Letter from Frances Hodgkins to Isabel Field
Date
26 Mar 1940
See full details
See transcription
Object Detail
Date
26 Mar 1940
Transcript
Corfe Castle, Dorset March 26th
My Dearest Sis
I have had your letter waiting to be answered I felt I shall ignore the date but I see that you have tactfully not dated it so I shall take it as a letter only just received. In any case your letters are interesting to read at any time and do not date themselves.
It was good to hear from you. I was delighted to see your handwriting again which in spite of the stiff thumb is firm & legible as ever. It was good of you to write when it was so painful. These days that is quite a feat to be able to manage a letter at all. One just lives from day to day & hopes for the best. I always know that sooner or later you and I will write. Neither of us has the letter habit and leave it to Willie who is the only one of us at all family minded in this respect. It certainly is his métier. I am thankful for his letters. If I was not so busy I would be unbearably lonely & homesick for you all. I feel if this horrible war lasts very long I shall be a neurotic old introvert if you know what that is, but I must stick to tin tacks as I am in a bit of a rush & feeling rather hot & bothered having to go to London for the P.V of my own Show opening April 4th. I have written Willie all my news up to date and asked him to send it on to you. I am very interested in what you tell me about him and his way of life. His letters are full of enthusiasm & interest, above all affection & loyalty for his millions ! of friends - past & present – young, old & decrepit whose names I forget but whose faces sometimes haunt me when I think of my girlhood in N Z and how completely I have lost touch what that past life. It was inevitable. In gaining a public I have lost my friends. Artist are terribly lonely people. The serious ones I of course mean. Be glad none of yr family inclines that way.
I wish I could fly over now and see you all. It is hard to believe your Peter is 33 & married. Of course no girl is good enough for him. She sounds a good sort & has a good Cornish name. Good luck to them. Don't fret will you. Fretting is a sin.
Don't laugh if you receive by post a many coloured shawl, which the Cornish fisherwives wear, also artists. I bought it from an artist friend who is having a very sticky time just now and for fun, and also because I think you'll like its gay Victorian colour reminding you of antimacassar days of long ago. Any way it will keep you nice & warm the point of the shawl should touch the ground behind - worn with a black dress it can look pretty good. Not to be displayed as an antimac, not on any account.
Also about the same time you may receive a Christmas present. I have forgotten what it is, but it was meant to reach you late in January but was never posted. We were all knocked sideways with the terrible cold & normal life suspended for the time being. We are slowly getting back to normal, more or less and my very quiet life proceeds as usual, but I have scars. I found this parcel today all done up & nowhere to go, so am sending it along.
Bye Bye Sis Dear I have no time for more. Keep in good heart. Mothers are such terribly important & valuable people to their family and beyond. Give my love to Will. I hope his health is better. Keep well. All my love Frances
If you hear that cabbages are 1/6 you can believe it but only during the Easter holiday.
My Dearest Sis
I have had your letter waiting to be answered I felt I shall ignore the date but I see that you have tactfully not dated it so I shall take it as a letter only just received. In any case your letters are interesting to read at any time and do not date themselves.
It was good to hear from you. I was delighted to see your handwriting again which in spite of the stiff thumb is firm & legible as ever. It was good of you to write when it was so painful. These days that is quite a feat to be able to manage a letter at all. One just lives from day to day & hopes for the best. I always know that sooner or later you and I will write. Neither of us has the letter habit and leave it to Willie who is the only one of us at all family minded in this respect. It certainly is his métier. I am thankful for his letters. If I was not so busy I would be unbearably lonely & homesick for you all. I feel if this horrible war lasts very long I shall be a neurotic old introvert if you know what that is, but I must stick to tin tacks as I am in a bit of a rush & feeling rather hot & bothered having to go to London for the P.V of my own Show opening April 4th. I have written Willie all my news up to date and asked him to send it on to you. I am very interested in what you tell me about him and his way of life. His letters are full of enthusiasm & interest, above all affection & loyalty for his millions ! of friends - past & present – young, old & decrepit whose names I forget but whose faces sometimes haunt me when I think of my girlhood in N Z and how completely I have lost touch what that past life. It was inevitable. In gaining a public I have lost my friends. Artist are terribly lonely people. The serious ones I of course mean. Be glad none of yr family inclines that way.
I wish I could fly over now and see you all. It is hard to believe your Peter is 33 & married. Of course no girl is good enough for him. She sounds a good sort & has a good Cornish name. Good luck to them. Don't fret will you. Fretting is a sin.
Don't laugh if you receive by post a many coloured shawl, which the Cornish fisherwives wear, also artists. I bought it from an artist friend who is having a very sticky time just now and for fun, and also because I think you'll like its gay Victorian colour reminding you of antimacassar days of long ago. Any way it will keep you nice & warm the point of the shawl should touch the ground behind - worn with a black dress it can look pretty good. Not to be displayed as an antimac, not on any account.
Also about the same time you may receive a Christmas present. I have forgotten what it is, but it was meant to reach you late in January but was never posted. We were all knocked sideways with the terrible cold & normal life suspended for the time being. We are slowly getting back to normal, more or less and my very quiet life proceeds as usual, but I have scars. I found this parcel today all done up & nowhere to go, so am sending it along.
Bye Bye Sis Dear I have no time for more. Keep in good heart. Mothers are such terribly important & valuable people to their family and beyond. Give my love to Will. I hope his health is better. Keep well. All my love Frances
If you hear that cabbages are 1/6 you can believe it but only during the Easter holiday.
Pages
4 pages
Sender's address
Corfe Castle, Dorset
Institutional No.
MS-Papers-0085-44
Credit Line
Letters
from
Frances
Hodgkins.
Field,
Isabel
Jane,
1867-1950
:
Correspondence
of
Frances
Hodgkins
and
family
/
collected
by
Isabel
Field.
Ref:
MS-Papers-0085-44.
Alexander
Turnbull
Library,
Wellington,
New
Zealand.
https://natlib.govt.nz/records/23167563
https://natlib.govt.nz/records/23167563