London, July 23Honey dear :-
Prof. Macdougall has just been in to call - as natural as in South Hadley, and full of enthusiasm over his musical opportunities here. He is staying with the musical critic of the "Observer" and meeting everybody musical. Robert is over, too, and is enjoying things very much. When Prof. M- talks so enthusiastically about the Isle of Wight it makes me yearn to go there, too! One can't really see much in a summer.
I suppose you're really on the way to quiet South Hadley, perhaps in Chicago, after allt he adventures of the year - and I hope the experiences in the Canadian Rockies were no disappointment. Those up near Rainier were surely exciting! I'll look eagerly for your tramping clothes next fall - and I hope you'll be able to use them a lot.
I'll have to narrage our experiences briefly, since it's late, but they have been mild. The boat finally received us at Dieppe, and we slept hard from 1 o'clock until 5 when the stewardess called us. 'Tis a heathen performance not to let people on earlier for we might have had three hours more of sleep as well as not. As it was I didn't know when the craft started and was hardly ready when it docked. The Eng. Channel has been absolutely placid at least three times this summer! We had a wretched breakfast at Newhaven and got up to London and to the house before 8:30. We couldn't have our room until noon, else we should have gone to bed, so Ive [sic] went to the Amer. Exp. and spent the forenoon writing letters relative to future places to stay and sending in our notes of introduction. Then I went around to the Amer. consulate and got some notes to wave at medical collections not perfectly accessible. It took only a little while - very simple - very different from the French red tape necessary for buying our few medals, let's say. I wanted to get a little worth out of my passport! Then I went to sleep! But at about 5 we stepped into the Brit. Mus. which is just around the corner - so convenient. We had just a look at the Elgin marbles and then 'twas 6 o'clock.
Yesterday I chased the collections (very wonderful) at the Royal College of Surgeons, and the portraits at the Royal College of Physicians where the best Harvey one is in the library. In the early afternoon I tried to see the Parliament buildings but they are closed since the Wilson murder, so I went to the National Gallery and stayed until put out. It seems small after the Louvre, and no guide gives the arrangement for they've all been done over since the war - but yet it is wonderful, particularly in the Italian things. I did wish Janey Carpenter could see these things. She'd profit so much more than I.
This forenoon we went to St. Paul's - not inspiring to me - and this afternoon met the Hyslops (who are over for a year) for a wonderful musical service at the Temple Church. Then we went to the Tate Gallery, which I didn't see before at all - such wonderful Turners, and the Watts room was gorgeous! And that's all - and my pen is the limit! I think it's more the ink than the pen, but it's atrocious, you'll agree.
Good night, honey dear. I'm sending this to So. Hadley, though it may have to be forwarded if you go to Newburyport Aug. 9. Our plans are vague, but we leave here July 29 for Salisbury, Exeter, Plymouth & probably Yelverton - but we may change!
My love, much, to you -