January 16

HILDA ALDINGTON
HÔTEL DE LA PAIX
LAUSANNE

Dear Viola,

thank you so much for the beautiful angel-card and the pretty
handkerchief enclosed.
I am trying to make my trip to
USA come true, by writing about it. I hope to leave in April
sometime, but I don't know quite where I will be, except
not too far from Perdita. You have their address ? If I seem
to get lost, drop me a card there. I hope to get around a
bit, I may stay part of the summer, but probably along the New
England coast, as I have been so long away from the sea. I always
felt near it in London, as (like New York) it has a tidal
river and when the wind was in the proper direction, it felt
of the real salt-sea.
I have been here now, coming this
spring, five years. It is very wonderful but I always spent my
years, about 50-50 between Suisse and London, and I begin to feel
restless, though going down to Lugano, those three summer, was
like being in Italy; it was of course, originally. I think it
is a long time since I wrote and since I heard from you. I seem to have
lost the threads.
Perdita seems very well and happy and
friends see her or ring her, when they are in N.Y. and send me news.
They seem to go about a good deal, to New Haven to his people
and to Maine to re-visit the scene of their honeymoon. At least,
they were talking of going; I have not heard now for a few
weeks. They write me very often- yes, I did hear from him but
on business, that is, I have to have certain letters of formal
invitation-order to get my papers through. I have from him,
my brother and my brother's bank; also, I must be vaccinated. I
dread all this. I go to Geneva, D.V., this Friday to see about
my pass-port, finger-prints etc. I had some old fingers done
when I was about to leave, from England, and, in 1946, but they seem
to be mis-laid. Isn't it strange ? All this and USA money or its
equivalent, on my

person. I have not been to an occulist for almost 15 years and I
better do that too. Fortunately, teeth, such as they are, have been
recently seen to.
It has been terribly cold, with much
snow, very beautiful on the mountains but shovelled in walls along
the pavement, melted, iced-over, re-snowed on etc., is not too
pleasant.
I have a hyacinth in a pot, that is in
full bud, spring-like .... I just gave away a Xmas camellia that
had lovely flowers and buds, but once the flowering was over, it
seemed to belong back with the Xmas-tree. I had only a pine-cone
this year, lovely, with tall candles and some bits of toys
set among the branches, and some St. Nicholas stick-ons pasted
over the one picture in my room, a nice old print of a bridge in
the Tessin.
That seems long ago now.
I see Bryher here
several times a week and went over to Kenwin for Xmas dinner; they
came here 2nd Xmas-day and New Year's eve. Well, this is just
to keep in touch. No special news. I had a note from E, saying he had
taken down one of the Venice photographs I sent him, as it was curled
at the edges.
I hear that he has several "disciples" parked
near him, they go for talks and coaching, with Dorothy in attendance.
It is all dream and tragic. I find it difficult to write him.
Send my greetings if you write.
I expect to fly- please
pray for me. I know it is wonderful but I had planned
Isle de France. At the end, I just couldn't face these great
long meals, alone in the dining-room, with the hours all wrong;
that particularly un-nerves me, on a quick crossing. I hope to
be with Bryher, we go to Ireland, then "hop" (Bryher's word)
to Canada, then down to N.Y. ; Br has done it several times.
Well, this to bless you for 1951, late but only 16 days
off the Ist.

the old snaps, I could do with them.
Did I write
you that my book, By Avon River, is
announced for May. I have asked
Macmillan to post you a copy.
I do wonder if you will get
to see Bryher ? Do let me know how it
all comes off. She was very
anxious to see you because of all your kindness to us, during the
lean years, and I know she has put off other people because "I must
see Mrs. Jordan."
She is there a very short time. I can not
bear the thought of these flights; then too, it is pretty expensive, but
I do hope to cross some day. London holds no lure for me, save for one or
two friends there, whom I do miss.
Bryher wrote me, on this last
visit there, " it is cold, damp and on the whole, the food is
awful - bread soggy - don't know what fat is - no meat etc."
Thanks for Sitwell cutting, but they seem to come doubles, and Bryher
gets them, too - so after this first excitement, do not trouble to
send any more, but I would be grateful for odds and ends about E., to
follow along, and to keep the Bear interested in writers and writing;
Bear wanted to write but got stuck with his old war-phobias, I feel
and somehow, following along poor Ezra's tracks, makes him, at least
very grateful to be on his own. He had a bad time in London, too,
bomb
house damaged, though no loss of life and he was head of a party
of night fire-watchers. We are all glad to be away from it. I still
can't believe in my good luck, being here.

Dreadful about Sue's tooth- there can be nothing worse. I had some
dreadful extractions before I left London, then was fitted with a small
part-plate, instead of an elaborate bridge that I had had for years. I
felt humiliated but then got to like it and have had no more tooth or
neuralgia poison- rap on wood, D.V., should have dentist look me over before
I go to Lugano ... but don't really need any treatment. By the way, I
hope to leave here soon after Easter, for the Croce Bianca, best
write it Hotel Croix Blanche, Lugano. But I will be writing
again.

Love to you all
from Hilda-

From April 21 :
Hotel Croix Blanche
LUGANO

April 16

1981

Dear Viola,

Thank you for your good letter. And thank you in advance for the paper which you say you have sent. Bryher tells me she too has—heard—also, about paper, too. It is so kind of you. It may be late in coming, as if sent here, it will be forwarded on—but I will write again.

