THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

5 Cowley Street
Westminster

July 4th [1898]

Dear Herr Gatty,

Your brother bicycled here on Saturday evening. We were entertaining a misanthropic composer – a Mr. Arnold Phillips, & we all sat out on the Embankment after your brother had played us the slow movement of his quartett again – w^ch I like more & more – How I wish you could be coming on the 16^th to hear it played. We are in hopes that we may get tickets. When will you come – we often talk of it & we want you to realize that we have a spare room now & that we shd feel very happy if you would make use of it. If you could come to London whilst your brother is still with us it would be very delightful. I send you an unfinished photograph of a shot I took on a steamer a week ago when we with your brother were on our way to Kew – There seems to me to be something early Victorian about it & it looks as it is were a photograph from an oil painting don’t you think so?
Since I last wrote we have had the excitement of hearing my husband’s 4^tet tried over at the College.¹ I think we were both too nervous to listen much! but most of it seemed to come off satisfactorily & there were a few nice surprises.
I heard from Rosa Halle a few days ago. She mentions you – & says that she & a sister were very übermütig in some expedition that you had [?] with them in & what must you have thought of them? What did you  think I wonder. She also sends me a photograph of 3 actors – underneath […]² name she writes Mrs Williams! I believe you helped her choose it but hope that you don’t altogether look upon it as a satisfactory …..
My husband wants me to say from him that he hopes you will come to England before the Shrat³ does – I was so glad to have your last letter – I w^d like to answer it in german but dare not – there would be too many mistakes.
Always yours sincerely

Adeline Vaughan Williams

1. Royal College of Music. VW’s String Quartet in C minor was eventually performed at a meeting of the Oxford and Cambridge Musical Club on 30th June 1904 (Catalogue of Works, p.6, 1897/2). 
2. Name indecipherable
3. Perhaps Leo Schrattenholz, the composer and cellist.