Letters to Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott from various family members, September 1913 - September 1930 - Part 20

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of character as a rule - it takes me a
long time to, as you say, "size up" a new
person - But sometimes I do take a violent
and unreasonable dislike, wh I invariably
find justified on further acquaintance.
If, however, I can sit as a nonentity and
hear a person talking to someone else for
half an hour or so, I can make a good shot
at what they are like. To-day is the
coldest day we have had and I have
been shivering most of the day- The cuckoo
isn't due here for some weeks yet. I am
wondering if the threatened Strike will
come off this week - if it does the Germans
will probably pluck up courage to refuse
the Peace terms. And what will happen
then? I am so glad you like Emerson - I
was first introduced to them ^(the Essays) at Hamble
when I was about 12 and was much
taken with them - they gave me something
to bite on. I remember being frightfully pleased
with the suggestion that the ^idea of pillars and vaulting
of cathedrals &c were taken from the trees in
a 'forest aisle' and the stained glass windows
from the sunset seen through interlacing boughs.
I have not read any of Emerson's prose for about 

ten years, but I remember liking the "Heroism"
essay immensely - I always think he is not
x v. suitable for a v. young or very matter-of-fact
person to read. He is so fond of
epigram that he frequently over-states in
order to give special point to his epigrams;
and that ^the matter of fact sort of person is apt to take
miss what he really means by losing
the spirit in the letter. I looked up the
Napoleon's saying about History in a book of
quotations to see wh was correct, and
"fable" has it. It is pretty often quoted in
different forms. I have 2 vols. of Emerson
in the house and feel incited to go through
a course of him now you have recalled him
to me. I hope you are striving hard against
your dis spirited mood - the end of your letter
reminded me of a poem of George Herbert's describing
his toilsome journey up "the hill where lay
my heart" - "A lake of brackish waters on the ground
was all I found."
I am quite sure yours is not the nature
to sit down and despair, and that
you will achieve success - "Possunt quia
posse videntur". And what are difficulties
for but to be overcome? It must be
disappointing to have to start over again
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great many slates blown off. I
was rather sorry however to lose one
of the largest ^fir trees in the garden -
our at the bottom of the lawn. It
is only about 25 years old but had
grown tremendously the last 2 or 3
years & will make a good wind gap.
Nurse & I took a walk along the
lawn yesterday and saw nearly a
a dozen large Elms that had
fallen. There have been some terrible
wrecks in the Channel. I was
thankful that Alec, my youngest
brother, who was on his way home
from India, came overland so missed
being in the Way on Friday. Anne
went to London to meet him & says
he looks pretty well. He had a bout
of Dengue fever some months ago,
and then had a v. bad attack
of congestion of the liver when touring
in the Madras Presidency, and had
to go to a Nursing Home in Madras.
He has been ordered to take a year's
leave, wh I hope will set him up
again. He has only had 4½ months 

[*Today they should impute their own lone motives to us is,

perhaps natural tho -

It must be difficult

for them to

realise that there

once is such a

thing as sincerity

I must end - I

hope yr mother &

brothers & sisters

are all flourishing.

Very best of good

wishes to you all

from
V affecate Cousin
Martha*]
Nov. 19^th
Dear Cousin Harold,
Christmas still seems a long
way ahead but the papers say that
this week's mail is the right one for
greetings to Australia; so this is to
wish you & Cousin Katie and the
children as v. happy Christmas & New
Year- Many thanks for the paper.
I was v. interested in the account
of the 3^rd Divn Ball, wh must have
been delightful & a v. pretty sight.
In my youth I always thought
that Naval & Military Balls were
much more attractive than ordinary
dances, because of the uniforms.
I specially remember one or two given
by the Seaforth Highlanders when they
were quartered in the I. of wight. I
suppose Violet is too young to attend 

these functions as yet. You must
be having a hectic time in Australia
over the Elections. I think you don't
have to stand for re-election this time
do you? I hope not anyway - it seems
to mean an immense amount of
trouble & exertion. I see that Mr
Bruce is well ahead so far, so
hope the existing Govt will come in
again. We shall be in the thick of 
it next year - I fear it is v. doubtful
if the Unionists get in again. For one
thing lots of thoughtless people like a
change and to see what the Labour
Party would do if it were in power
again. Then there is the enormous
addition to the Women's Vote, the
effect of wh no-one can fore-see.
Worst of all is the fact that the
Socialists are so much keener, &
better organisers than the Unionists
and quite unscrupulous as to methods
& false promises &c. Nurse says she
doesn't 'hold with voting' - I am not
going to urge her to ^vote as she always
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says the is a Radical! I am hoping
that Emily Edwards is coming on
Wednesday for a visit. She has been
promising to come for weeks, but had
to keep on putting it off for various
reasons. Lloyd is having Electric light
put in at the Hall and a good
deal of re-decoration done, so the
whole house has been upside down,
and is not in order yet - Patty
Whitworth and her husband have
lately descended to the Hall from
the Town, where they spent most of the
autumn, so can look after things
and Lloyd while Emily is here. I
wish she had come earlier - it
was delightfully mild and almost
spring-like at the beginning of the
month: now we are having howling
gales and it is cold at times.
The wind is fairly violent to-day, but
last Friday we had quite the worst
gale within my memory - Fortunately
this house doesn't seem to have
suffered at all, tho' one a short distance
away had all the lead and a 

