Scope and Content
"Christmas is coming once again, so I send you my greetings. It is hard to realise that this is the fourth Christmas since I was at Ampthill. I wonder if you are doing the silver stars for the Christmas tree! I must say I have never seen a lovelier decoration than that.
My short visit to Ampthill to see Sir Anthony caused two people to write saying how disappointed they were that I had not been to see them. But the truth is that I did not reach Ampthill until 1p.m. and I was due at Sir A's at 1.30. I just had time to pop into the church. I had quite a shock when I saw how dirty and untidy and uncared-for it looked. Of course the harvest decorations were still hanging about (though the harvest festival had been over three days or more) but it was the condition of the aumbry and its surroundings which struck me most. The wall was black with dirt, the silver aumbry lamp uncleaned, no flowers on the shelf (but plenty elsewhere!): it had an air of neglect which really saddened me. I daresay this is what you have heard from Mrs.Perton. I left Sir A. about 4, and drove through the town to see Miss Ira Smith on behalf mainly of Miss Eagles, who pays her for sending the magazine and the News. I had some tea there, and then drove back to connect the London road at Clophill. I thought I would like to drive back through the street of Ampthill just to see if there was anyone about I knew. So it was that I spotted you. I was due back in London by 7.30 or 8, so I had no time to pay more calls. I think next time I come I shall drop into Sir A from Maulden, and make my exit that way, without coming into the town! It seems the only way to avoid trouble! I promised Sir A I would come up again after Christmas: but I am going for my winter sport holiday to Switzerland on January 5th. and don't expect to be back before the end of the month. I am joining a party of three friends, all of whom are expert skiers, so I expect I shall be taken up some stiff runs (I should say "I shall come down some stiff runs"), so don't be surprised if you hear I've laid myself up with a broken leg. There are always plenty about in the Swiss hotels at this time of year.
I wrote to Captain Cunliffe after my visit to say I hoped to call on him but had not time. I have always felt a little guilty of my neglect of him, and I heard that he could not understand why I had never written to him. So I thought it was a way of breaking the ice. However, I have had no reply: though I hear that there has been a lot of illness in the house.
Newby Stanbridge wrote in rather hurt tones to ask why I had not dropped in on him. I have always written to him every Christmas. So I wrote to him and explained.
I also wrote to Mr.Valder (who has written to me very frequently very amusing and newsy letters) and told him why I had not called on him.
So if, as you say in your letter, "various people were telling everyone they had heard from me", it must have been a meeting of Cunliffe, Newby and Valder, as I have not written to anyone else. Except Perton. Perton wrote to me some time ago a long and pathetic letter telling me about his giving up the vergership. I had never written a line to either him or Mrs.P. since I left, not even a Christmas card: my reason being that I did not want the Rectory Lodge to be an undercurrent in Mr.Waddy's life at Ampthill. I knew that if the Pertons were getting letters from me, Mrs.Perton's tongue would begin wagging, and a sore spot would develop which would embarrass the Waddys, if the Pertons and the Waddys ever disagreed: which indeed was very likely, and now has happened.
However, I must say I felt very sorry for Perton when I read his letter. Perton is rather a rough, uncouth man, but he can be managed: and he and I always got on very well together. I found him very trustworthy, and he certainly went out of his way to help me in every way he could. I always felt that if he had had a better wife, he would have been a good chap. He has a strong sense of humour, and appreciates kindness.
Mrs.P. herself is of course a case for a psychologist, thought I doubt if there is one that could do anthing for her now. I do not take much account of what she says.
But Perton's account of his trouble with the Rector made me feel very sympathetic towards him. There may be another side to it: I expect there is: but I am a little surprised that Mr.Waddy has never invited me back to Ampthill to preach. It would appear that he wishes me to have no further dealings with the place. I think he has listened to the people who were glad of my departure (there were some such!) who have flattered him and made him lose his head a bit.
However, let us leave it at that. I am living in a much bigger world than the Ampthill Circuit nowadays!
You did not tell me what you though of Durham. The enclosed snaps were taken on top of the cathedral tower. I wonder if you climbed it!
While I think of it, I wonder if you would do me a kindness. You remember that typewritten translation of the inscription on the Nicholls tomb that I framed and hung up on the wall near the tomb? Would you look at it, and tell me the name of the ship that Richard Nicholls died on? If you had the time and energy, you might even copy out for me the whole thing. I will explain why I want it.
You may remember the young American officer who descended upon me during the war, saying he was a descendant of the Nicholls family. In the years that have elapsed since then we have become great friends, and when I was in America two years ago I visited him and stayed with him at his home in Michigan. He is a lawyer there, and has married and has two children. He is of course very interested in anything about the Nicholls family and especially Richard Nicholls.
Recently it came to my notice that in the gallery of the Royal Naval College at Greenwich there is a portrait of the officers who served in the Dutch Wars under the Duke of York. There are separate portraits of these officers, and I may be successful in running to earth a portrait of Richard Nicholls. If so, I shall try and get a reproduction of it for my friend: his name is actually Allison Thomas: the Nicholls descent comes through his mother. He is hoping to come and stay with us next year, during the Festival of Britain. We are also expecting the Bishop of Bloemfontein early in the spring (he has resigned, and is going to live in Capetown), and many others from abroad later in the year. It looks as if we are in for a busy time.
Miss Florence and Miss Di flourish as ever. They really are miracles of strength. They are up and about every morning (even these cold frosty mornings) between 5 and 6: they don't go to bed till between 11 and 12: and they are going at it all day. I am always going in and out of colds (I have one now): but they never have a sign of one!
Fortunately this is a very warm, cosy house, and we have both electric and gas fires up and down the house. But their energy is really remarkable. Miss Florence's memory is not what it was, and she is inclined to dally and get vague. She just will not sit down and write letters. It will be a surprise to me if she does her Christmas cards: though they are all lying waiting, with envelopes and stamps, on the desk in her bedroom. She is always going to do it! But she does the cooking as well as ever, and she is now 84. Miss Di, of course, is no different to what she was when she came here over three years ago. And she is 83 next week. I think she is the more remarkable of the two. She is well known in the Richmond shops now. They think she is a very wonderful old lady!
I keep looking in the "Times" to see if Mr.Broun has gone. I think you said he was getting feeble. I quite think Sir Anthony will reach his century. His mind is alert, and he himself says he feels quite well.
I really must finish this long rambling letter.
With best wishes to you and your family for a Happy Christmas.
Yours sincerely,"