T. E. Lawrence to his mother

[Cranwell]

28.xii.25

It's almost the end of the year: so I'm writing again, though there is nothing to say. A letter of yours (October) came lately. I've given up trying to send locks. Clearly someone on the road likes such things. I'm tired of supplying his needs. Let him buy them.

Arnie is leaving Clouds Hill almost at once. Just now he has Florence there with him. It's a bad place to ask a visitor: and a
bad time of year. The winter this year is sharp.

No thanks: no money. I am quite right that way just now. How I'll stand a year or so hence, when all the bills of the reprint of my book come in, I don't know. The subscribers (about 100) have paid £15 each, to date. That is £1,500 more due from them. The expenses to date are £4,500. The Bank has loaned the rest, against security from me. To meet the deficit I have sold Cape (for £3,000 cash + a royalty) the right to publish 1/3 of the book after Jan. 1. 1927. And there will be American serial and other receipts, too. Probably I'll come out of it well enough off. Arnie is to have a copy of the subscribers' edition. Would you like one? I propose to buy the liability of Clouds Hill off him. So that will be £400 more for his pocket. Clouds Hill is very beautiful and suits me. Though I will not live there till I have been as long in the Air Force as pleases me. You know I always wanted to be in the R.A.F. I've sent you a Blackwood article, in which Candler, an Indian journalist has written some butter and sugar stuff about me. Don't worry about that - or me - or anything. People are solitary things (myself especially so) and as long as it isn't true, I don't care what praise or blame I get.

My present name & address are

A/C II Shaw. 338171
Hut 105
R.A.F. Cadet College
Cranwell
Lincs

but I may change to Ross in a month or two, so you had better continue to write to Clouds Hill, under any name. The Tank Corps Fellows will forward letters. Everybody up here knows who I used to be. I told them when I arrived. So all the wonder is over. Three years and a half now, my service. So I fit in well enough.

Yes I still have Boanerges: and ride it whenever the weather is good enough. Much snow lately. Arnie has a tiny car: not a good one.

N.