DIY History | Transcribe | World War I Diaries and Letters | Robert Morriss Browning correspondence to Mabel C. Williams, October 1917 | 1917-10-27 Robert M. Browning to Mavel C. Williams Page 3

Transcribe
Translate

Robert Morriss Browning correspondence to Mabel C. Williams, October 1917

1917-10-27 Robert M. Browning to Mavel C. Williams Page 3

paraphrase a line from your letter - "it is just human masculine nature," I guess, kept me foolishly (illegible) hopeful.  Or maybe it's just my youth. - Go ahead, say it! I know you think it.  Let's hear it.
Thank you, no, I don't believe I should permit my friends to knit things for me.  I feel that I'll have to buy a Spaulding sweater and give it to the Red Cross to square myself for the one I'm letting Her knit me.  You needn't fear any deep emotion about me personally when I "give up all I have and hope for", for I haven't a thing and hope only for a chance to serve a while against Prussianism, and, of course I'm not giving up that hope at all by being here.  I should rather expect the civilian emotion to be one of envy than anything else at this time.  Does the Italian situation leave you as confident of an early peace as you were?  You know any peace we could get now would be an armistice, really, and I trust that no one in authority is ready to accept that.  We must settle this, not merely postpone it a few years for the next generation to fight over again.  Don't you agree?
Did you resent my page of "Life"?  "We silly men folks do do those things, however, and, so far as I can see, you will just have to tolerate it."
I realize that this letter is a horrible jumble and I doubt whether I ought to mail it, but if you are to have any accurate conception of how the wheels are going round in my cortex I s'pose you'll have to walk through all this trash.  It's down now, anyway, and if I don't mail it I'll never get such an accurate picture of my mental hash before you, so
Good night
Bob
P.S. Guess I better sleep before I write Marie, else the result might be more disastrous.  Is it not so?

Saving...

paraphrase a line from your letter - "it is just human masculine nature," I guess, kept me foolishly (illegible) hopeful. Or maybe it's just my youth. - Go ahead, say it! I know you think it. Let's hear it. Thank you, no, I don't believe I should permit my friends to knit things for me. I feel that I'll have to buy a Spaulding sweater and give it to the Red Cross to square myself for the one I'm letting Her knit me. You needn't fear any deep emotion about me personally when I "give up all I have and hope for", for I haven't a thing and hope only for a chance to serve a while against Prussianism, and, of course I'm not giving up that hope at all by being here. I should rather expect the civilian emotion to be one of envy than anything else at this time. Does the Italian situation leave you as confident of an early peace as you were? You know any peace we could get now would be an armistice, really, and I trust that no one in authority is ready to accept that. We must settle this, not merely postpone it a few years for the next generation to fight over again. Don't you agree? Did you resent my page of "Life"? "We silly men folks do do those things, however, and, so far as I can see, you will just have to tolerate it." I realize that this letter is a horrible jumble and I doubt whether I ought to mail it, but if you are to have any accurate conception of how the wheels are going round in my cortex I s'pose you'll have to walk through all this trash. It's down now, anyway, and if I don't mail it I'll never get such an accurate picture of my mental hash before you, so Good night Bob P.S. Guess I better sleep before I write Marie, else the result might be more disastrous. Is it not so?