Decca, p.24
Decca, page 24
By the way, did I tell you I got a letter from my glorious solicitor, and it seems that I automatically get 1/3 of Col. Romilly’s128 estate, which he says is “considerable,” and consists of docks, ground rents, etc.129 This has nothing to do with Dinky’s possible claim under the marriage settlement! … I don’t suppose I’ll ever actually get it, rather difficult to get the docks out of England; but it does seem to offer hopes of coming back to England again one day, if I can only pry loose my passport. A friend of ours in NY, Leonard Boudin,130 got his after about 3 years of fighting in the courts about it, so there may be hope.…
Love from Decca
To Lady Redesdale
Oakland
October 21, 1956
Darling Muv,
Thanks for your letter. I’ve been away for a week (my only hol this year) and returned to find it. We get the New Yorker, and saw the poem when it first came out. In fact almost every issue, for weeks, has had some correspondence about Noblesse Oblige, Nancy must be selling millions here. She told me over 10,000 were sold in the U.S. the first week. Isn’t it extraorder? …
My Glorious Solicitor wrote (more stuff about the mythical estate, I do wonder if it really exists?) and he said Lifeitselfmanship was reviewed in the Observer (no one sent it to me, do get hold of some and send them, he said it was in the October 14th paper). He also says some publishers who are friends of his, Lawrence & Wishart, want to republish it in England! So of course I wrote back immediately saying I was longing…. Orders keep pouring in by mail, I’m terrified we are going to have to mimeograph more, it is such a bother, Nancy is so lucky not to have to.
I had a lovely hol, only too sad that Bob couldn’t come, he was afraid there would be an awful pile of work if he did. I went to a place called Laguna Beach with the Krotsers, friends of ours (Henderson met them when she was here).… I tried to arrange for Dinky to fly down Friday after school as there was one party where there were a lot of boys and girls of her age. I telephoned Bob to see if she could come; he said he didn’t know.…By Friday, I was longing to know if she was coming, but didn’t want to go to the expense of another phone call. So I put in a person to person call at Bob’s office for MRS. S. CONSTANCIA CUMMING.131 First of all his stupid secretary kept saying there was no one there of that name, but finally I got the operator to talk to Bob and she reported back that the party I was calling was at home and could be reached at home any time over the weekend. So I cancelled the call. Do tell Susan, I know she will be pleased at my frugality, remember how simply furious she was when I rang her up in England from her flat in Paris? By the way that is the favourite story of our trip among our friends here, they think it confirms that our family must be completely mad…
I must rush now as masses of people are coming to lunch,
Best love from Decca
To Aranka Treuhaft
Oakland
November 14, 1956
Dear Aranka,
Thanks so much for your letter & lovely blank check…
We have also been terribly upset about the awful happenings in Hungary.132 I don’t think my opinion is worth much, but since you ask I’ll give it. Incidentally, I find little agreement among my friends about it. I am pretty sure that the revolt was originated by workers and students with most justified grievances. Why couldn’t we see signs of this while we were there?133 I don’t know. We thought there was a high degree of unity around the regime. Sure there were privations and hardships, but it seemed to us that the people were not only better off than before (on Bob’s observations, from previous trips) but that above all the youth and children were benefiting enormously and were far better off than those in Austria, France etc. However, the revolt and the continuing general strike would indicate that economic grievances of the people are extremely deep seated. Not to speak of their demands for National independence, symbolized by demands for return to Hungarian flags, uniforms etc and an end to compulsory Russian courses in the schools. However I also gather from the news releases that the rebels were quickly joined by fascists and that a “white terror” was being established. Because of this, I think in the long run the interests of the Hungarian people are best served by entry of Russian troops. The lack of any real news is most frustrating. Except for a few slim releases from the Government (such as the one agreeing to certain demands of the rebellion) it’s terribly hard to get a real picture. I worry terribly about the people we met there, specially the Strikers, and wonder if they are still alive. You may have seen in the papers that the National Committee of the U.S. Communist Party issued a resolution condemning the entry of Russian troops. I can’t agree with them as I fear that the bloodshed and disruption would have been far worse if they hadn’t come in. I think the Russians laid the groundwork for much of the present trouble by establishment of an authoritarian regime and undemocratic practices; but now the damage has been done, I think they had no alternative but to try to restore order and to preserve a socialist system in Hungary against what looks like a fascist coup.