Perhaps I am not supposed to "know" about the paper—Bryher told me as I was moving on and some of my post is being forwarded to her to deal with. Anyway— I do thank you for the thought, even if the paper was not sent off. You have done far too much for us.

About that "press" for E; I found a report in Swiss (French) paper and sent it and they wanted more foreign comments if there were any.

I wrote my friends in Paris but evidently quite a lot was written in the Mécure de France, the best French Literary paper. I don't know if E. had copy of that. Anyway, I wanted it clear that I was just out for the literary comments— did not want to get mixed up or get

them mixed up, in the political side. Yes— I did get a cutting you sent me, in fact, I sent it on to Paris as my friend Sylvia Beach who had a book-shop, said she would try to get a note in somewhere and she wanted details. Now, since the Mécure has had this write-up, I don't think she should take the trouble. Sylvia was part of the war, in a prison-camp, an American who worked for years at this shop and lectured in the Sorbonne. Naturally, she would be pretty or very anti-F. (I can never spell that word) and I did not want her to go out of her way—but she just took it from literary angle as I and Bryher have done.

I have sent no more (have found no more); had an odd letter from E. about Norman Pearson who has so much helped me. I cannot, in a letter, defend old and kind friends to someone in E.'s position, so I felt best to say nothing at all. Perhaps I will write again, later.

I really wrote because I felt you had done more than your share and you said you sent E. news from my letters to you.

I am glad Maria is happy. I do not think I need write now; I was
only sorry to have semed indifferent, but I was very ill after
the London Blitz, when she wrote me.

I enclose on more rose. I enjoy all you write about your
garden.

I am in a sort of state or suspended animation-
suit-cases have just gone to stay at Kenwin, with fur and winter
clothes, one trunk I leave here, as I have taken the room on for
next winter- or the "rooms" if you count my hall, bath and huge
balcony. It is more like a tiny, perfect flat. I send oft
my own summer-bags a few days ahead, they do that here; it is much
easier, but that means I am left with just my one small travel-case and
my type-writer that I can't trust to travel without me.

So I ask you to forgive this rather dull letter. I did so enjoy
hearing direct of you from Bryher and of hearing of Br. and Perdita
from you. It is a sort of miracle to me that you should have got
together there, in Tenafly, as they had heard and heard and
HEARD about you.

We got to a lovely tea-room; now they have a roof-garden; it is
crazy-pavement, fountain-pool, borders of tulips, pansies in
whick white and blue cushions; in the corners are rhodo-trees and
azelias in great pots or jars. There is a lamppost screen or fence between
us and the next garden. The next garden is on its own level but the
roof of this place (Mutrux) is on level with the next slope; it is
like that there, always a delight to me.

Well, my very best to you all, and I hope the children are well
again.

over Christmas; he is not even offering them anything new, until
February. I am leaving this in his hands and he has been so
very generous with his time and advice. He was here for a few
days on the way to Florence, on Hawthorne research. He says another
publisher wants to do one of my "novels" that I have written under
a nom-de-plume, but he thinks the Freud notes with some additions,
might come first- and anyway, he does not want me to have two
publishers there. This is all very satisfactory to me. You will forgive
my talking of my work. But I had my nose to the grind-stone for so
many, many years and piled up MSS. I destroyed a barrel-ful of old
stuff, not destroyed really, as I finally boiled down the material and
re-worked it in my War I and in my War II novels. I have also the
Rossetti, William Morris period-piece of London of just 100 years ago.
But there is no hurry for publication; only, it is good to have them
properly shaped and in the hands of Norman Pearson.

It has been terribly hot here. Now it is lovely almost cold autumn.
But we did have water and the *Parco Civico* was like an oasis. We
even had fountains going when not far, in France, hotels were
closing and tourists turned away as water gave out. Even Bryher's
garden suffered greatly. But the heat was terrific, 108 in Como, but they
would not advertise what it was here- about the same, I think. I can not
read their themmometers here, quite different numerals. I am sorry about
your garden, too. Perhaps you have had rain, since last writing. I am
interested in all news, and will try to write again. I am a bit over-
excited as Bryher is still here and P., though they both leave soon. I also
had another guest, from London and birds of passage, now and again.
I expect to go back to Hotel de la Paix about mid-October, but I will be
writing, I should imagine, before then.

Again thank you for all the news and the especially beautiful
stockings and the quaint pretty card.
Love from Hilda

feel I am sending a Valentine!

Bryner will never get over that visit. She still writes me of it. She
found your son had such beautiful manners, and, liked the
girl who "helped" ; the other too, though she said she did not
talk to her so much. She really loved you all and the house. She
is reserved but very, very perceptive, a rare combination of
poise and sensitiveness. I do not know what I would have done without
her help, after the last war. She practically brought up Perdita, is her
very beloved god-mother. Perdita always says she has "two mothers",
therefore I am only a mother- but I do feel even at that,
overwhelmed with the spiritual responsibility, at time. What it must be
for you, I can not dare imagine!

This is a Rathar dull note. I suddenly realized how far behind I had
got, wondering why I did not hear from you. Well- I do hope you
forgive me. I had a little trouble as always, getting settled again,
and then, got swamped with books and MSS. My very best to
all of you there-
Perdita is due over in June. You were
so good to take them to your heart, as you did, but they and I
do deeply appreciate it all.