Item 6 - Letter from George Mallory to Ruth Turner, 18 May 1914

Letter to Ruth Turner, written from Charterhouse School [Ruth was in Ireland with her family]

Teases her about misspelling the word 'glacier' [Ruth had dyslexia]. Misses and loves her. Is frightened when she says their life will be perfect together and warns her to expect downs as well as ups but thinks it will turn out at least as good or even better than she imagines.

Would send her a letter from his mother and asks her opinion. He describes the previous day when he had been walking with Hilton Young [Geoffrey Young’s brother]. They had met another Cambridge friend was was now a doctor and a man he knew slightly. His friends were nicer now than when they were at Cambridge. Puts it down to having a job. He lunched with the Clutton-Brocks and played cricket with the boys.

He was behind with work and worried about the Shakespeare papers which he had been correcting - the boys didn’t appreciate Cordelia. They didn't have the necessary emotional experience. He wanted to write an article about Cromwell. Clutton-Brock had given him his book about William Morris which he would read and send on.

He had received a cheque for £100 as a wedding present. It was a serious annoyance to him that she was rich and he was poor.