Does this make sense? Probably not, but it’s the best I can do at the moment.134 I know you must worry too about your friends and relations there, and hope you can hear from them soon. We haven’t written anyone for fear of somehow causing them trouble.…
I enclose the bit on “Lifeitselfmanship” from the Observer, they sent me 15 guineas for it (about $45), which Pele and I will share.135 …
The Children are fine, except that Dinky seems to have hit a streak of boredom and dissatisfaction with life in general. I keep telling her that one is bound to be miserably unhappy at 15, I know I was, but she will soon be grown up and in control of her own destiny.…
The Firm136 is once more on the verge of going broke, but that always happens about this time of year so I’ve quit worrying. It seems none of the partners has the least idea of business administration, so there are always terrible forecasts of doom when the accountant comes.
Bob is looking into the Television possibilities.137 Thanks again very much for the lovely present.
Best love, Decca
p.s. What present would you and Edith like from my inheritance, if I really get it? Better put in for it soon, Aubrey is already insisting on a Scotch tweed overcoat, and others are putting in their bids.
To Nancy Mitford
Oakland
May 2, 1957
Darling Susan,
…You are so typical of the times. We roared at the Art Buchwald clipping.138 Sometimes his things are in our local paper, the Oakland Tribune, and I’ve been noting for that one but it hasn’t appeared yet. When it does I shall buy extra copies and post them at all the book shops, remember how all your books were withdrawn from the Vienna bookshops when he ran your comments on “Fools and Austrians”?
As I sit drinking my instant coffee from my plastic coffee cup, having just gotten out from under my electric blanket (are you noting gotten?) I long for you to visit my lovely home…
I’m soon off to Alabama to stay with the blissful Durrs, their daughter Lucy is getting married and I’m going for the wedding.139 I’m awfully excited as I haven’t seen them for years. The other daughter, Baby Sister (about 1 year older than the Donk) may be going to England this winter for an “au pair” job. I won’t tell her to look you up because remember how awful you were about poor Miss White, years ago? I just found some of your old letters about how you hated her. By the way I shall be furious if you hate Dinky, you must remember that she’s far more American than English by now.
Susan the thing is you don’t need a weighing machine, just find out how many stamps the Ritz put on and then put on the same amount.140 Otherwise there’s no point in being back on writers.
Well I must go now to make some cookies for the kids.
You really are kind to offer to pay for Dinky, but I’m hoping to be quite rich by then so hope I can afford to. Did Muv tell you about my inheritance? Most extraorder, it seems the Romillies wrote their wills out all wrong and as a result they didn’t succeed in cutting me off, and I’m hoping for quite a bit.
Yr. loving Susan
To Marge Frantz141 Montgomery, Ala.
June 19, 1957
Dear Marge,
I wouldn’t have missed the wedding for anything. Oh dear I’ll neaver manage to finish this letter, I’m trying to work Virginie’s eleactric typewriter and it’s impossible. The a’s keep appearing when least expeacted.
Lucy has become a spectacular Beauty, she is slightly prettier than Grace Kelly. The Durr dining room is completely filled with a display of wedding presents, in odd contrast to the very roaachy kitchen (Virginia: “Well I declare, this is the first time I’ve ever had roaches in my house, I can’t understand it.” Me: “Virginia, that was the annual slogan on Seminary Hill. Every summer roaches would appear in hordes, and every summer you used to say ‘Well I declare this is the first time etc. etc.’” She had to admit a certain truth in this.)
