TCG Letter #52 / Carpenter Letter #37

Tolkien, writing to Stanley Unwin, expresses gratitude for the kind note and apologizes for his neglectful correspondence due to personal and health issues. He provides an update on his wife's illness, stating that the worst seems over. He mentions that he will pen a foreword for the Beowulf translation soon.

Moving on to The Hobbit sequel,^{The Lord of the Rings[1]} Tolkien says that he hasn't ceased work on it and has reached Chapter XVI.

In a portion unpublished, Tolkien mentions that outside lectures are cancelled and exams are not taking place. He also makes mention to "sugeons and hospitals" acting swiftly, stating that they "brook no delays". Tolkien concludes that Priscilla will be goeverned by her piano teacher unwil 1942.^{See Chronology, pp. 250-1 for more details and an excerpt from the unpublished portion.[2]}