THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

[?January 1908]

Letter II¹
Dear V.

What do you say to £50 at Easter (or when you want it) & £25 more in September  – It might be £50 in September² – but I can’t be sure yet – so we mustn’t count on it. 
Now is this enough to do you any good? If not, say so & we will try & devize something else – because if we do this job at all we must do it properly.
It is most important – to my mind – that this should be a real holiday to make up for all your past years of strain – if you compose during it all the better – but if you have an idea all the time that you must have something to show for it – then you will spoil your holiday & effectually prevent yourself composing.  If even you only come back teaching very well it w^d mean that it came easier & left you more energy for other work.
I think abroad sounds good – but I don’t know why it should be a very long abroad – enough to give you a change and a filip – but we can discuss all this when I come back.

Letter III

Dear V.

This was to have been about Ravel – but I am too sleepy  & I can tell you all about it later – only it is doing me just the good I hoped it w^d – I go to him 4 or 5 times a week.
Yrs

R.V.W.

1.  VW had gone to Paris in December to study with Ravel. He stayed three months and was staying at the Hotel de l’Universe et du Portugal. VW  was presumably numbering his letters from Paris to Holst. Letter I has not survived.
2. A present to enable Holst to have a holiday. He settled on a visit to Algeria. See Short, Gustav Holst, p.73-74.