[35A School St., Andover, Mass.]

T. S.Eliot
EmilyHale
TS
19 Carlyle Mansions
8 May 1954
My dear Emily

I have this morning your letter of May 5 (and, as occasionally with your letters, I cannot decipher the last few lines squeezed in tightly). I returned on Tuesday, after three weeks in the Clinic. All I have to do is to take three pills a day and proceed slowly. I walk for an hour every morning, but next week am to be somewhat more active, asBailiffscourt HotelTSE convalesces at;a1 I am to go to-day week to ‘Bailiffscourt’, Clymping near Littlehampton (Sussex) for a week or ten days – I was there two or three years ago after having pneumonia – a comfortable and retired hotel on the coast. After that I am expected to lead a normal life, except that all formal and public engagements are cancelled until the autumn.

This was merely a ‘paroxysmal tachycardia’ of nervous origin (goodness knows what caused it) and no organic trouble at all – apparently I have a strong heart. But when the pulse beats at twice the normal rate something has to be done about it, as the strongest heart would tire in time. MyEliot, Marion Cushing (TSE's sister);h4 reason for cabling was,1 thatGiroux, Robert ('Bob');a7 I learned that the American radio, followingMoore, Mariannewrites concernedly about TSE's health;a4 a quite unjustified report in the Evening News here, had put out an alarming bulletin, which had led to Marian and Robert Giroux cabling for information, and Marianne Moore and one or two other people writing in great anxiety.2

YouPerkins, Edith (EH's aunt)suffers 'shock';n3 have mentioned your aunt having a shock: I do not know what is meant by that – it sounds like a ‘stroke’. I hope it is not so serious as that. I also hope that friends are assisting financially, for the expense of a nurse (which usually means also more continuous domestic help) must be very serious indeed. I also fear that this will impose heavier claims on your time and strength.

You say nothing more about the eczema: is it cured or not. I have just succeeded in reading the end of your letter and am relieved to conclude that it is not you, but others who have sprained their ankles.

With much love
Tom

1.Cable not found.

2.GeoffreyFaber, Geoffreyon TSE's paroxysmal tachycardia;l6n Faber to Mary Trevelyan, 27 Apr. 1954: ‘I don’t think Tom was really enjoying himself at all at the London Clinic; he was sent in there because he was suffering from a condition called paroxysmal tachycardia, which is only an impressive way of saying that his heart was beating at about twice its proper rate, for no ascertainable reason. It has now suddenly decided to beat at its normal rate again, and there is no further cause for anxiety. I think it was simply the result of a long period of over-tension – seeing too many people and never really relaxing. We were all very angry about the baseless and untrue report in the “Evening News” that he had got angina pectoris. This seems to have been repeated on the American radio, and both John Hayward and I received some agitated cables in consequence’ (Faber Archive).

TSEMoore, Mariannefor which TSE thanks her;a5n to Marianne Moore, 11 May 1954: ‘I am almost ashamed to be the recipient of your letter of April 23rd, as I felt that I was receiving it under false pretences. However, I am relieved to know that you were reassured by John Hayward, as I asked him to write to you as soon as I saw your letter. Owing apparently to a quite irresponsible rumour published in an evening newspaper here, I am told that some American broadcast news service gave an alarming report, with the result that people started cabling. Bob Giroux cabled to Fabers, and my sisters cabled too, so people were put to much distress and expense for no reason at all. The malady for which I was sent to the Clinic was merely a tachycardia of nervous origin, unpleasant in itself, involving three weeks in bed and cautious behaviour for several months to come. But there is no reason why after that I should not be as well as ever’ (Texas).

TSEBrace, Donaldon TSE's discharge from hospital, sends flowers;b3 to Donald Brace, 12 May 1954: ‘I am writing tardily, but at the first opportunity, to thank you for your letter of April 22nd, and to thank you and Gene Reynal and Bob Giroux and Harcourt, Brace in general for some beautiful flowers which arrived most appropriately at Carlyle Mansions on the day that I was discharged from the London Clinic. I was distressed to learn while I was in the Clinic, of the alarming report of my health which had quite unjustifiably and improperly been inserted in The Evening News, and apparently echoed by the American radio news bulletin. As a result of the rumour, a number of people in the United States were alarmed, including of course, my sisters, and owing to this unfortunate piece of journalism a good deal of money was spent on all hands, including Harcourt, Brace, on cables. The trouble has been purely nervous – that is to say, the doctor considers that I have a very strong heart, there is nothing organically wrong, and no obvious reason why my pulse should have suddenly taken to going at twice the normal rate. They have got it down to normal now, but I am told to go slowly until the autumn’ (Columbia).

