Letter from Edward Thomas to his wife, Helen Thomas. Archival reference: 424/1/1/1/1/95
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Are innumerable other books better worth getting: -& just now so many to be got cheap; for a large bookseller is selling off here, & you can get 4d in the 1 shilling discount even off Ruskin & other (illegible) books; there are many things of Ruskin, or Stevenson, or Meredith, or Swinburne, we might get, if we are quick & had the wherewithal.
I am doing quite a lot of work now until Friday, when we have a college exam ; and without dissfaction, for "I regret to say" I was hopelessly drunk last night. The cause was

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14.iii.99
My dearest friend,
All my nature rises up in answer to your letters. You shall see!
But I fear I cannot write. I can do nothing when I
think of our meetings. Sometimes the thought comes while I
am reading; then my brain & all my body throbs
& burns with desire & with dreams of pleasure. So
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it is with you-I think; & the thought comforts me, since
nothing I have with you can be ill.
You leave me quite uncertain as to your meaning
when you say "it seems I can never be your mistress".
What do you mean? Are you not that already?
Write soon, for the most fevered chatter is better than
silence in this long expectation.

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And don't forget to enclose your purchase.-I do hope you found the envelope in my last & were able to get what we want. I especially want you to send it at once.
I've not written to Harry, & don't think I shall. I shall
wait till I see him. I have got the photo of the Lincoln Crew, but it is too large & perishable to send: I will bring it home with me.
Surely another copy of Selborne is no use to us , is it? (illegible)
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port-wine, which I drank at the Davenant celebration. I feel
pretty well now; but I could eat no breakfast. This isn't so bad
as it looks. The fact is-these gatherings bore me, & all I can do is drink hard by way of occupation,
I wasn't with Haynes yesterday, I hope to see him again before Saturday: I only just missed meeting Miss Lucas at his rooms.
Goodbye now. say "Goodbye".
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bear with me until Saturday night. I hope your cold is better,
dearest Helen. Goodnight.
Ever & wholly yours Edwy