Letter from Edward Thomas to the poet Gordon Bottomley. Sent from Rogate, Worple Rd, Wimbledon, London. Archival ref: 424/1/1/1/10/108
Rotate,
Worple Road,
Wimbledon,
London, SW..
9. ix. 08
My dear Gordon.
Can you look over these proofs for me? Alas,
there is little you can do but alter a comma or transpose a letter or two. The style is hideous and full of pendent clauses - and epithets. It will, however, soon be over. But if you do see a way of improvement by pure deletion please suggest it. I feel that it is all so haphazard that it ought to be left alone. It is now long past midnight. For I hate beginning office work and I have to read and write from 6 p.m. onwards. I won’t tell you yet how I like it, because it is all so new and ugly and new habits are always unpleasant. If you could return this and other batches at the earliest moment to this address I should be grateful. We are all well, but I am swollen with rheumatism. My love to Emily and you - I liked your “ New Age” letter * by the way-
Yours Ever
Edward Thomas
* about the travestying of Warner’s “Ring” at Covent Garden.