THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

From R. Vaughan Williams,
10, Hanover Terrace,
Regents Park,
London, N.W.1

June 20th 1956

My dear Joan,
We were so sorry to hear you had succumbed to the belated flu, & glad to hear there’s another little Martin¹ in the world.  I hope he takes after both of you, & then he will be a pleasure to his proud parents.
As to business: Ralph says he doesn’t want a fee, except that / unless if he doesn’t will it make it difficult for others to have one later.  Expenses would be correct woudn’t it.  Unhelpful as usual.  I leave this to you.
We are going to a wedding eve party at Syon the evening before, & have another engagement the day after, so no beds – only luncheon thank you.
Ralph will anathematize to the new dean of Chichester’s² hearts content I should think.  Ralph is in bed with a slightly strained leg – the doctor wants him to rest it for a day or two, so he & our slow & wiser cat roost there, & so do I a good deal, as he is reading Pickwick³ to me.  He is able to work, with so far no detriment to sheeets.  Biro’s⁴ do save inky linen nicely.
It will be nice to see you both
Love from both of us,
Ursula.

1.  Edmund Shaw, the second child of Richard and Margaret Shaw.
2.  John Walter Atherton Hussey was appointed Dean of Chichester in 1955; he had previously commissioned compositions by Finzi and Britten..
3.  The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens.
4.  sic.