Geoffrey Faber to John Donaldson, Johannesburg, 14 May 1954: ‘The Press reports about Uncle Tom were rather exaggerated […] He is out of the nursing home, and looking – so it seems to me – better than he had for some time. I don’t really think that South Africa can have had anything to do with it. After all, he had the sea voyage there and back. But perhaps we were wrong in letting him be lionised. He has come into the office just to deal with letters and such, before going away for a continuation of his rest cure at the seaside’ (E3/47/5).

Bailiffscourt Hotel, TSE convalesces at,
Brace, Donald, pressuring TSE for After Strange Gods, on TSE's 1933 tour of Scotland, at Joyce dinner in Paris, on TSE's 1935 tour of Scotland, squanders American rights to Murder, receives Burnt Norton from Morley, reports on 1936 New York Murder, receives corrected Anabasis, on publishing Cats, on TSE's discharge from hospital, sends flowers,

6.DonaldBrace, Donald Brace (1881–1955), publisher; co-founder of Harcourt, Brace: see Biographical Register.

Eliot, Marion Cushing (TSE's sister), described, her reading habits, not a suitable confidant, TSE reflects on reunion with, Symphony concerts with TSE, to the cinema with TSE, delighted with first Norton lecture, recommends TSE hairdresser for baldness, attends second Norton lecture, hosts birthday party for Margaret, remembered in St. Louis, worried by Dodo's manner, TSE's pride in, vigilant on TSE's health, on Randolph family holiday, congratulates TSE on separation, 1934 summer in England with Dodo, July arrival anticipated, arrangements for, visit to Chipping Campden, off to Salisbury, walks to Kelmscott, returns from Winchester, forces Regent's Park on TSE, excessively humble, next to Ada in TSE's affections, protects TSE from overbearing Hinkleys, supported Landon over FDR, co-hosts Murder party, 1939 summer in England with Dodo, trip in doubt, Southwold week planned, due 19 June, taken to Dulwich, ballet and dinner with, Southwold holiday with, given to post-lunch naps, sends Christmas supplies to Shamley, as correspondent, easiest Eliot in Ada's absence, experiences crisis, importance as sister, Henry's fondness for, devoutly Unitarian, ignorant of Henry's true condition, undernourished, abortive 1948 summer in England, cancelled, which comes as relief, hosts family dinner-party, letter about Nobel Prize to, TSE leaves money with, 1949 visit to England with Dodo, June arrival anticipated, plans for, EH bids 'bon voyage', visit to Cambridge, return from Southwold, Borders tour, Basil Street Hotel stay, Thanksgiving with, reports on Dr Perkins's funeral, efforts to support financially, tethered to Margaret, joins TSE in St. Louis, 1954 trip to England with Dodo, visit to Ely and Cambridge, in light of Margaret's death, invoked against EH, TSE to Theresa on,

1.Marian/MarionEliot, Marion Cushing (TSE's sister) Cushing Eliot (1877–1964), fourth child of Henry Ware Eliot and Charlotte Eliot: see Biographical Register.

