HOARDINGLETTERS.

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 110, 11 May 1935, Page 18

HOARDINGLETTERS.

FAIR TO THE WRITERS?

ELLEN TERRY'S TO G.B S.

There are but few of us "who have not piles of old letters stacked'away in boxes and all kinds of receptacles and frequently we ask -ourselves "the question, "Shall they be destroyed or not?" In most cases.cv^e decide to keep them, mainly on the ground of sentimental reasons, states a writer in the "Queen."

But every now and then the thought arises—is it fan: to the writers to hold on to these old letters? Many of them were written in haste, some may be of a particularly outspoken nature, others may, contain expressions of opinion regarding friends held in common, perhaps a few may be of a sentimental nature referring to times and matters that have long since passed away.

The question has come home to many of us by reason of the memorandum which accompanied the gift by Mr. Bernard Shaw to the ' British Museum of the letters which Miss Ellen Terry addressed to hinv between 1892 and 1922. ■•■■-. .. - .-:-•

"These letters,'" says Mr.'Shaw, "owe then? preservation td the unique .handwriting which made every page written by Ellen Terry a picture which I could no more destroy that I- could tear up the leaves of the liUttrell Psalter." , ■;

■ And he adds,' later: "A ■•bare statement that the reason was purely calligraphic would perhaps be an oversimplification, but5 if you add- to -the beauty of her handwriting the' vivid expression of the spontaneity, frankness, and impetuosity with which-.she flung her thought and feeling ori paper, you will understand that her .letters were .too much .a. part. of herself <t» be torn up and sent to the dustbin." THE REVERSE SIDE OF THE PICTURE. / These are possibly excellgnt reasons for preserving the letters of a-great national figure like Ellen Terry... But there is the reverse side of the picture. Would the great actress have desired that every word she wrote" to van ultimate friend on the spur of the moment, written perhaps without detailed consideration, and perhaps involving judgments on other friends,1 "should. be given to the world at large, to be read by those who had. no idea what was passing in her' mind at -the ' time? Surely this.is a matter fop-reasonable' doubt? .'-■" -- •' . '-•

Mr. Shaw says that he was-impressed in his youth by the habit of Charles Dickens of burning, as-things -pregnant with' incalculable rhischief,: a' great■ accumulation of letters from celebrated people of his time. And he-adds, thus having himself received >■ "great quantities of. letters from the great; ha has destroyed them as they came, "except when there was some quite unsentimental reason for preserving them." i; Had, therefore, Mr."Shaw- followed this policy in the caseVof Ellen Terry, her letters would have met %itti ■ the sariie-fate, but for their beautiful handwriting. - Accordingly, .we must; ask ourselves:''' Was this' sufficient' "reason for taking a-'cour&e-which- the' writee might not" have approved?i-: ":>■ -~..

It is a case for individual judgment. But there does-seem one'rule 'that should apply to us all in every case ot old letters. It is, that if we decide to preserve them, we should, at-any rate, read - them carefully- to see that nothing is kept that contains any allusion which might give-pain to some other personT"" .-'■■■ ■•'.- -

This is a duty, not only to ourselves and those" referred' to, "~bj& also to th« writers of the .letters; .;- . - •