Box 3

Scope and Contents "My dear Mrs. Moore: Adoring E. Nesbit is about the most rewarding literary passion I know. In the past month it has brought me two utterly charming letters, one from Dame Sybil Thorndike and today's, from you. If Mr. Coward weren't quite so busy a man, we might have met before. I have scoured bookshops and English publishers' catalogues trying to find out who you are! I once called your biography of E. Nesbit 'my idea of a practically perfect biography' in the Saturday Review of Literature...

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"Dear Madam, I am very much obliged to you for your prompt reply to my inquiry about E. Nesbit's little poem. It was exceedingly kind to write while suffering from a burned arm. A most painful thing as I know from experience. I had no difficulty in obtaining a copy of 'Garden Ooems[sic]' and am really delighted to find my little favourite again after the lapse of at least forty-five years!..."

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"Dear Madam, I have just read with much interest you[sic] Life of E. Nesbit and am venturing to ask you if you can tell me where I can find a little poem by her. It was published in the 80's in a little illustrated 'booklet' and describes a conversation between a girl and a young man in a garden; he tells her she has no idea of the real beauty of summer when she sees it only in a garden and describes the magnificence of summer on the moors and ends with some such words as these..."

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Transcribed copy of the original letter.

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Transcribed copy of the original letter.

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[Postcard with a sketch of a house.]

"Oakshott Hanger."

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Transcribed copy of the original letter.

The date is pencilled in by a researcher.

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Transcribed copy of the original letter.

Date is pencilled in by a researcher.

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[Sketch of a crying or sweating drunk man in an arm chair, surrounded by empty liquor bottles and general clutter on the floor around him.]

"Dear Aunt - Jimmy has left me - he is with the Wells - I miss him very much - this place does not seem the same without him. I had a letter from him this morning - he seems to be having a very good time - motoring and all sorts of joys..."

Scope and Contents "Dear Mrs Bland - 'Up at a villa, down in the city' - you understand, don't you. This is a dreadful place - (I thought it delightful at first) full of unintelligent and uninteresting people - littered up by electric trams - bathed in mud - rainy - but such a splendid place to work (for time refer to letter that I am writing to Jimmy the same evening). Only the students are so stupid and dead - they haven't the vaguest idea of what they want to do - just sit and drinking in the [mutterings?]...