March 7th Thursday

Laura has influenza. Betty went back. A very cold wind blowing. £ down to 34.45 pesetas. Went down to sea. Asphodels out. The Focus January number isn't here yet: it was promised for Sat.24th.
Made out a scheme for the court case of Antigua, but got the order of procedure wrong. No matter. Sebastian grafted 2 peaches on 2 almonds.
Laura told me a dream. A hall of people being asked questions by a professor of psychology to show his deductive[RG] skill. He picked on Laura for the question, "What is the function of a bird?" She replied aggressively[RG], "I do not consider that a proper question; it should be addressed,if at all,[RG] to the bird itself, but since And that[RG] no answer could can[RG] be expected from the bird does not justify your shifting the responsibility for answering from a being without consciousness, to a conscious being who has altogether different functions. Your question to such a being can only properly[RG] refer to observed action in the other[RG]. If therefore[RG] you ask me 'what does a bird do?' my answer would be 'fly!'"
The funniest letter and poem sent me by one Sidney Wilson 1 of Ashley, Penn. Filed it in Dictionary of Christian Biography2 under Lazarus-Leander3.

Editorial Notes

1Can find no references to this person??? eds.
2 Dictionary of Christian Biography by Sir William Smith and Henry Wace. London: J. Murray, 1877. 4 vols. eds.
3in Volume 3--but has since disappeared. WG/eds.

Hands Referenced

    • Annotation: ink correction
    • Character: regular
    • Ink: black

People Mentioned

  • Laura

    Riding, Laura
    (1901-91) American poet. Laura Riding (née Reichenthal; then Laura Gottschalk).

  • McCormacks

    McCormack, Walter & Violet
    Tenants of Ca'n Torrent. Had two daughters: Jennifer, a dancer, & Betty. Continued their friendship with Robert and Laura in England. eds.

  • Sebastian

    Sebastian
    Gardener getting on for 80. KG

Bibliography

    • Title: Antigua Penny Puce
    • Author: Graves, Robert
    • PubPlace: Deyá & London
    • Publisher: Seizin & Constable
    • Idno: A46
    • Date: 1936
    • Title: Focus I, II, III, IV [newsletter]
    • Editor: Riding, Laura
    • PubPlace: Deyá
    • Publisher: Seizin
    • Date: 1935