Keswick, Aug. 20Honey dear :-
I'm in a lovely formal garden by the grand hotel near the station waiting for a coach to start around Buttermere. They still use horses for that round - and we have front seats at a shilling extra. It was heavenly an hour ago, but now there are clouds on the top of Skiddow and Causey Pike, and the other high ones, getting worse every minute - and goodness knows what may happen! It does rain a good deal.
We got some mail two days ago, though Charlotte had no home letters, and of course they have written her. I had your second and third from South Hadley and they agitate me. Why don't you say anything about the lab? If you think it's all wrong, say that! But I sure do want to hear it mentioned! Also the dormitory. It seemed so queer to have you say you'd had this call on F.P. and yet make no remarks on what do seem to me rather important subjects. Maybe your next letter will say something. I'm glad a flower or two is visible in the garden and sorry the weeds are so troublesome. The English gardens seem to have no weeds that even think of growing. You never see folks weeding, yet there is absolutely bare soil around the plants almost always. The things are lovely. I've sent for another seed catalogue as directed by the Walmsleys, a cheaper one that Sutton's. Can't get either bulbs or plants by reason of U.S. import regulations, and of course seeds for near year are not ready yet. I've checked some things in Sutton's catalogue.
Mr. Macdougall comes to call on us this evening - which will be pleasant. They stay in Keswick some time.
Thursday we yearned to climb a mountain, but Mr. James Walmsley cast an eye at the fair morning sky and said it was a bad day! So we walked around the Langdale valleys, for every coach went to Grasmere to the sports - only 9,000 folks there, instead of 16,000 to 25,000! We had one shower about two miles out, and then sat under a wall quite successfully. After that we saw Skelwith and Colwith Forces, both stunning with lots of water rushing down, the streams quite out of their banks in the meadows. We enjoyed Little Langdale very much,a lso lunch at an Inn there, and went on through to the austere valley beyond. By the time we got well down to Great Langdale 'twas very gloomy - and presently it rained hard, we being under a convenient hedge. We got on another mile, and sat out a shower in an Inn doorway, but soon they came pretty steadily and we walked on, along by Elterwater with the water over the meadows by the little river Bratha. We tried to get carried home, but everybody was at Grasmere. About two miles from home there was a cloud-burse I think - it rained above & below an all around, and there wasn't anything to get behind! But a young man picked us up about then and took us to town! We had walked 15 miles as it was, and enjoyed all but the last mile or so.
Next day Mr. James Walmsley was to take us over Fairfield, a horseshoe walk over a series of summits, one almost as high as Helvellyn, Harriet Martineau's favorite round. But it was unpropitious! So he took us over across Kirkstone Pass to "Charlie Dixon's" - he's the original of the shepherd in many of the pictures. 'Tis a typical cottage, his sister gives teas to guests, and they find it out in the fields! 'Twas very interesting and delightful, this glimpse of a life that is really simple and leisurely, for it must be said that "Chairlie" doesn't overwork. I'll tell you more about the house when I see you - the old grandfather clock with brass face, 200 years old & going well, the dresser carved by Charlie, the range built into the old fireplace, the shining brass pieces of harness, the candlesticks, the big beam over head - 'twas all most interesting. After luncheon we went to walk along by Brothers' water, and saw places where the pictures were taken - "The Lonely Valley", the one in my office, and some more. We crossed the main road below to Low Hartsop, the cunningest little hamlet I've seen, houses with spinning galleries, and such. Some are now summer homes but so restored as to keep the old forms. We came around through wet trails to the cottage again and then home, the last three miles or more from Kirkstone by a different route, altogether 14 or 15 miles. And we're not dead at all! I think I'm quite acclimated to wet clothes. For my tramping things I'm most thankful! But we have to wear skirts, alas. It is reported that three women have tramped in knickerbockers, and of course they worked in factories in over-alls & such, but we've seen no bifurcated female garments. My Trotmocs are my best friends. Their large soles do not slip on the little stones and the rubber soles keep out some of the water. All the landscape oozes, particularly the sheep and cow lanes!
Yesterday we came on by bus to Keswick and have a nice boarding place, with sitting room, but with feather beds and candles. I really quite enjoy the feather beds - it's so cold! Last night we went rowing on the Lake but 'twas too windy to go as far as St. Herbert's Isle where you and I went. In the afternoon we went to the Druid Circle which doesn't touch Stonehendge, though the circle of stones may be larger. The Stonehenge stones are so much larger, and obviously shaped, also the huge lintel stones are some of them in place. I have wanted to send the cards for you to see, but the stupid English regulation about leaving the ends open has stopped me, for I want to send some I have gotten to folks for Xmas cards. So I've sent none since the bunch from France, which I hope arrived safely. The same regulation applies to books, so I've kept the guidebooks and such which might otherwise have gone.
Today we went, as indicated earlier, on the Buttermere round - and it rained most of the day. Yet we saw a great deal, though not the more distant things, and often not the tops. Also we could take no pictures. We have taken quitea few pictures around here - but for the most part not when we wanted to, but when the sun came out for a moment. Mr. Walmsley gave us an address and we sent off our films - and hope nothing happened to them. We've had none developed since part way thro' Paris. The lot printed there was fine, the earlier lot done at Oxford was poor work.
The rain kept us from going across Crummock water to Scale Force, too, but not from walking up & down by Honister, nor this side of Buttermere. We were glad we went for it's fine.
This evening Mr. Macdougall and Robert have called, and we'll see them again tomorrow night. They have told us some helpful things about Scotland, where it is hard to plan without knowing expenses of things. And it was so nice to see them, and in our sitting room!
The Walmsley pictures are to be mailed so as to reach So. Hadley after I do, so don't beon the look-out for them. They seem to me very lovely - so much lovelier than the others in the region, up here for instance. But the miscellaneous truck here is more engaging than any I've seen elsewhere. The pencil factory is no longer open, but the stuff is on sale, and I can't resist it! I have three stocking eggs of cedar that seem to me very attractive!
But I must stop and write a few business cards - this correspondence about rooms does take so much time! Yet out of four letters to Keswick we got just this one which was possible - the places are so full!
I'll send this to South Hadley, but it's a guess, of course. I have been sending to your sister's for some time, because I thought you planned to be there after Aug. 9 for some weeks. If they haven't reached you directly, she'll know how to forward them of course.
Love to you, honey. It seems only a little time now until we get back. We shall be on the ocean in less than three weeks. The chance comments on our boat have been favorable. I shall telegraph you when we reach some place where they can tell us when we'll land, at Montreal, probably from Quebec, so that you can get somebody, either Snow (preferred because cheaper) or Buss to meet me in Holyoke, because my suitcase is too heavy to move otherwise. It seems probable that I'll go down by night, maybe the 17, 18, 19 or 20 of September! The craft is supposed to do it in 8 or 9 days, I believe, but I'm skeptical as to speed after our trip over. I think Mrs. Brick will know how to clean up the rooms a little before that - I don't want you to do it, I'd rather tend to it after I come than have you do that, but if she is still around she'll be able to do it as usual. I didn't help her at all all this last year. The bath room will be lovelier than anything else! Last night I had my second bath for the summer for 6d.
Goodnight, and my love to you -