a
The wedding was preceded by innumerable lunches, evening parties with Ladies Home Journal type food (croquettes, creamed asaparagus, ice cream in shape of bridal shoes, jellied salads, etc. etc.) where the conversation tended to run in similar channels: “My, you look lovely.” “I deaclare I never did see a prettier bride than Lucy.” “Well Tilla will be the next one now,”142 and similar gems of wisdom and erudition. Lucky I slaved over my clothes, they turned out to be OK thanks to a full week of fretting over them involving Pele, Kathy, Mimi, Do, and everyone else I could lay hands on.…
I had an interesting conversation with Lucy’s father-in-law. He is a leading light from Birmingham, on the school board etc. We were deploring the state of education all over, lack of provision for bright kids, etc. He asked me what was being done for them in Calif, so I told him about the speacial group at Washington Grammar School for children with IQ of over 150, and let drop the information that in the group are 1 white child, 2 orientals, 1 Negro. He said, in genuine amazement, “It don’t seem possible that no Nigra would have no IQ of no 150, do it now?”; I answered politely, “Well, I think it do seem possible, I don’t think no race has nothing to do with no IQ.” …
Good bye old Marge, this letter is becoming too much of a struggle to write, and you must say this is a nice long letter. I shall expect an answer.…
Love to all, Decca
Write me all about the UnAmerican hearings in S.F.
To Constancia Romilly
Montgomery
June 20, 1957
Darling Dinky,
Thanks so very much for the telegram, you were a good girl to send it as I got in a perfect stew thinking about you on the bus, & the night before I’d had a bad dream that you had missed a connection & you were crying in the bus station.143
I can’t wait to get a letter, & hear all about the people there, how you like it all, etc. etc…
Bob arrived yesterday at 5:30, he had had a perfectly gruelling 2 days before leaving because of the Un-American Committee. One man, a research scientist from Monterey, who was a client of Bert’s144 & had been subpoenaed by the committee, committed suicide Sunday night. He left a note saying he couldn’t stand the publicity.…
Do write a nice juicy letter telling all about the bus ride & all about Mexico City.…
Love from Dec
To Pele de Lappe
New York City
June 27, 1957
Dear Neighbor,
… Life here is being heavenly. I just wolfed down a roll, sweet butter & coffee. The air conditioning is humming away unobtrusively in one corner.
Last night we had delicious broiled lobster at the Sea Colony (downstairs) & then went on a Judy-escorted145 Village pub crawl. Poor old Bob was in an ordinary suit with tie, & drew disapproving stares from the bearded and Bermuda-shorted local yokels…
The New Yorkers are performing as usual—
Scene 1: Bob goes to nearby grocery for orange juice. Asks for frozen juice. Grocery man says it hasn’t come in yet, why not take a can of juice. Bob says no thanks. Man says, “What’s the matter, it’s the same thing. Look here, it’s hot outside. Why not take the canned juice? You don’t want to go on a look on a hot day like this”—Bob escapes.
Scene 2: Next morning he goes to same store, this time for rolls. Man sees him coming. “Juice? We got plenty juice today.” Bob: “No thanks, I want some rolls.” Man: “That’s life for you! Today I got plenty juice, he wants rolls!”
Act II, Scene i: I see an underclothes sale at Bloomingdale’s. Vanity Fair lingerie reduced to ¼ price. Decide to look for a nightgown to send my mother. I ask the clerk: “Have you got a size 40, long?”; Clerk: “No long ones. Why don’t you take a shortie?”; Me: “Well it’s for my mother, I don’t think she’d like a shortie.” Clerk: “You get her a long one, she is likely to trip on it & break her neck. Shorties are much cooler. They’re the thing of the future …” Me: “Yes but, don’t you see, she’s a thing of the PAST”—the argument rages on in a desultory way. Finally I make my escape.…146
Tomorrow I have an appointment with a book agent,147 will let you know what happens…
See you soon, Your loving Neighbor
To Constancia Romilly
Oakland
July 23, 1957
Darling Dinkydonk,
… I’m just wondering about the social life angle. I’m terrifically pleased that you’re having so much fun, also I think you’re right about a slight need to “loosen up.” But, (as Benj would say) do you really think it’s a good idea to make acquaintances so casually in a foreign country? The Nolin business sounds OK, because you met him through the other girls’ friends, but how about the 17-year olds you met at the bus stop, and the boy at the fountain who’s interested in you?
