All He Ever Wanted(76)
With much respect,Etna Van Tassel
The Hotel Thrupp
October 30, 1914
Dear Mrs. Van Tassel,
I wish to express my deepest sympathies upon the death of your uncle, William Bliss. Although, sadly, I did not know the man, the high esteem in which he was held by the entire Thrupp College community is only too evident. If I may be of service to you in any way during this difficult time, please do not hesitate to let me know.
Your obedient servant,
Phillip Asher
Holyoke Street
November 14, 1914
Dear Professor Asher,
Forgive me for having taken so long to acknowledge your kind letter of sympathy. My uncle William was a loving husband, devoted father, and an esteemed professor. He will be much missed. I am sorry, too, that you were not able to meet him. I am sure the two of you would have enjoyed each other’s company.
Your humble friend,Etna Van Tassel
The Hotel Thrupp
November 16, 1914
Dear Mrs. Van Tassel,
I should not like to intrude upon your period of mourning except to say that I am sorry I did not attend the funeral service of William Bliss. I thought, under the circumstances, it would be best to stay away.
With perfect consideration for your loss,
Phillip Asher
Holyoke Street
November 18, 1914
Dear Mr. Asher,
I assure you that you gave us no offense by not attending my uncle’s funeral service. There were many there to mourn him, including, we were most gratified to see, a good number of his former students. This was, I think, a great testament to his success as a teacher of physics.
I do not know when next my husband and I shall be able to invite you to our house for dinner. I find that I have been hit unexpectedly hard by the loss of my uncle. Why, I do not know, since I had ample warning of his death. It seems to have opened a vein of feeling that I thought I had successfully closed. My father died shortly after the unhappy incident with your brother, and I think those two events and this one are linked in my heart.
I hope your brother is well. I should be grateful for any news of him.
Affectionately yours, Etna Bliss Van Tassel
The Hotel Thrupp
November 20, 1914
Dear Mrs. Van Tassel,
My brother is in London, having been seconded to the Admiralty for the duration of the war in Europe. All that he is able to tell us about his work is that it has to do with astronomy and navigation, which, as you may recall, was his field when he was teaching at Exeter. My brother emigrated to Toronto shortly after his relationship with you ended. He has been a professor of Astronomy and Navigation in Toronto since 1897. Samuel’s wife, Ardith, and their four children will remain in that city until such time as it is safe to travel to London. We all pray for a swift and just end to the conflict in Europe.
I must tell you that the memory of your arrival at my parents’ home on that snowy January morning is among the most meaningful of my early adulthood. It was on that day that I first glimpsed the ferocity of love that lies behind the veil of polite comportment. It was a terrible moment for all concerned, but one which I have carried with me for years. I cannot condone or entirely forgive my brother’s behavior that day, nor have I ever understood it. Indeed, it was years before we were able to have an honest conversation or correspondence.
Believe me affectionately yours,
Phillip Asher
Holyoke Street
November 23, 1914
Dear Mr. Asher,
I am deeply sorry to learn that I was, however peripherally, the cause of a rift between you and your brother. I hope such a rift is well and truly healed. Samuel and I had a difficult, not to say impossible, situation, and he did what he felt was entirely necessary. Over time, I have come to understand that decision and make peace with it. Samuel had many wonderful qualities, and I loved him deeply. Whatever you saw on my face that day was genuine.
I do not remember seeing you in that house on that snowy morning. I daresay that my mission and my subsequent unhappiness blinded me to the presence of everyone but your brother. I do remember a tennis game at the school courts, however. As I recall, you hit the ball well over the fence and out onto the street.
I hope you will have a pleasant Thanksgiving in Thrupp, though I am sure you will miss your family in Exeter.
Your humble friend,Etna Van Tassel
The Hotel Thrupp
November 24, 1914
Dear Mrs. Van Tassel,
I am pleasantly embarrassed to think you recall that dreadful shot into the street. I confess I have never been an accomplished tennis player.
Your husband has sent round a note just now asking me to your house for a drink at half past five o’clock tonight. I feel I cannot decline, but I wish I could speak with you on the matter before I go. I look forward to seeing you should you be there this evening.
In the matter to which we have been referring in our previous correspondence, let me just say that the sight of your face on that morning so many years ago has remained for me a standard by which I judge my own affection for any woman with whom I am close, and the affection of any woman for me. I count you among the most fortunate of persons to have felt so strongly for another human being, however unhappy the outcome. Is this not the point of our existence?