bring me in about five hundred pounds a year, and in
addition to that was the fluctuating two hundred and fifty
pounds income from my benefice. I took about three thousand
pounds out of my capital to pay the debts you ran up, to
article you to Mr. Praed; and, I must admit, to get my
"Tales from Taliessin" and "Legends of the Welsh Saints"
privately printed at Cardiff. I am afraid I wasted much good
money on the desire to see my Cymraeg studies in print.

Well: there I am! with about eight or nine thousand pounds
to leave. I have not altered my will--leaving it all to you,
subject to an annuity of L50 a year to your faithful Nannie.
I was projecting an alteration in case of your death, when
you most happily returned. I may live another ten years yet.
You have put new life into me. One charge, however, I was
going to have laid on you; while you were with me I could
not bear to speak of these matters. If at any time after I'm
gone you should come across your unhappy mother and find her
in distressed circumstances, I bid you provide for her, but
how much, I leave entirely to your judgment. Meantime, here
I am with an income of nearly L700 a year. I live very
simply, as you see, but I give away a good deal in local
charity. The people are getting better wages now; in any
case they are usually most ungrateful. I feel I should be
happier if I diverted some of this alms-giving to you. You
must find this preparatory life very expensive. You must let
me send you twenty-five pounds every half-year for pocket
money. Here is a cheque on the South Wales Bank for the
first instalment. And remember, if you are in _any_
difficulty about your career that a little money can get
over do not hesitate to apply to me.

Your loving father,
HOWEL VAUGHAN WILLIAMS.

P.S. I have taken five days to write this but see how steady
the handwriting is. It is a pleasure to me to look on my own
handwriting again. And I feel I owe it all to you! I also
forgot in the body of the letter to tell you one curious
thing. You know we are here on the borders of an interesting
vein of limestone which runs all round the coal beds. I dare
say you remember as a boy of fifteen or so spraining your
ankle in Griffith's Hole?