Although I don’t know Mexico, I do know other Catholic countries such as France, where it was possible to get into terrific jams by being more free and forward than the French girls. In other words, English girls (in my young day) had far more freedom than French girls, but if they acted in Paris the way they did at home it was frequently misunderstood, they were considered very “fast,” and were treated accordingly by the French boys. So be taking all this into consideration. You seem to have been left very much to sink or swim as far as social life is concerned by the Molinas, but even so I would consult Carmen quite a bit, and take her judgment about who to go out with etc.
I have the greatest confidence in you, but thought a word of advice might be a good thing, it might help avoid embarrassing situations.…
Write soon, and let me know what you think about my comments on your social life.…
Your loving Dec
By the way your letters are marvellous, terrifically funny and interesting. But NOT ENOUGH OF THEM.
To Lady Redesdale
Oakland
September 9, 1957
Darling Muv,
… Nancy wrote me a long account of her chat with Aranka, who she calls Cassandra, very appropriate name. She told Aranka that to Europeans, Russia and America are exactly the same, two enormous countries where you can’t get servants and where everything is machine made! I can just see Aranka’s reaction. So then Aranka countered by going on about Gracious Living, which she’s a great advocate of. It must have been a scream. I’m off writers with Aranka at the moment because all this summer I’ve had nothing but long wails from her about how awful I am to the children, and how I shouldn’t have sent Dink to Mexico or Benj to camp but should have had them Graciously Living here with us. Ghastly thought.
I must be off now, will write again soon,
love from Decca
To Aranka Treuhaft
Oakland
fall 1957
Dear Aranka,
Thanks so much for your letter.… [M]ost of my Fortune is still tied up in England and it looks as though it will remain so for some time. I did get $8,000, actually $8,111.74…. I’ve spent almost $2,000 that I put in a special account to be frittered away on things…
The frittering of the $2,000 has been terrific fun. I gave Dinky $500 for her to spend on clothes etc for her Europe trip.… I got Bob 2 new suits.… I got myself a grey flannel suit, 2 pairs of shoes and a cocktail dress from I. Magnin Designer Salon (you should have seen Bob and me in there choosing it, we did look so out of place. The saleslady said, “If I were you I wouldn’t wear any jewelry with it.” I told her, “That won’t be difficult at all.”) It cost $80, the most expensive dress I’ve ever had. I got Benj some new jeans, that’s all he ever seems to wear. Then I got dresses etc. for all my impoverished old friends.…
Dinkydonk is fine.… Her passport came, she’s definitely going to Europe, sailing July 9th on the Liberté with her best friend Katy Hollis. She’s considering going to the Alliance Française in Paris to study. I’ve been corresponding with Nancy and my mother, but I fear they live in Cloud Cuckoo Land and are not much help. For instance, Nancy keeps groaning about some girls she knew who got in the Family Way while in Paris, which after all could just as well happen in America, and doesn’t seem too likely.
Sorry about the peaceful coexistence—I HONESTLY didn’t mean to sound like that, it’s just my poor way of expressing myself, so please don’t take it that way. You know Virginia Durr is always saying that whereas most English people have a “stiff upper lip” mine has turned to concrete, she’s always accusing me of having a concrete upper lip.
I’m back on the book, finding it very difficult, increasingly so, but I’m determined to finish it. Bob is so wonderfully encouraging about it but at the same time he doesn’t get mad when I get stalled for weeks at a time and don’t do any writing. When and if it gets finished and I sell it, I’m going to be the sole support of the family, and make Bob save up all his money, it will be an interesting switch making him stick to a certain amount for a weekly allowance, as I do now.…
