Notebook 1: Green-Leach & du Maurier Controversy Part 3

Jan. 20th 1925

Mr. C. A A Parker   Editor   L.Alouette??

30 Waite St. Malden Mass

Dear Sir. Mr. Parker

Many thanks for yours of Jan 17th. I had not heard that your Magazine was passing into other hands but I had heard of course of the Green-Leach and du Maurier controversy.

As it was represented to me that Mrs. Green-Leach had not treated Miss du Maurier fairly I appealed to the members of the Circle as to whether they were prepared to vote any want of confidence in Mrs. Green-Leach, and I was assured on the contrary that they are full of loyalty and devotion to her and their sympathies entirely on her side. Most of them live in town and know both ladies equally intimately, (as I living in the country) "bloom unseen or waste their sweetness on the desert air." but should let their poems be a source of joy and inspiration to others. 

Yours Very Truly,

Lucy Derrick Swindells

This is one of those notes in which I'm not entirely sure the end goes with the beginning! The last page may actually be from another letter, but they were side by side in the notebook. At any rate, I'm assuming Mr. Parker was at one point the editor of a now defunct poetry magazine, which I couldn't find any references too. What's interesting is again Lucy broaching the subject of the infamous Green-Leach & du Maurier controversy! It's amazing to me that word of the controversy could have reached outside of Baltimore all the way to the offices of a magazine editor in Malden Massachusetts! - Carrie

Notebook 1: Poem for Mrs. Green-Leach

March 31st 1925

My dear Mrs. Green-Leach,

You expressed a wish last night to see the poem, "Hot afternoons have been in Montanta" and I remembered sending the cutting to Mrs.Valliant who at a former meeting expressed the same wish. 

I did not know she would return it, but she has kindly done so. This morning & I got it back this morning. I am therefore very pleased to be able to send it on to you. 

With our love,

Very Sincerely yours, 

Lucy Derrick Swindells

One of the joys of reading Lucy's letters is reading and learning about the poems she references. I had a very clever & kind English teacher in 11th grade named Mrs. Little.. Mrs. Little opened up the world of poetry to me in a way I will never forget. She helped me to see the beauty, intelligence, humor, history, and wisdom that can be found in the genre of poetry.The poem Lucy shares today, "Hot afternoons have been in Montana" is written by Eli Siegel who was the founder of the philosophy Aesthetic Realism. The poem encompasses a variety of themes from love of the earth, to a history of people around the world, to the different meaning of poetry, to sexuality, etc... I wonder what Lucy and/or the poetry society would have thought of this worldly writing and it's many interpretations! - Carrie

Notebook 1 - Nov. 13th 1924: The Chief Charm

Nov. 13th 1924

My dear Mrs. Green-Leach,

Many thanks for your letter. The address of the Printer (Soldier) I mentioned is:
C. Kenneth Greer
3 Grindon Lane
Learford Road, Balto M.D.
Telephone No. "Hamilton 0612 W"

We all missed you very much at the meeting on Monday. Your personality makes the chief charm of the Poetry Circle. We were however pleased to hear that the reason of your absence was a pleasureable one.

With our love
Very sincerely yours
Lucy Derrick Swindells


Another note to Mrs. Green-Leach. First of all, you just couldn't make up a name like that. Lucy is always overly polite to Mrs. Green-Leach. I don't know if this is because she is genuinely her friend or if it's a friendship that she hopes to build through the social connections of the Poetry Circle. I love that Lucy complimented Mrs. Green-Leach by calling her "The chief charm" of the Poetry Circle.  I'd love to know more about what Mrs. Green-Leach planned on printing via Mr. Greer. - Carrie

Notebook 1 - February 27th 1925

February 27th, 1925
Miss Elise Luckett
2315 North Calvert St.

My dear Miss Luckett,

Just a line to tell you that there will be no meeting of the Poetry Circle on March 2nd as most of the members are going to hear Edna St. Vincent Millay speak.
We were sorry you were not with us last Monday & I hope you will be able to come on the 9th.

Very Sincerely,
Lucy Derrick Swindells

The same to Mrs. Merryman, 118 Cakedale Ave. (B.?) & Miss Maria Hammond, 1622 John St.

This is a good example of Lucy's responsibilities as secretary of the Poetry Circle. This letter acted as a template for notes she needed to send to several members. I wonder what she would have thought of MS Word software and Mail Merge technology! It's also fascinating to note that Lucy probably saw Edna St.Vincent Millay, a famous female American poet, speak live at a public event! - Carrie

Notebook 1 - Feb 9th 1925 - Poetry Circle Notes

 

FEB. 9th 1925

Meeting of the Baltimore Poetry Circle at the home of the President Mrs. Leacey Naylor Green-Leach at 1613 Bolton Ave. 