Faber, Geoffrey, made TSE's literary executor, described for EH, as friend, overawed by Joyce, recounts the Eliots' dinner-party, discusses international situation with TSE, his annual effort to diet, introduced to TSE by Whibley, favours TSE taking Norton Professorship, suggests garden-party for TSE, mislays key to Hale correspondence, writes to TSE about separation, which he helps TSE over, blesses Scotland tour with whisky, victim of Holmesian prank, favours 'The Archbishop Murder Case', Times articles on Newman, Russell Square proclaims his gentlemanly standards, forgives TSE and Morley's prank, as tennis-player, champion of Haig biography, social insecurities, and the Faber family fortune, advertises 'Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats', at lavish lunch for Dukes, relieved that 'Work in Progress' progresses, and JDH, needs persuading over Nightwood, on Edward VIII's abdication, Old Buffer's Dinner for, wins at Monopoly, and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, thrilled by complimentary tickets, The Family Reunion described to, in line to read Family Reunion, has mumps, composes Alcaics from sickbed, at TSE and JDH's dinner, shares EH's Family Reunion criticism, on TSE's dinner-party bearing, discusses F&F's wartime plans, on meeting Ralph Hodgson, asks TSE to stay on during war, takes TSE to Oxford, argues with Major-General Swinton, and Purchase Tax exertions, and Literary Society membership, TSE's wartime intimacy with, drops teeth on beach, offers criticisms of 'Rudyard Kipling', falsely promised Literary Society membership, but eventually elected, helps revise TSE's Classical Association address, reports to Conversative Education Committee, deputed to America on publishing business, returned from America, Ada too ill to see, discusses National Service on BBC, depended on for breakfast, as fire-watching companion, and TSE rearrange attic at 23 Russell Square, recommends blind masseuse to TSE, in nursing home, and the Spender–Campbell spat, on TSE's Order of Merit, approached for essay on TSE, seeks to protect TSE's serenity, as Captain Kidd, wins fancy-dress prize, TSE's trip to Spain with, and National Book League, receives knighthood, on TSE's paroxysmal tachycardia, dies, his death,
see also Fabers, the

11.GeoffreyFaber, Geoffrey Faber (1889–1961), publisher and poet: see Biographical Register.

Giroux, Robert ('Bob'), sees TSE off at La Guardia, TSE's New York mainstay, in London,

7.RobertGiroux, Robert ('Bob') Giroux (1914–2008): American book editor and publisher: see Biographical Register.

Moore, Marianne, scintillates at Bunny Wilson's, on meeting TSE, TSE's wish that EH meet, writes concernedly about TSE's health, for which TSE thanks her, EH makes proposal to, which Moore declines, Selected Poems,

6.MarianneMoore, Marianne Moore (1887–1972) contributed to The Egoist from 1915. She went on to become in 1925 acting editor of The Dial, editor, 1927–9, and an influential modern poet. Eliot found her ‘an extremely intelligent person, very shy … One of the most observant people I have ever met.’ Writing to her on 3 April 1921, he said her verse interested him ‘more than that of anyone now writing in America’. And in his introduction to Selected Poems (1935), which he brought out from Faber & Faber, he stated that her ‘poems form part of the small body of durable poetry written in our time’. TSE told Marion Dorn, 3 Jan. 1944, that he met Marianne Moore ‘once … in New York, but I took a great fancy to her: she and Bunny Wilson were the two people I liked best of those whom I met in New York in 1933. She is a very unusual person, as well as a good poet.’

Perkins, Edith (EH's aunt), her relationship to EH queried, to accompany EH to Scripps, asks TSE to dinner, at first Norton lecture, shares pew with TSE, accompanies TSE to Symphony Concert, in audience at Milton Academy, catches cold in Florence, in TSE's private opinion, TSE's occasional poem for, her relationship with EH analysed, dislikes Jeanette McPherrin, explains EH's breakdown to TSE, on the Harvard Murder, as Campden hostess, and TSE's wartime instructions to EH, gives lunch at American Women's Club, gives TSE balsam pillow, requests English edition of Cats, as horticulturalist, without Campden garden, compared to Irene Hale, gives TSE photograph of EH, attends Ada's funeral, reports on EH's Millbrook situation, pressed for ham and pineapple recipe, sight affected in one eye, gives lecture, sight failing, sight deteriorates in other eye, thanked for 1946 hospitality, gives to Books Across the Sea, according to EH, asks TSE to present slides to RHS, which TSE does, on EH and TSE's relationship, and Hidcote House, friendly with Marion, TSE pitches her book to publishers, depressed by the heat, somewhat recovered, approaching 80th, faced with husband's death, letter of condolence to, sent birthday poem, visited in Boston, has sciatica, reports on EH's dramatic activities, Miss Lavorgna on, in her old-age infirmity, suffers 'shock', sacks nurse, EH preserved from, sends funeral tribute to Cousin Will, and the Hale letters, nursing home sought for, moved into nursing home, where TSE writes to her, suffers stroke, deteriorating, relations with EH, her legacy to EH,
see also Perkinses, the