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Correspondence from Aleister Crowley to Louis Umfreville Wilkinson
Louis Wilkinson Grove Heart Ripley Surrey
10 July 44
Aston Clinton Bucks
Dear Louis
Ever so good of you to take all that trouble in Büchmansville; but it seems to have amused you. I am surprised at the result; Cambridge shops greedily ate up prospectuses. Orders, though, not too good so far. Very different from old days. Truly the world is growing pallid and meager. All well re doodle-bugs so far, but nearly all my friends in London have had damage or injury to their property or their friends. Cecil was here for week-end—hence delay in answering yours—and doesn't like it at all. He actually saw the Guard's Chapel go. V.[ery] glad Joan's off out of it: my love to her, please, when you write. Local news: hireling got to assist. Feather did so by bunking with his cash, identity, ration, and labour cards etc. Saturday night a man took till down garden, broke it open, and ewigkeited £30 – £40. I can't find my torch, nor I nor the staff your nose-rag. But a pullover, black, supposed to be yours, is in my charge.
The "Canfield" letters. (I suppose you know C., a great gambler in N.Y. about 1870. You paid him 50 dollars for a pack of cards and he gave you back $10 for every card that "came out" in his patent Patience) Damned hard to write: conditions are—it must be a concerted narrative of not more than 300 words. Writer gives you £5; you return 5/- for every word you don't know. V.[ery] difficult, for all the useful hard words you know as well as I do, & when you want a verb that won't give the whole sentence away, it's only by God's grace that you can find one. Still, I hope to shoot at you soon. I suggest you read it to yourself in public, with chuckles etc, then pass it across, saying "A. seems to be having an amusing time" or the like. Then be very shocked when they are baffled. (All words must be in Dic.[tionary] and the whole good English, of course) I hope to see you here in a month's time.
Yours ever
A.C.
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