1. Committee Meeting to discuss Preparation for Card Party to be held on Valentine's Day at the Women's Club, Roland Park. 

2. Read by Mrs. Helen Bayley-Davis. "Skit on Montana" by M. Lippman. 

3. Mrs. Green-Leach announces that the "Contemporary Verse" Magazine is in it's last year. 

4. Read by Mrs. Helen Bayley-Davis and Mr. Arthur Miller Easter a Duet - from Browning. 

    "In a Gondola" by Mr. Easter

    "Say after me these words" Mrs. Davis

5. Read by Miss Rives & composed by her: "Rastus Possum" by: Miss Jane Gilliam Rives

6. Read by Mrs. Helen Bayley-Davis: "Evelyn Hope" by Browning.

7. Read by Mrs. Virginia New Merryman: "Wanting is What" by Browning.

FEB 14 - Card Party at the Women's Club. at Roland Park

In Charge of Party: Mrs. Ferguson, Mrs. Anna Hamilton-Wood, and Mrs. Helen Bayley-Davis -- under direction of the President. 

I love these notes taken by Mrs. Lucy at a Poetry Circle Meeting! The members were obviously fans of Robert Browning. I don't know a lot about how the meetings were planned, but it would be interesting to know if certain poets were highlighted each month. Members often shared their own poetry as well. When I visited Baltimore one summer during college I looked up the streets that were mentioned in Lucy's letters. Amazingly where I stayed that summer was right in the middle of downtown Baltimore, with the streets of Lucy's friends literally surrounding me. It was haunting in a way. - Carrie

Notebook 1 - Green-Leach & du Maurier Controversy Pt. 2

 

Partial undated letter probably from late 1925 - early 1926 

(to Mrs. Croker - another member of the Poetry Circle -- Carrie)

...quietly accept the fruits of all Mrs. Green-Leach's labors so dear Mrs. Croker you will see that as to me, Mr. Meredyth and Miss de Maurier appear a couple of unscrupulous schemers...

Your warm reception of Mr. Meredyth & his fiance show that you do not believe that this couple are the unscupulous schemers which other members of the Circle believe them to be their actions have proved them not to be so I do feel you will have the goodness give some explanation we should all be indebted to you could give some explanation to throw any light..

Being Mrs. Green-Leach's personal friend it is unreasonable to suppose you would "run with the hare & hunt with the hounds" as we say in England without some very strong motive. Please do forgive me for asking your kindness in explaining all this for being English I do feel at such a disadvantage. 

Hoping to hear from you.

Very Sincerely Yours, 

Lucy Derrick-Swindells

This letter from Lucy to Mrs. Croker, which is trying to delve deeper into the Green-Leach & du Maurier controversy is classic "Lucy." I love how sweetly she comes across as simply being nosy and is dying to figure out what happened within the Circle to cause Miss du Maurier to leave! I love the false assumption that because she's British she's at a social disadvantage to understand the ways and means of Americans. This whole letter could be summed up as Lucy saying to Mrs. Croker, "Would you just tell me WHAT is going on?" But that would be too brutally American! - Carrie

Notebook 1 - The Green-Leach & DuMaurier Controversy

Undated letter probably from 1925 or early 1926

My dear Mrs. Davis,

I have been anxious to have a little quiet chat with you for some time, but have been ill during the holiday, and our living out of town does increase our difficulty in seeing each other. I will therefore write a few lines as I am anxious to have your opinion and the opinion of any members of the Circle you are able to reach on the Green-Leach / du Maurier controversy.

At the beginning of December, Miss du Maurier resigned from the Circle and upon my urging Mrs. Green-Leach by letter to investigate the matter & try and get Miss du Maurier back. Mrs. Green-Leach came over to see me, & gave me to understand that the breach was final. Shortly after, Mr. Meredyth & Miss du Maurier came to see me & complained that, dating from their engagement Mrs. Green-Leach had subjected Miss du Maurier to considerable annoyance and had spoken of Mr. Meredyth (to?) as a common working man etc... having heard both sides of the question I yet have heard nothing suggested to explain the matter except  annoyance on Mrs. Green-Leach's part at the engagement.

It seems to me that for two members of the Poetry Circle to get engaged is not a crime, especially as the Poetry Circle is more or less of a social character. Yet for this offence, Miss du Maurier was in a way pushed out...

-Unfinished letter by Mrs. Lucy Derrick-Swindells, Notebook 1

This is one of my favorite letters in the first notebook. Lucy often sees herself as upper class and socializes with those in the upper class society in the Baltimore of the 1920's and 30's. However, financially they are anything but upper class as we will discover in later letters. While Lucy is a proud woman and enjoys associating with people who are more well off than she is, I admire her tenacity and her ability to see through conflicts that seem silly today. - Carrie