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empty their pockets of the thrifty and
scatter their savings as largesse among
the idle and thriftless. It is rather
sickening altogether - They are quite complacent 

about the enormous rise in
the numbers of the unemployed and put
it down to anything but their own idiotic
policy. I fear there will be a great deal
of distress this winter. I am so

glad that you made Mrs Halcomb's
acquaintance, and we were v. much
interested to hear about you all from
her and about the drive you took
her. We are all so fond of her and rather
nervous lest she should decide to stay
in Australia - She was there so long and
has so many friends there that it wd not
be unnatural if she did. I forgot to say
when talking about Anne that she is fairly
well now and contemplating going for a
voyage in the Mediterranean for 26 days,
starting in the middle of October - My
sister Caroline, who lives near Oxford, has
been ill lately- the result partly of worry
the doctor says and partly of underfeeding
herself- she still has a nurse, but when 

we last heard she was better and able to
go out in the garden. She has an objectionable
neighbour who has been trying to prevent
her from laying pipes for an efficient water
-supply from a field with springs in it, wh
Alec bought & gave to her for that purpose.
I believe he is bringing a law-suit against
her; but I have never discove^red what grounds
he has (or says he has) for disputing her
rights. I hope her lawyer is a clever one.
Patty Whitworth is home (otter-hunting at
the moment) and looks v. well and
blooming. Her husband is doing work
in London just at present, and comes
down for week-ends. Nurse writes that
she is well - she must be having a nice
quiet time while I am away. Kitty
left me in February. I regret to say she has
been both uppish and lazy the last
year or two, so though she had many
good points I was not entirely sorry when
she gave notice - I made no effort to keep
her & handed her on to Anne who was
in want of a maid. I soon secured
another maid who doesn't irritate
Nurse & (so far) works v. well. I
hope Cousin Katie and the children (I
suppose we must leave off calling them that soon)
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I hope Australia will have a
better time this year, as regards
Labour conditions.
The continual strikes are terrible.
I hope the Industrial Peace
Conference at Canberra in Jan;
may have a good effect.
I had Emily Edwards here for a
week at the end of November.
We had abominable weather
and Miss Ottaway, got a chill
and was laid up- so E. & I
did not manage to do anything
we had intended doing together.
Miss O. is nearly 82 so we were
anxious about her, but she is
fairly well now. Patty Whitworth
and her husband are staying
at the Hall, but intended to look
round for a residence of their
own soon. Martha Hamersley &
2 of her children are going to the
Hall to-day for a visit - Patty
[*We are still anxious about the King. It would be sad to lose him.*] 

loves children and will enjoy their
being there. It is sad that she
had none of her own. Martin
Whitworth has been trying for a
job to fill up the times when
he has not to be in Cyprus, but
has had no luck so far.
My younger sisters have been
very unfortunate lately. Caroline
fell after running downstairs
and broke her her wrist. Maude had a
fall, when walking along the
road after dark, and dislocated
her elbow; and Anne got Mumps
and won't be out of quarantine
for nearly a week, so is missing
Xmas festivities. My youngest
brother, Alec, has had to take
a year's sick leave from India.
He is quite well & sound again
but says her feels rather slack
at present and is enjoying a
real lazy time at Bryn Howel. 

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other day - at Camberley - but does
not take possession till next month.
At present he & my sister-in-law
are at Trevor Hall. I was to have
gone there for part of the time Emily
was away, (to take ^care of Lloyd!)- But
Miss Ottaway, the our old governess who
lives with me got ill, so I could
not leave her. She is better, but
the doctor says she will never
be so strong again. This is not to be
wondered at, as she is nearly 80.
Poor Coster & Lily have had to give
up their grand-child to the father.
It was a terrible grief to them
both, But Lily seems v. brave about
it and is resigning herself to the
inevitable, and is, I hear, really
better now that the blow has really
fallen. Surprise is more trying than
anything, I am sure. My sister
Anne and Beatrice Barker are
abroad for a few weeks. Anne had
a v serious operation at just after
Christmas, and the doctor recommended 

a trip abroad - I went to see her
before they started and thought
she had improved immensely after
a fortnight she had just spent at
Bath - She was so v. weak for a
long time. I have not heard v. much
from Alicia Carter lately - she is
always so busy & can only write
scrappy letters. I gather that
Harold Hamersley, who has an appointment
at Aldershot now, has
taken a house there - So poor Alicia
is not looking forward to losing
Martha H. and the children. At
present they are furnishing the
house. I am wondering if Alicia
will stay on after they leave.
My nephew J.C. is I believe on his
way home from Japan with his
bride. The wedding was to be on
April 18^th, but I have not heard a
word about it yet. They are going
to Bryn Oerog, for the summer at any
rate, and Maggie Edwards is going
to live at the house close to Bryn Howel
wh Coster built for Robert Holmes.
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