THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

10 Barton St
Westminster

[1904?]

My Dear R.G.

You must get well by hook or by crook.¹  Now I consider that between friends and especially between musicians there is a kind of freemasonry which binds us all together like a happy family and makes it the duty of each one of the ‘bund’ not to stand aloof from the rest when he may give them the opportunity of showing him the value of your their friendship.  Remember that it’s not only for yourself that you’ve got to get well and not even only for your family but it’s for all your friends; you owe it them as a proof of any affection you have for them to neglect no opportunity of making yourself putting them out of anxiety.  You owe it them not to disappoint the expectations we have all formed of your doing something big some day.
Therefore please do not despise the little we can do but just receive it and so prove the strength of our friendship.  You know that we’d all make you well ourselves if we could – but we can’t so we must do it by proxy.
For Heaven’s sake do go away from the cheap, incompetent, dishonest quack who has been doing his best to keep you in his clutches; and go to the best doctor in Berlin and stick to him – please use what the postman will bring for that purpose.
Yours always

R.V.W.

P.S.  I’ve just had your letter and the poem.  Thank you so much for both – but do come home for your holiday.  I’m sure it will set you right.

 1.  The nature of René Gatty’s illness is not clear.