T. E. Lawrence to his mother

Clouds Hill

18.v.24

No, there had been a muddle about the papers. I'd told Smith's to send the bill to me, and they had taken alarm at my khaki (you know a soldier can't be sued for debt) and had decided to wait for cash. It is arranged now, and I hope you will get them regularly: though you are hopelessly far away. You will be careful not to form your opinion only on The Times. I've added a New Statesman to the order, since that is a paper which does not instantly condemn an idea for the reason that it is new. I forget what I told you when I last wrote... that Trenchard had wanted me to write the war-history of the Royal Air Force, and had been hurt by the definiteness of my refusal... that Arnie is soon coming to England. I hear very often from Mrs. Bernard Shaw, and Robert Graves intends to call in soon, on his way to visit Hardy. So that things are busy for me. In camp as little happens as ever. I have a quiet place now, live very much by myself, and have no worries, beyond the slow coming of old age:- not so slow this last: I suppose it is the revenge of Arabia for my contempt of its climate. Some changes lately made in my motor-cycle have made it faster and better to ride: but I've only done 3,000 miles this year, so that you may imagine I do little riding.

To date 34 people have subscribed for the private issue of my book. I had hoped for 110 in all... but it seems unlikely.

N.

Should you ever need to alter the papers in a hurry: write to

W. H. Smith & Son
Newsagents
Dorchester
Dorset

and ask them to communicate with me... that's if I'm sent away from here.