THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

Wednesday [1899?]

My dear Herr Gatty

I was very glad to have y^r letter whilst we were at Hooton – what happy days we had there you can imagine – we only wanted you.  I am going to send you soon some photographs I did there – some rather amusing.¹  Since then we had hopes of having you here – I do still hope you may come if a good D^r allows it – We have been very much distressed to hear how ill you have been.  The only thing I will beg of you is not to employ that worst of economies a bad Doctor but to go to the very best – & please give Ralph the pleasure of using the £5 for that purpose – It is to our interest too for I hope when you are well enough you will come to England for a holiday.²
Yours always sincerely

Adeline Vaughan Williams.

The Purcell Ralph is editing is a volume of “Welcome Odes to ye King” – an M.S belonging to the Queen – most of it rather deadly I’m afraid.³

 1.  AVW was a keen photographer at this time of her life, having learnt the technique from her aunt, Julia Cameron.
 2.  VW sent money on at least two occasions to help Gatty with his medical expenses.  See VWL116 and VWL117.
 3.  See R.V.W.: a biography, p.68, and VWL181.  This implies a date of 1904 for this and perhaps other letters concerning Gatty’s illness; the reference to the Queen does not necessarily suggest that she is still alive (Queen Victoria died in 1901).