BR TO CONSTANCE MALLESON, 14 NOV. 1917
BRACERS 19244. ALS. McMaster
Edited by S. Turcon. Reviewed by K. Blackwell

<London>
14 Nov. ’171

My Darling

Thank you for your letter. Things are all right in my mind now.

Mrs E2 behaved like a saint from heaven. She put away her own pain and set to work to make me less unhappy — and she succeeded.

I realize that I must pull myself together and get my will more firm. I have grown lazy and self-indulgent. And I looked to you to do things for me which one has to do for oneself. That is why I have grown so grasping. I must alter all that — It will be difficult and slow, but unless I succeed I shall never do any more good work.

It is not till next Tuesday that I am dining with Helen Dudley3 but I will see her sooner about moving the things.4 Remind me about it tomorrow.

There was a police raid at the office5 this morning — I was there when they came — I don’t know what they were looking for. Also this afternoon there is a Parmoor motion on C.O’s in the Lords.6 So I ought to go to the office for a short time tomorrow morning. Can you start from Waterloo at 11.26?  If so we will go to Windsor and walk to Virginia Water. It is not so nice as some walks but it will be a change.

Unless I hear from you to the contrary, I shall look for you at Waterloo 11.26 — will you book to Windsor and we will meet in the train — then I can come at the last minute.

I am not cross any longer — I hate to have been so horrid. We can get a train back from Virg. Water at 6.29, and dine in London. It will be lovely to have a day of country walking with you Dearest — Goodbye till then my loved one.

B.

• 1

  [document] Document 200232.

• 2

  Mrs E Vivienne Eliot (1888–1947), the wife of poet T.S. Eliot. For further information on her, see BRACERS 19062, n.5.

• 3

  Helen Dudley An American from Chicago, whom BR had been involved with during his 1914 trip to the United States. She followed him back to London, was rebuffed by BR, and ending up renting his Bury Street flat.

• 4

  moving the things BR wanted some “spare bits of furniture” that were in his flat (letter from Colette, 20 Nov. 1917, BRACERS 113093).

• 5

  at the office The No-Conscription Fellowship office. See “Police Raid on Head Office”, The Tribunal, no. 84 (22 Nov. 1917): 2. Several other organizations were raided. The detectives took away “a large number of papers” from the NCF office.

• 6

  Parmoor motion on C.O’s in the Lords Charles Alfred Cripps (1852–1941) was created first Baron Parmoor in 1914; he was a strong defender of the rights of conscientious objectors. The motion he put forth on 14 November called on the government to set up a court or commission to consider the cases of C.O.s subject to successive prison terms. See C.E. Marshall, “Debate on Conscientious Objectors in the House of Lords on November 14th, 1917; Peers and Prisoners”, The Tribunal, no. 85 (29 Nov. 1917): 3.