To his sister Mary Capell
30 June, '16 [1916]
6th Lon. Fd. Amb. [Hersin]
My dear Mary:
I am awfully glad you have had a holiday, & was much interested in
hearing of your doings. Jo says you are deep in Balzac. Ages since I read
any Balzac, but how enthralled I was:– "Lost Illusions" & the rest.
Why don't you try him in French? I don't know how I should like him now.
Nearly everything I used to admire seems now colourless & thin. What shall
we read after the war? I think we shall want something harsher, more
genuine than the old stuff. Even Shelley & Browning have lately seemed to
have weaknesses I usen't to see.
Rain, rain, here. Every day, – not all day of course, but the general
impression is wet, & the poor trench-men come back in a lamentable state.
The other evening Trottie & I went up to our "ridge" to look at the
shelling. – A wondrous clear evening; and the sight of that unimaginable
battlefield never fails to enthrall me. I could tell you thrilling tales
of the little affair hereabouts of the other night, but this is not the
moment, my dear. – I think nothing in the whole history of things – Greeks
in wooden horses & Joshua bringing down city's walls with trumpets – has
been more adventurous & romantic than some of these little affairs.
I have had letters from Auntie L. & Isabel – best thanks for the
snapshots: some of them are really precious! Certainly I want to keep
them. I think that some of the pictures of the dear Mother are better than
any I have seen of her. Josie's aren't quite so successful. I am not
quite clear about James Evans' occupation. I wrote a line to him the
other day, & hope he will keep up his pecker. One thing – the whole
business must surely be over before he is called on to see the real
thing.
Goodbye, my dear, I am leading a dull & quite undistinguished life.
Roffe is on hospital duty, & Willett is "up the line". My love to the
dear Mother. Richard
[The next day the battle of the Somme began.]