1. Apologies for absence were received from Margaret and A. Bruce Dilks, Alice
and Arnold Joselin, Sylvanus A. Reynolds, Kenneth F. Nicholson, Francis H. Knight.
[...]
3. The subject chosen was letters, and during the evening we heard a most
interesting variety of letters, the matter varying from good & energetic advice to a
brother-in-law by Abraham Lincoln, to the butcher of our dreams; from Zola’s
account of the Dreyfus case to the amazing all-round ability to destroy of Leonardo
da Vinci. Charming letters to children were read, and various letters to the public;
and yet through all this variety, links were found connecting one set of letters with
the next.
In the first section of the meeting the following were read:- Letters by
Leonardo da Vinci read by K. Waschauer, by Abraham Lincoln read by F. E.
Pollard, and a humorous selection read by Edith B. and Howard R. Smith.
4. We adjourned for refreshments.
5. The minutes of the last meeting were then read and signed.
[...]
7. The business being completed, we had a further selection of letters
Zola’s letters on the Dreyus case [read by] Howard R. Smith[.]
Letters written to children [read by] Muriel Stevens[.]
Captain Scott’s last letters [read by] Elsie D. Harrod[.]
J. M. Barrie’s letter to Mrs. Scott [read by] Rosamund Wallis[.]
Letters of Gertrude Bell [read by] Mary Stansfield[.]
8. The meeting ended with general thankfulness that we had not to spend the
coming night as Gertrude Bell had done on the mountains.'
Century: Reader/Listener/Group: Mary S. Stansfield Print: Book
'Meeting held at “Oakdene” Northcourt Avenue. 31st March 1942. S. A. Reynolds in
the chair.
1. The minutes of the last meeting were read & signed.
[...]
4. The evening was devoted to miscellaneous readings as follows:
from: Autobiography by Eric Gill read by Muriel Stevens
The Lost Peace by Harold Butler [read by] F. E. Pollard
Letters of Gertrude Bell [read by] Isabel Taylor
Florence through Aged Eyes by H. M. Wallis [read by] H. R. Smith
Shepherds Life by W. H. Hudson [read by] L. Dorothea Taylor
Triolets by T. B. Clark [read by] S. A. Reynolds
Sick Heart River by John Buchan [read by] Margaret Dilks
[Signature of] M Stevens May 4th. 1942'
Century: 1900-1945 Reader/Listener/Group: Isabel Taylor Print: Book
'I wrote him long letters in Persian characters.
"Duste azize man," they began - "Dear friend of
mine." He would read them during the lesson, and
answer them in terms of the most elaborate
politeness - "My slave was honoured by my
commands," and so forth; and my crude and uncertain
lines became abhorrent to me when I saw him
covering his paper with a lovely decorative design
of courteous phrases.'
Century: 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: Gertrude Bell Manuscript: Letter, Letters written in Persian as part of Persian composition lessons
I am just re-reading Gertrude Bell's 'Syria', and
comparing her route with ours. She however,
travelled with three baggage mules, two tents, and
three servants: so I consider we were the more
adventurous. She also says that the water in the
Jebel Druse is 'undrinkable by European
standards', so I suppose our standard cannot be
European: or perhaps an Italian education has
hardened us.
Century: 1900-1945 Reader/Listener/Group: Freya Stark Print: Book
