BR TO OTTOLINE MORRELL, [13 OCT. 1911]
BRACERS 17303. ALS. Morrell papers #217, Texas
Proofread by K. Blackwell et al.

<letterhead>
Trinity College,
Cambridge.1^, 2
Friday mg.

My Darling

Today’s letter from you will probably not come till after Maurice Amos has arrived, which is likely to be soon now, so I am writing without waiting for your letter. I have had the proofs of my Aristn. address — I am sendinga a copy (which I don’t want back) by this post; also a paper I wrote last year for the Aristn.,3 which I have just had offprints of. The proofs have kept me busy all the morning till now (12 oclock).

I am interested by the Chinese Rebellion. The Empress Dowager’s life made one feel the Manchus as a set of foreign barbarians oppressing a civilized nation, so I am all for the rebels and hope they will succeed. I expect they would make China advance very much.

P.S.F. work here is despairing. I have not found a soul who will do any work for it, though a good many will undertake to do things. McGegan didn’t begin in time to try and get speakers for the Guildhall meeting I am trying to get up on Nov. 17, and now I don’t know what will happen. It worries and bothers me having to do practical work in the middle of other work — either I forget the arrangements for the practical things, or, if I remember them, I forget about philosophy — the thoughts at odd times, which one’s work really depends on, don’t come into one’s head if one is occupied with practical things. I must try to get rid of the Secretaryship of P.S.F. here, only I can’t find any one to take my place. Formerly, I found a relief in practical things because they were human and brought me into relations with human beings — my own work was too solitary to fill my life. But now that reason for doing practical things has ceased, and they are a mere interruption.

Maurice will probably arrive in a few minutes, so I must post this. It is a wretched scrap — forgive me.

I am more glad than I can say to have your praise of Prisons. Yes I do believe it is good.

Goodbye my Darling. Only a week now. I wish you could get home Thursday next week instead of Friday. I have all Friday free, whereas Saturday and Monday are partly occupied.

I have been interrupted by Mrs Murray, wife of the Master of Selwyn, who wants £2000 for Miss Malecka, who is an intimate friend of hers. For £2000 bail apparently the Russian Govt., will let her out. She doesn’t want to make a public appeal because the Consul (foolishly I think) advised her not to. I promised her £10. Can you give or collect anything? The money may come back or may not. Now I must stop.

Your utterly devoted
B

• 1

  [document] Document 000217. Proofread against a colour scan of the original.

• 2

  [envelope] A circled “217”. The Lady Ottoline Morrell | Hotel des Saints Pères | Rue des Saints Pères | Paris | France. Pmk: CAMBRIDGE | 2.30 PM | OC 13 | 11

• 3

  paper I wrote last year for the Aristn. “Knowledge by Acquaintance and Knowledge by Description” (B&R C11.06; 15 in Papers 6).

Textual Notes

• a

  am sending after deleted enclose