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Contrary to expectations I write again from
the Johnsons' where I am staying for a final weekend. After
being on the point of buzzing off both last Thursday & this
morning which is Saturday. On Thursday I was only kept
by the united persuasions of the entire Johnson family & the
neighbours next door & over the way, & this morning by
the discovery that an excursion train which I intended
to catch at 9/6 & so save 14/- was not running till
next Saturday; on which they all said oh well, stay
the weekend now. So I thought, well, I suppose I can
write home as well here as from
meals into the bargain, which may be worth one of
again. A bit peeved about the train, let me tell
you — the ordinary 3rd class fare to
single; this excursion in 9/6 return, with two meals
14/6; & a non-stop express run. The boy's sorrow is
easy to realise; especially as he had just bid the most
affecting farewell to the
professions of regard, admiration & attachment on both
sides. "Let me know if I can do anything for you" says
he. "God (the existence of whom as a volitional entity
may or may not be a matter for problematical discussion)
bless you for your paternal care" says I; & so I rushed
She designs fabrics, & as I understand
to her I daresay he will give you any further
tion
Johnson
final. As a matter of fact, I my own opinion is that
I am a very useful feller to have about the house, as
she & the a cloud of preparations for
the departure of the latter & the domestic conversation
is mostly on the iniquities of the
who made all the frocks too long, exactly how
many trunks make up 20 cubic feet, blankets, sheets,
afternoon tea-cloths, & the relative prices of gloves in
so that the presence of a quiet & masterful cove who
carries on with clearing the table & drying the dishes &
giving backchat to
help, let alone the more casual jobs he does in the way
of repairing chairs & tables & cleaning father's boots.
I met a girl from
Guilds', who was going off at a considerable rate at the
helplessness of the Englishmen; & fair dinkum, if he's a fair
example, they must be a trying lot to live with. At this
point, as one of the things at which I really excel is a
al
prefer to sit down in front of the fire in one of the
big chairs at home & orate with a gently waving hand,
fades. While a liberal cove in theology generally, on
marriage & divorce etc, he takes up the
which he reckons he can justify on strictly rational
grounds; & as he gave a series of sermons on the subject
once I borrowed them of him yesterday & read them; what
he calls 'a frantic & ruthless grappling with fundamentals';
however by the time I had finished them I was pretty
well spitting blood — I never read such bunk as
50% of it in my life. The rest was just generalities.
The funny thing about it is that though he refuses to
cuss
in birth-control which is the abomination of desolation
to him. So apparently he doesn't cut much ice, although
he reckons that his arguments are absolutely
ablethe you that in politics he is a Christian Imperialist?
which I gather is a patent faith of his own: I asked him
if the two things were entirely compatible, but he
didn't have any doubts on the point. The other main
plank in his platform is that if
a Labour
only thing one can do in a case of this kind of course is
to make deprecating but consolatory noises in one's
throat. He generally asks visitors to the house now, with
a meaning look at me, what they think of the state & future
of
these things I treasure up in my mind. He really I
gather has a great regard for me, but the trouble with me
is, that I'm going through a sceptical period — what I want
is some great faith to give coherence & point & consistency
to my views & my expression of them, particularly in verse.
Look at
he wanted to say & said it, & look a his view of the
universe — wonderful — marvellous!. Well that's what I
need. To all of which I say yes in a non-committal
way: This was at a tête-à-tête review of my verse, some
of which he regards as showing a certain promise;
after which he showed me & presented me with, a
good deal of his, none of which I regard as showing
any promise at all; but I didn't feel equal to giving
him any advice on his view philosophy of life. Anyhow
he is quite satisfied with it, so why worry? As I
marked
the neck of
pockets full of the Wayside Pulpit series, a three act
play of about the standard of
his inimitable blank verse & other literary treasures.
I see that in Who's Who he doesn't describe himself as a
parson but as "author & literary man" or words to
that effect. So that's that.
By the way they were all very lucked here to get
look. Such a nice letter from
of course I read in my turn & said oh yes, not so
bad, not so bad, in the manner of one who knew.
Johnson
good letters, so love has apparently developed
great deal.
tion
& proceeded to read same out to me with great satisfaction,
not to say unction. So I agreed it was very kind & thoughtful
& nice of the Beaglehole family, & thought how a little
oil d occasionally does make the engines go smoothly.
I gather that he is really pretty cracked where
concerned. I wonder that
when she is prying cash out of him for her married
life. There was a great scene yesterday when the grand
assault took place,
that after considerable argument, putting of plain
ment
study caved in & signed a comprehensive cheque for the
required amount; which was a very creditable affair
for all concerned. However on these occasions I
generally buzz out into the kitchen & make myself
useful with the washing up &
9/1/27 Sunday morning. I meant to go to church this
I thought I should be able to do a lot of reading these
holidays, but studying the bourgeoisie takes up all one's time.
I read
land
dinarily
again both. Very rocky on imperial problems and the
ions
& indeed anybody could have written it who had a fair
amount of general reading &
of reading (& managing to sidestep
the stuff
number of parties & yapped to a fearful number of people;
even going so far under moral compulsion to learn
whist; at which on one occasion I won the booby prize.
