Meant to send enclosed clipping sooner, but was ill with influenza. There must not be an appendix left in the whole Menuhin family. Now Hephzibah! Vassinka [Stout #1402]
Enclosing the book she asked for. Sorry the ink ran on the inscription. Willa Cather [Stout #1408]
Thinks of her often. Believes California must be making her homesick for Paris. Failures from all over America drift to the west coast, making it a dismal place. Is returning to New York next week. Isabelle still doing well. P.S.: Miss Lewis sends love. Aunt Willa [Stout #1416]
Weather very cold, but still walks around the reservoir [in Central Park]. Misses her. Is dealing with a great deal of business, particularly the effort to prevent publication of a poor translation of Death Comes for the Archbishop into French. Is sending James M. Barrie's The Boy David but suggests she first read First and Second Samuel in the Bible. One needs to know the Biblical story in order to enjoy the play. Is glad Barrie liked Archbishop. P.S.: Has just reread First and Second Samuel and the young David is delightful. Psalms of David are splendid poetry, too. Aunt Willa [Stout #1435]
Wishes she were there to cheer a rainy day. Enclosing a letter from Stephen Tennant. At times he lets emotions run away with him. Prefers simple, direct language. English poetry has greater riches and variety than French, but English prose is better plain, with strong emotion kept firmly controlled. Glad to hear she likes Barrie. He can get away with sentiment because he always does it with a hint of a laugh. Was glad to hear from her father and Yehudi on Saturday before they sailed. Sorry she is having respiratory trouble. Suggests she read at night when she is having trouble, to try to take her mind off it. Myra Hess came to tea yesterday and sent her greetings. P.S.: Good that Stephen went to Egypt even if it did cause him to rhapsodize; he needs it for his health. [Tennant was in Egypt in early 1939. That fact, together with the reference to Yaltah's illness, seems to confirm the dating of this letter. On the other hand, the reference to Yehudi's sailing conflicts with the statement that he is in Jaffrey. I conjecture no. 1439 was written later in the day. However, inconsistencies make it unclear.] Aunt Willa [Stout #1438]
Has heard from her mother that she has bronchitis. Is enjoying the miniature orange tree she sent. Yehudi is in Jaffrey enjoying the snow and the mountains [?—see #1438]. Mozart once wrote, "Happiness? That is in the imagination"—may mean that happiness is not real or may mean that only people with imagination can be happy. Real seeing, like real happiness, is inward. Now will use imagination and think of Yaltah as being well. Aunt Willa [Stout #1439]
Has not been writing many letters recently, except to family and to friends of Isabelle. In December 1937 brother Douglass came to New York to spend her birthday with her. He died on June 13, 1938, age fifty-two, the only joyful and attractive member of the family. On October 10 Isabelle died in Sorrento of nephritis after four-year illness, during which her loving though unreliable husband cared for her. This has been the hardest year of her life. Is enclosing a letter from Jan Hambourg. Please return it, but don't write back. Is worn out with letters about Isabelle. Enjoyed [the picture of ?] Dorothy's two granddaughters. Enjoyed having her two nieces with her at Grand Manan in the summers of 1936 and 1937. Both married this year—as well as three Menuhins! Likes Yehudi's wife. Appreciates receiving Dorothy's new book and will read it soon. Eyes giving her trouble, but what is worse is the trouble of keeping people away who want to come and comfort her. Doesn't want them; wants quiet for reflection. Willa [Stout #1440]
Enclosing an interesting story she found about a cat. Has had influenza and been keep in by bad weather. Hasn't been to the theater or to hear any music all month. Has tried to spend her time remembering happy things, like their presence last year. The last time she, Hephzibah, and Yehudi would ever be so free of adult cares. Suggests she try to vegetate and not think too much for a while. Aunt Willa [Stout #1444]
Yehudi surprised her for Easter with some recordings made in England not released in the U.S. One was their recording of Mozart's Sonata in B-flat. Has enjoyed it. Glad she is living where the weather is sunny. Very cold in New York. P.S.: Stephen is at Rhodes. Aunt Willa [Stout #1449]
Enjoyed the birthday letter, but hopes she did it only on impulse, not from duty. As Edith has already written, Yehudi and Nola brought the baby for her to see. Saw the three of them in the park the day of Yehudi's recital at Carnegie Hall. Has sent Yaltah's mother some books. Aunt Willa [Stout #1464]
