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Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library© 1997 By the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia. All rights reserved.
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Jesse Belle Rittenhouse Collection, Accession 8449, Special Collections Department, University of Virginia Library
Deposit 1963 Dec 17 [ 1966 Nov 30 ]
Funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities
[Accompanies preceding poems, indicating they are "passing moods -that will not pass."]
[Expresses regret at missing his visit; invites him to join her at the home of Mr. and Mrs. C. D. Gilchrist in Arlington ; describes her itinerary in coming weeks including lectures at Rutland and Bennington, Vermont and a Western lecture tour beginning in February.]
[Describes travels in Italy to Rome , Florence , Venice and the lakes.]
[Comments on his Christmas greeting, her trip to Europe and the many demands on her time since returning; invites him to her annual poets' party; expresses hope that Lizette Woodworth Reese and several others will be present and invites him to an Arts Club dinner.]
[Announces the dates for her poets' party and the Poetry Society [of America] dinner; requests his presence at both; state her expectation that Alice Brown , Elsa Barker , Vachel Lindsey , Olive Dargan and the New York group will attend; expresses appreciation for the evening spent together; hopes she will have the opportunity to discuss with him a book Houghton wishes to publish.]
[Invites him to her poets' party and [ Poetry Society of America ] dinner; expects [Robert] Frost and [Edgar Lee] Masters to speak.]
[Comments on letters received from him during his travels; outlines her lecture tour; describes the overwhelming hospitality she receives at every stop and the difficulty of writing poetry under such circumstances; expresses desire to lecture less and write more; describes the Poetry Society [of America] dinner attended by Lawrence Housman , Siegfried Sassoon , [William Butler] Yeats , Gilbert [Cannon] , Yone Noguchi ; comments on the ghostly presence of those no longer there: Edith Thomas , Joyce Kilmer , and [Madison] Cawein . ]
[Thanks him for the inscribed book of Japanese poetry; expresses her admiration for it; mentions a young cousin, Arthur Armstrong , who will be attending Dartmouth , her living accommodations with her mother at Carmel , completing The Little Book of Modern British Verse and plans for beginning "Pioneering for Poetry"; states plans to marry Clinton Scollard and divide the year between California and the Berkshires . ]
[Regrets missing the events of the Poetry Society [of America] and [Anne Hempstead] Branch 's reception due to her mother's poor health; describes her literary life in Winter Park, [Florida] where she is president of the Poetry Society of Florida and teaches at Rollins college ; mentions other writers in the area: Percy [MacKaye] , Robert Herrick , Mary Aldis , Cale Young Rice , Alice Hegan Rice , [Irving] Bacheller and his wife, Fred Lewis Pattee and [Hamilton] Holt . ]
[Comments on Poetry Society [of America] election of trustees; describes her activities as President of the Poetry Society [of Florida] , teaching at Rollins College ; states her intention to attend spring meetings [of the Poetry Society of America ]; mentions other writers living in the [ Winter Park ] area: Percy MacKaye , Cale Young Rice , Alice Hegan Rice , Irving Bacheller , Robert Herrick as well as noted people in other fields; sends a program of the Animated Magazine . ]
[Requests that he act as a judge in the Ponce de Leon Prize contest in the Poetry Society of Florida , the other judges being Lady [Leona ?] Speyer and Margaret Widdenmer ; describes the contest and method of judging; states her intention of attending the April meeting of the P[oetry] S[ociety of America] and her sense of anticipation at being in New York . ]
[Describes weather, social and intellectual life of [Winter Park], Florida ; mentions the MacKaye s, Rice s, Robert Herrick , Robert Morse Lovett , the Bacheller s, Albert Shaw , Oswald Garrison Villard , Lincoln Steffins , Raymond Robbins , Dr. [Hamilton] Holt , as well as the Institute of Statesmanship , which has brought Professor Bruce of Dartmouth ; comments on [Martha Dickinson] Bianchi 's talk on Emily Dickinson and the discovery of new Dickinson poems.] (Incomplete)
[Expresses pleasure that he will serve as judge [of a poetry contest]; explains the balloting procedure; states he is to receive poems from Arthur Guiterman ; requests he select a third judge; mentions Leonora [Speyer ?] , [Joseph] Auslander , or a member of the Poetry Society [of America] as possibilities; describes the poems a well done in general; writes that the best of them are by Rollins College students.]
[Discusses affairs of the [Poetry] Society [of America] , the selection of chairman and secretary of the awards committee; indicates her vote will go to Witter and Grace Conkling ; mentions the possibility of awarding 2 medals; mentions [Edwin Arlington] Robinson , [Robert] Frost and [Marian Nevins] MacDowell as possible recipients; suggests Robert Haven Schauffler or David Morton as potential candidates for president but urges Page to continue that office if possible.]
[Comments on her surprise and delight at receiving a silver tea service from her friends; expresses her intention of writing personal thanks to the hundred contributors; states the poor health of her mother-in- law will prevent travel abroad this season; describes [Mrs. Scollard] as a brilliant woman, knowledgeable about politics, unlike herself who declares "the world is full of things more beautiful."]
