I am afraid it has been a long time since I sent thee a letter, although I have wanted to write every day.
We have been, since the New Year, in the midst of the most interesting of all our political
fights, which is the more interesting from the fact that it was successful. The London
Council, of which Frank1 is a member, is practically a loc.01381.002_large.jpg
Parliament for the most important city in the world. London has never had municipal government,
though with its 5,000,000 people it is almost a State in itself—but now the new County Councils Act
has given the popularly elected body almost unlimited power. They can do practically what they choose—&
it is here that the various forms of Socialism will be practically thrashed out—for the world to see.
The men who are elected are in a great majority strong reformers &
loc.01381.003_large.jpg
Liberal—"progressists" is the new word for them—& we all expect the tendency of their policy
to be distinctly Socialistic. There is one noted socialist, John Burns,2 among them, but next to him I suppose
Frank is the most "advanced"—Last night the chief of the "Fabians"3—the most important Socialistic body—descended
upon us to induce Frank to become the spokesman of their party, & it is quite likely that he may ultimately
find himself in that position—though he
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does not actually call himself Socialist.
We are greatly delighted over his return, for it seems, for the moment, an opportunity for even greater immediate usefulness than a seat in Parliament under a Tory Government would be. But then Frank is an incurable Optimist & always sees that things are "for the best."
The work that this involves is of course immense, & I hardly see how he can manage it along with is legal work,
but I suppose it will be fitted in somehow. I loc.01381.005_large.jpg
am going into it heart & soul with him, for I think it is really important & worth devoting one's self to.
Two women have been elected—but by a curious & very English-y mandate, it is quite uncertain whether they are really qualified to serve or not.
A petition has been filed against Lady Sandhurst4 —one of the women—which will decide the matter before
the Queen's Bench. Frank hopes to expend some of his loc.01381.006_large.jpg
legal knowledge on the case—of course in favour of the women!
Mother,5 Father6 & Alys7 have been away from all this turmoil. We all spent our Christmas holiday in Normandy together, &
when we came home they went to Paris & then on down to the Riviera, & are now in Mentone enjoying the blue sky
& warm air & the lovely, lovely scenery. Their pleasure is heightened by the reflection that the fog in London
has been almost loc.01381.007_large.jpg
continuous since Christmas.
I wish I could bring little Ray8 for them to see. She is grown a big girl now, & can actually say four or five consecutive words, & remember as far back as three days! She tells me at night everything anyone has done to her in the day—When I ask her "What did papa do?", she invariably answers "Papa bizz" (busy)—And it is not far from the truth—This election contest has overwhelmed him with work.
I see from the American papers that you are having a mild winter. I hope thee has been able to go out a good deal. The regret that I cannot live near thee grows greater instead of less every year. It is dreadful to know so little of what thee is really doing.
Now that the press is over, I hope to be able to write soon again.
With best love, Thy friend Mary Whitall CostelloeP.S. Jan. 26
I have just been cheered by the sight of thy handwriting. Many thanks for the "Boston Transcript"—I enjoyed Mr. Rhys'9 London letter much. It is a beautiful Spring-like day today. I am going to take little Ray to the "Zoo" for the irst time.
Correspondent:
Mary Whitall Smith Costelloe
(1864–1945) was a political activist, art historian, and critic, whom
Whitman once called his "staunchest living woman friend." A scholar of Italian
Renaissance art and a daughter of Robert Pearsall Smith, she would in 1885 marry
B. F. C. "Frank" Costelloe. She had been in contact with many of Whitman's
English friends and would travel to Britain in 1885 to visit many of them,
including Anne Gilchrist shortly before her death. For more, see Christina
Davey, "Costelloe, Mary Whitall Smith (1864–1945)," Walt Whitman: An Encyclopedia, ed. J.R. LeMaster and Donald D.
Kummings (New York: Garland Publishing, 1998).