We have had rather a sad Christmas, only George and myself here, but
Lady Jarvis has been too kind for words, and quite splendid with George.
She has heard regularly from Mrs Housman and she thinks she will go out
to Florence in January if she can.
Godfrey is staying with his uncle. Lady Jarvis says that Miss Sarah
Housman makes terrible scenes about Mrs Fairburn, so much so that Sarah
and he are no longer on speaking terms. I go back to London just after
the New Year, so does George. The Christmas present was a great success.
Lady Jarvis gave me a lovely table for my flat.
Yrs.
G.
_From the Diary of Godfrey Mellor_
_Monday, January_ 2_nd_, 1911.
Received a small Dante bound in white vellum from Mrs Housman. It had
been delayed in the post.
_Tuesday, January_ 3_rd_.
Cunninghame came to the office to-day. A. also.
_Tuesday, April_ 12_th._
Riley is spending Easter in London. He wishes to attend the Holy Week
services. He is staying with me.
_Wednesday, April_ 13_th_.
Sat up with Riley, talking. I told him about Hope having said that he
considered that to become an R.C. was to sin against the light. Riley
said that Hope might very likely end by committing suicide, as views
such as he held led to despair. He said: "If the Catholic religion is
like what Hope and you think it to be, it must be inconceivable that
anyone whose character and whose intelligence you respect could belong
to such a Church, but, granting you do, does it not occur to you that it
is just possible the Catholic religion may be unlike what you think it
is, may indeed be something quite different?"
I said that I did not at all share Hope's views. Indeed I did not know
what they were. I said that I agreed with him that when one got to know
R.C.'s one found they were quite different from what they were supposed
to be, and I was quite ready to believe this applied to their beliefs
also.
I said something about the complication of the Catholic system, which
was difficult to reconcile with the simplicity of the early Church. He
said the services of the early Church were longer and more complicated
than they were now. The services of the Eastern Church were more
complicated than those of the Western Church, and to this day in the
Coptic Church it took eight hours to say Mass. The Church was
complicated when described, but simple when experienced.
_Saturday, April_ 16_th._
Went with Riley to the ceremony of the Blessing of the Font at
Westminster Cathedral. Riley said he was sorry for people who had to go
to Maeterlinck for symbolism.
Received a postcard from Florence. Housman did not go out after all.
_Monday, May_ 1_st_.
Cunninghame told us that Housman is laid up with pneumonia.
_Thursday, May_ 4_th._
Housman is worse, and Mrs Housman has been telegraphed for. He is laid
up at Hendon. They don't think he will recover.
_Friday, May_ 5_th._
Mrs Housman arrived last night. Housman is about the same.
_Monday, May_ 8_th._
Had luncheon with Lady Jarvis yesterday. She says that Housman was a
shade better yesterday. He may recover, but it is thought very doubtful.
Mrs Housman has been up day and night nursing him.
_Wednesday, May_ 10_th_.
Housman has taken a turn for the better, but he is not yet out of
danger.
_Saturday, May_ 13_th._
The doctors say Housman is out of danger.
_Monday, May_ 15_th._
Cunninghame says Housman will recover. He has been very bad indeed. The
doctors say that it is entirely due to Mrs Housmans nursing that he has
pulled through.
_Saturday, May_ 20_th._
Went to see Mrs Housman at Hendon. I was allowed to see Housman for a
few minutes. He likes visitors. Mrs Housman looked tired. Cunninghame
says that Housman has a weak heart. That was the danger.
_Saturday, June_ 10_th._
The Housmans have gone to Brighton for a fortnight.
_Letters from Guy Cunninghame to Mrs Caryl_
LONDON,
_Monday, May_ 22_nd_.