. etc. — I get a little fractious with them, they are so illogical. They won’t see that a cast iron, unbendable principle that only absolute release is a solution is all very well for them but it is not, and naturally cannot ever be the policy of people like Mrs. H’s whose actions are chiefly inspired by quite another motive e.g. that the men don’t matter v[ery] much in comparison with suffering all round, but that the slur the present persecution casts on “the fair name of England” must be removed. For those who hold this point of view, — and they are our only weighty supporters — real concessions to a great extent meet the point. I do try to be tolerant but it’s very difficult, with madness, illness and desperation, so great that absolutists give completely in, on one side, and fanaticism on the other. — Internment rumour appears to be wrong, it will probably be imprisonment in one place under rather special conditions. — I do hope leaving Committee doesn’t mean you won’t ever help me with advice, it’s badly needed, I’ll try not to be a nuisance but it would be such a comfort to talk to someone who understood. Sometimes I think it’s all so hopeless I shall try something else, but that’s probably mere depression partly due to no holiday and things in general.

No more news Carr or Murray until after Friday. Sorry.

We must somehow keep you from any further imprisonment, there are so many people who won’t take the trouble to look where they are going that those with vision become even more valuable, we shall need you badly. — Now you’ve had enough boring and serious things I am going to frivol[?]. —I am at this moment attired in a most gorgeous tea gown, purchased in order to help me to keep my head above water at Garsington. I intended to be very good and humble but A. and Olive forced!! me into sin in the shape of purple and gold brocade which they say gives them such pleasure and A. said he’d pay half. There are moments when all my Socialist principles take wings to themselves and I yearn for purple and fine linen and everything just right all round and hosts of people to do all the work; this is one of them! It’s doubtless reprehensible, but oh, so pleasant! Olive thinks I might look quite decent if only I’d buy up a complete chemist’s stock of cosmetics and almost all Debenham and Freebody’s garments! Hopeful, isn’t it. And so easily paid for! — However I am not in debt so can feel I am all my own!

Best of good wishes, it’s very nice to you to say so much about my kindness and adds inches to my stature but you really needn’t!

Yours ever
Gladys.

CA (Clifford Allen); CEM (Catherine Marshall); E.B. (Emily Bronte); Lord P. (Lord Parmoor). A. may refer to Alfred Salter.