Letter from Adeline Vaughan Williams to Cordelia Curle
[Dorking]
Belov Boo,
Ad has again gone to London so my letter may be superfluous! He & Ursula had an early break together - Ralph took them to the station. Ursula looked just right - a black dress and the green hat with a very light lacy veil & a red rose from the garden. She's like a lost child, likes someone to talk to all the time - she will be better when today is over - & then we can begin to plan her life. She will have to earn. She is returning here till Thursday. Then she has a friend coming to stay a few days in her flat with her.
R did find the Romney much changed - not only the eyes - the restorer, an old man who looks after the Chatsworth pictures puts down all the changes to the mistakes of a former restorer! R didn't feel he was quite trustworthy.
The right thing wd have been to have had the picture x rayed before the work was begun. Anyhow the picture looks well - the gt H1 must have suffered agonies when he discovered it almost covered with mildew.
There's nice rain for the garden. R is only troubled now that the hens are not getting enough amusement on a wet day - he failed to dig up worms for them. Now we suggest crushing some crab shell. Anyhow 1 egg was laid this morning & one last evening.
I'm glad that Calvo is beter so that you needn't hug Mrs Calvo again.
yrs A
1. "H" was VW's brother Hervey. Presumably this relates to a picture from Leith Hill Place, which Hervey had inherited on the death of his mother.
Subjects:
Location of original letter:
Extract from a letter written on scrap paper.
Date ascribed in pencil by UVW.