THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

Tuesday [early summer 1898?]

My dear Herr Gatty
We arrived home this morning & have just got yr letter with the 3 enclosures. I like the Beethoven one the best on first reading: They shall all go out in the world tomorrow!¹ This must be a very short note for it is late & my hand rocks still from the sea – How I wish we could have been in Berlin – when the bolt fell – but harden y^r heart & stay where you are – unless a definite bit of work is offered you in England – in that case I s^d think myself you w^d be bound to take it – if you were still without work in Berlin.
But if you come to England, do come to us – besides & beyond the pleasure to us you w^d be more in the way of hearing of something to do than if you were at home. Come at any day & at any moment.
Y^r M.S. from the countries is here – I have just thought that its the very thing for “The Girls’  Own Paper”! Will you be very offended I wonder if I send it there – it will go off tomorrow so you see its too late to protest! Send us the Fairy Tale soon.
Ralph sends his love & will write very soon – what a wealth of stamps you have sent! We make a very meagre return of odd German ones w^h we couldn’t use! We had one lovely day – a Saturday – on the dunes near Haarlem, after hearing the great organ of course.
I was delighted to see so many head dresses like Mina’s, only as a rule the dutch Frau when she walks abroad likes to perch the newest fashion in bonnets on the top! We tried to buy a head dress in Haarlem but a [small?] one costs £20! We also saw all the Amsterdam pictures & those at the Hague & at Haarlem. Write soon again – We sent to beg a visit from Nicholas but he hasn’t come
Yrs sincerely
AMVW

1. AVW was trying to get Gatty’s poetry published.