[Describes injuries sustained from being thrown from a horse drawn trap and her subsequent convalescence; expresses hope that he will visit her home in Kent, Connecticut ; describes alternate routes to her cottage; mentions her plans to travel to Grafton, Massachusetts , through the White Mountains to New York City ; states a new collection of her poems, The Lifted Cap , will be published in autumn, including a group of poems written to Page.]
[Scolds him for not sending her a picture of himself in uniform as he had to Elsa Parker ; inquires about his life in the army; describes a recent illness, plans to travel and lecture in the West and South; mentions talks at Brooklyn Institute and her longing to go to Italy when travel resumes.]
[Describes her summer in the Green Mountains near Arlington, [Vermont] and her trip with another member of the Poetry Society [of America] Mr. Gilchrist and his wife, to bring Robert Frost to give a reading to a group of "summer folk"; states that on the way they stopped in Hanover, Connecticut ; describes her trip to Page's home and her discovery that it had been sold; extolls the beauty of the area and her love of the mountains; describes her mother's recovery from serious illness, her own renewed vigor and upcoming lectures at Columbia [University] , Indianapolis , the West and South.] (Incomplete)
[Discusses her mother's poor health, the upcoming poets' party; expects [William Butler] Yeats , [Siegfried] Sassoon , [Yone] Noguchi , Gilbert [Cannon ?] , Lawrence Housman , the [John] Drinkwater s and Cecil Roberts to attend in addition to the "usual" American group; describes her participation in a luncheon at the Biltmore with John Drinkwater and Gilbert [Cannon ?] ; comments on Cecil Roberts ' endearing qualities; mentions that Professor [John Livingston] Lowes will speak at the annual dinner [of the Poetry Society of America ?]; outlines her lecture tour of the West and South; indicates she is sending several poems [" Transformation , " " The Miracle , " " Unsung , " and " The Wall "] inspired by Page's departure and describes the circumstances in which she wrote them.]
[Describes summer vacation with her aunt, Mrs. Taft, at Bear Island on Lake Winnipesakee, [New Hampshire] and at the MacDowell estate in Peterboro, [New Hampshire] with its lovely studios and living facilities.] (Incomplete)
[Printed card of thanks for Page's expression of sympathy; includes handwritten note describing Clinton [Scollard] 's apparent good health and the shock of his death; describes her activities in Winter Park , teaching at Rollins College , and editing Clinton's poems for MacMillan Co. ; mentions Page's rare book venture.]
[Indicates she is sending a "brief lyric" she finds charming; praises his poem " Lady from Tripoli " and encourages him to write more; comments on her reading of [August] Strindberg ; mentions sending for " The Road to [Castaly ?] ".]
[Discusses "Harriet," whose dinner conflicted with another one given by the [ Poetry Society of America ?]; mentions plans for the [John] Masefield luncheon and her hope Page will be present.]
[Expresses pleasure that Page will be present at the "poets' evening" and dinner; comments on his retreat "among the pines" and her hopes of having the opportunity during his visit of hearing some of his work; lists those expected to attend the poets' night as Richard Burton , Clinton Scollard , Percy MacKaye , Josephine Peabody , Sara Teasdale , Harriet Monroe , Herman Hagedorn , Cale Young Rice , [Alice Hagen] Rice , [Martha Dickinson] Bianchi , Mark [Arms ?] , Edith Thomas , [Frederick Ridgely] Torrence , [Charles Hanson] Towne , [Edwin Arlington] Robinson , and [William Bliss] Carman . ]
[Includes autograph; comments on her mother's illness, her lecture tour, an upcoming month of work at Brooklyn Institute , her hope Page will be coming to New York ; praises his poem and urges him to write more; mentions a lecture in Montclair, [New Jersey] in postscript.]
[Expresses gratitude for Page's help in judging poems competing for prize; mentions " Anaesthesia " the winner of the competition, " Exile , " " The Flute of Krishna , " " Protest , " and " Beauty Secret "; expresses her willingness to speak on the history of the Poetry Society [of America] ; gives details on its founding; mentions Mrs. Markham, Miss Haste, Richard Burton , Madison Cawein , Mildred McNeil Sweeney , [Cale Young] Rice and [Alice Hagen] Rice and Maurice Browne . ]
[Sends Christmas greetings and the hope that work is going well; notes good notices on the [Ronsard ?].]
[Sends Christmas greetings; comments on plans to spend the winter in Florida . ]
[Compliments Page on his talk to the Poetry Society [of America] upon taking office; expresses confidence in his leadership; describes working with Rollins College students, to assist Dr. [Hamilton] Holt ; states intention of sending Florida poets and poems to the P[oetry] S[ociety] of A[merica] ; expresses hope that Page will like her Third Book of Modern Verse which she considers her best.]
[Invites him to her poets' party; comments on lectures given at Columbia and Brooklyn Institute ; expresses anticipation of seeing Page and hearing of his work.]
[Encourages him to come to Winter Park ; mentions summer spent in Europe from which she "just escaped in time."]