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21, ARLINGTON STREET,
S. W. 1.
August 10th, 1920
Dear Mr Buchan,
Many thanks for your letter and for sending me the
proofs of your sketch of the Grenfell Twins.
I have not been able to read it through. But I have
looked over it a good deal and it seems to me admirably
done, But I must say frankly that to read this sort
of books is to me so depressing that I cannot bring myself
to do it. I am sure the essence of happiness is
always to look forward; and to look back on what are neces-
sarily pathetic or tragical reminiscences is of all mental
exercises to me the most distasteful. But even apart
from this reluctance to do more than skim through these
interesting pages, I am obliged to go away tomorrow and
am busy today, so that it is out of the question that
I could give the book anything like careful scrutiny.