After a delightful week at Corfù we settled in Athens (at Maison Merlin) for four months, and found pleasant companionship with members of the English and American Schools of Archeology—of which Mr. Carl Bosenquet and Prof. Henry Fowler were respectively the heads—with Dr. Wilhelm head of the Austrian School,—with Mr. Bikelas the Greek poet, at whose house we met several of the rising Greek men of letters, and other residents and wanderers.
The winter was very cold and at first my husband was very ill—the double strain of his life seemed to consume him like a flame. At the New Year he wrote again to Mrs. Philpot:
Maison Merlin,
Athens.
Dear Friend,
This is mainly to tell you that I’ve come out of my severe feverish attack with erect (if draggled) colours and hope to march “cock-a-hoopishly” into 1904 and even further if the smiling enigmatical gods permit!... To-day I heard a sound as of Pan piping, among the glens on Hymettos, whereon my eyes rest so often and often so long dream. Tomorrow I’ll take Gilbert Murray’s fine new version of Hippolytus or Bacchæ as my pocket companion to the Theatre of Dionysus on the hither side of the Acropolis; possibly my favourite Œdipus at Kolonos and read sitting on Kolonos itself and imagine I hear on the wind the rise and fall of the lonely ancient lives, serene thought-tranced in deathless music. And in the going of the old and the coming of the new year, a friend’s thoughts shall fare to you from far away Athens.... As far as practicable I am keeping myself to the closer study of the literature and philosophy and ethical concepts and ideals of ancient Hellas and of mythology in relation thereto, but you know how fascinating and perturbing much else is, from sculpture to vase paintings, from Doric and Ionic architecture to the beauty and complex interest of the almost inexhaustible field of ancient Greek coins, and those of Græcia Magna,—And then (both Eheu and Evoe!) I have so much else to do—besides “Life” the supreme and most exciting of the arts!
A letter of New Year wishes to Dr. Garnett from W. S.; and a copy of The House of Usna to Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Rhys brought the following acknowledgments:
27 Tanza Road, Hampstead,
Jan. 8, 1904.
My dear Sharp,