Enclosure – Letter from Catherine Nicholson, signed "Kate"

This was sent
And was meant
To be read
Only in bed.
With a bottle
For your throttle
Of some[CN] medicine
And an aspirin
To sustain you
If this pain you.
My apology
For this mudlology.
Here's my love.
And good wishes
From this dove
And little fishes.
[figure - figure – drawing of nested bird] [figure - figure – drawing of a can of sardines]
31. Alma Square.
North. West 8.
It'is not done, not fare
to lick your pl81.
[figure - figure – drawing of man licking a dinner plate]
What ××××2, all square.
In good st83.
[figure - figure – drawing of man bending over a square block of ice cream]
31st picture layer
In the T84.
[figure - figure – 3 figures seated, waiting with canes while the "31 layers" look at gallery pictures]
I'll become a llama fare5
Near Afghan st86.
[figure - figure – drawing of a person in a kaftan handing a llama a 1st prize award]
×××× [indecipherable] I shouldn't like, to meet a bare7
With his M88
[figure - figure – drawing of two bears]
Just had a nightmare.
In bad st89.
[figure - figure – drawing of a frightened person in bed]
Right some, Answer clare.10
Wipe your sl811!
[figure - figure – drawing of a student showing slate to a teacher]
A fish one tone, I caught hyare12
With live b813.
[figure - figure – drawing of two figures, one fishing, the other showing the size of the one-tonne fish]
With a gone14, I shot a hare
on what d815?
[figure - figure – drawing of a Diary that says "DIARY ?:11:37 I shot a hare today" ]
The flirty one is not fare16
Such is f817.
[figure - figure – drawing of a dark-haired person's face]
This action done, all men fyare18
The open g819.
[figure - figure – drawing of a man planting a sign that says "BEWARE MAD DOG!" in front of gateposts marked with "THE ELMS ×××× [indecipherable] " and "146 ×××× [indecipherable] BELL " ]
I must rone, up the stare20
For I'm l821.
Move it one, to that square,
Now checkm822
[figure - figure – drawing of two figures playing chess]
'In the sone', – we must be fare23
Is Germany's st824
[figure - figure – drawing of a face saying "We Germans must have a place in the Colonial sun!" ]
Boy thic25 sone26, Thic27 yer chare28,
Be moighty nate.29
[figure - figure – drawing of figure gesturing at a chair under a blazing sun]
See you soon, at Alma Square
Best love KateXXXXXX.

Editorial Notes

1i.e. plate eds.
2i.e. fun eds.
3i.e. state eds.
4i.e. Tate Gallery eds.
5i.e. fair eds.
6i.e. state eds.
7i.e. bear eds.
8i.e. mate eds.
9i.e. state eds.
10i.e. Write some, answer clear eds.
11i.e. slate eds.
12A one-tonne fish, I caught here eds.
13i.e. bait eds.
14i.e. gun eds.
15i.e. date eds.
16i.e. fair eds.
17i.e. fate eds.
18i.e. fear eds.
19i.e. gate eds.
20i.e. I must run, up the stair eds.
21i.e. late eds.
22i.e. checkmate eds.
23i.e. 'In the sun', – we must be fair eds.
24i.e. state eds.
25? eds.
26i.e. sun eds.
27? eds.
28i.e. chair eds.
29i.e. Be mighty ? eds.

Hands Referenced

    • Annotation: pencil correction of enclosure
    • Character: regular
    • Ink: lead

Places Mentioned

  • Alma Square

    London, Westminster, England
    Between Maida Vale and Abbey Road; R.G. & L.R. lived there in the winter of 1937. eds

People Mentioned

  • Catherine

    Nicholson, Catherine
    Catherine Nicholson: (1922- ) third of four children of Robert Graves and Nancy Nicholson. eds.

Organizations Mentioned

  • Editors

    Editors of the Graves Diary Project.