The suppers are have been generally good though; but of course
working at such high pressure one really can't appreciate them
individually. I have got to know some interesting people
over the road, bosom friends of the
a much more intelligent family generally than this one, with
an interesting son-in-law & family staying with them at present;
a schoolmaster — maths his subject — member of
Research Society
other night, but the spooks didn't turn up, & finally
with the heat in the room one of the lasses fainted, so
the meeting adjourned. This country would suit
they close the doors & the windows & all sit round the
Same in a railway carriage — & if you open a window
you'd think you had committed the sin against the
Holy Ghost. These people arranged a tramp last Sunday,
we went into
but very interesting in a way, & hills. Old villages, the
sort that grow out of the country, the
I suppose. a Romantic Ruin — but everything commercialised —
weighing machines, slot machines for chocolate & cigarettes by
the side of the purling stream, large notices up all over
the place — this way to the bluejohn cave, or some other cave,
or barbed-wire gates, not open on Sundays, pay on weekdays.
What a country! They had a meeting a while ago at the
over the country, harangued by
on the Access to
over a certain height. A delightfully free country. But I like
though there were really too many — it made a crowd on the
hills, most of them in shorts & girls in riding strides, as
rough as
were talking of going out again today, but the weather hasn't
been too good, & they say it is dangerous, or muddy, or
fortable
3 ½
ered & hear these two enthusiastic
come to an end & primeval chaos intervened. Whenever we see each other now we yell Hello tiger! & roar or
purr loudly, whatever a tiger does, so that there is great
amity & agreement in the jungle. Such are the excitements
of a tiger's life. It was in this family too that I came a
bit of a crash. Discussing with them & the Johnsons the
pictures we came to
Heaven's Sake
hadn't been, how about buzzing along with me tomorrow
night? And then recollected too late that it is the custom
in this infernal country for the gent to pay for the lady, even
to the tramfares. However I made her walk home. A
rotten custom — I shall have to explain in future as a
inary
full facts of the case before them, favoured ones can take
it or leave it. Otherwise it would put a man off the
ite
in
with the youngest lad of the
Wonderful Lamp
packed full of kids, who received paternal advice from the
manager at the end about looking carefully before they
crossed the road. Which they all said in chorus they
do. ,
3d. He is the brightest of the Johnson males, a cheerful,
pugnacious young feller, who sticks up for his elder brother
acter
Not his fault perhaps, as everybody is thoroughly spoilt &
lowed
would give you a vicarious pain, & their remarks on
the food tentatively placed before them at dinner remind
me of the Osbournes ". A good
head seems to be the remedy indicated, but there doesn't seem
any possibility of its application.
I went to see the Guilds the other night, a cheerful
couple,
young days as a bride — fair dinkum, nobody else got much
of a look in when it came to conversation. She reckoned
mon
philosophical sort of a bloke. They were good enough to
provide me with lots of nuts, so I had a good chew
for once. However as I think I have remarked before, I
shall be glad to get back to my
the whole, & our ascetic supper of milk & nuts. Also I
bowled along to see old
spec that he would be home & put in about 10 hours with
him. He seems to be doing pretty well, at a place called
Stand, a few miles outside
other's necks & he gave me lunch & tea & much conversation,
& music. Fair dinkum, he hasn't got a bad job. Bachelor,
with a big organisation to run, a parsonage, a new
He has the best bathroom I have met in this country, the
size of an ordinary room, with a gas fire, & a shower. He has two or three of the rooms for himself & lets a woman
with grown-up family have the rest, who does his work
for him for a bit of cash extra, so everybody is pleased.
He seems pretty keen on music, & we even got on to
duets together. His church is pretty small, but with a
big gallery & all packed close with seats — he says it holds
400; or can it be 200? It is a pretty old place — about 200
He has a big Sunday school building with all sorts of attendant
organisations — scouts, hockey & football & badminton clubs &
girl guides & dramatic society (& a flash stape & patent scenery
for it) & so on & so forth. Any club that wants a rook for
a meeting has to book it weeks ahead. They have just
bought a big piece of ground for levelling up & down for a
playing field, so everything seems pretty healthy & lovely in
that garden. His church certainly seems more of a
ity
more attractive sort of a cove than
a singularly high opinion of
had a good yap about tramping, & he invited me to do some
with him in the Lake district at Easter, so if all
goes well the merry springtime will find us buzzing
around in the footsteps of
haven't fixed anything final yet. I must say I never
met a parson more like a human being than this cove; &
a broadminded all round, with none of the peculiar
kinks or the professedly omniscient knowledge of
Other places I have been to are the
Library
the building itself; they had an exhibition of early paintings
& a few private presses which was most interesting, & everything
is very swish & flash; the
at one night, & mainly to see the Library — they have so
many books that they are overflowing all over the place &
are digging out a big subterranean stack-room; & they had
about as much many much stuff on history as we have in
the whole of our library. I feel a trifle embarrassed in all
these joints, as
as Mr
especially since the 31st
put in for my superannuation soon.
11/1/27 Back in
I got your letter of
a terrible lot of gadding about together; however as it speaks well
glad to see that
the reading line — though of course if you go through
speare
him well beat. In the matter of food;
have been pumping a terrible you full of weird ideas about
plan. I think you know all about our system by now, so
I needn't it elaborate the point again. I should like to
read
bob in an eating-joint? If so, I have yet to strike the
joint. outside Our dinner costs us 1/2 - 1/6; breakfast &
tea about 6d on the average, sometimes less. I dare say I
could cut it down a good deal if I had a gas range to
erate
be a consideration then. —
liability whatsoever towards his erstwhile landlady. We were
very careful both with her wallpaper & her carpet, such as
it was. — I fail to see the point of your reference to my coming
round to your way of thinking about
& your jeer at the moderns. All I ever pleaded for was
fair play & a chance to hear the moderns; but your attitude
to them was one of complete & devastating intolerance. Anyhow
give me
last & will thank personally in due course; in the
meantime you might put in a word for me, as to
Ada