Sending a money order with best wishes for Easter. Is it possible she has not yet been able to cash the check sent at Christmas? A bad winter in New York. Has been unable to work for two months because of her hand. Misses her work. Willa Cather [Stout #1663]
Does not yet know plans for spring and summer. Anticipates being in California for part of that time to see two brothers [Jack and James]. Will hope to meet with him when he is in town. Would have many things to talk about—such as the new edition of Shakespeare that cuts out what the editor considers unimportant. Does not want writers like John Dos Passos to be legally stopped from writing as they want, but wishes law would stop editors who tamper with classics. Brandeis's death a great loss to the work of the Supreme Court. Spent many evenings at his home during years in Boston and often saw the Brandeises at the opera. Was introduced to Mrs. James T. Fields by Mrs. Brandeis, who was a fine and intelligent woman in her own right. Life sometimes seems dreary when one thinks about the people who have gone. Remembers William Archer well; remembers being in Lady Gregory's box with him the night the Abbey players made their London debut. Saw Synge's The Playboy of the Western World. Archer helped open her mind to new kinds of theatrical drama. Looks forward to discussing their personal values when he comes to New York. Willa Cather [Stout #1749]
How nice it must be that Helen Louise is in Lincoln.� As Josephine used to remark when the Menuhin children were coming to the apartment, children are pleasant to have around.� Has heard about Carrie's golden wedding anniversary, especially from Annie Pavelka, who enumerated the cakes, flowers, and guests.�Good of the Miners to invite people from the neighboring farms.� Wishes she could have attended.� Hopes Elsie and Helen Louise will plan something fun for Christmas.� Yehudi and his wife gave her happiness on her birthday by bringing their baby, nearly three months old, to visit.� Likes Nola; Scotch but born in Australia.� Admires the honest, forthright Scotch.� Yehudi has been flattered so much that he needs someone who is plainspoken.� She and Edith will think about Elsie on Christmas Eve, and she will remember her last Christmas in Red Cloud. P.S.� Enclosing letter to Helen Louise for forwarding. Willie
Expected to hear that Elsie had been struggling with wintry weather, but her letter was tenderly beautiful.� Elsie gave Bess a lovely funeral.� How appropriate to have a Christmas tree as Bess decorated so many for children.� Would have liked to have been there.� Read Elsie's letter repeatedly and then sent it to Virginia, but directed her to return it.� Elsie paid the debt all the Cather siblings owe to Bess.� Wants to pay for the roses and any remaining funeral expenses.� Will ought to have whatever money Bess left.� Life is hard to understand:� deserving people get such small rewards.� Gave Mrs. Lambrecht and Annie [Pavelka?] good holidays and purchased winter feed for Annie's stock.� Sent fifty dollars to Jack, wrote the Bishop and Mollie and Gertrude Coon, and gave nieces ten dollars each.� Is enclosing a historical Christmas card from the Society Library. Happy New Year. Willie
Got the embroidered pillow cases Elsie sent for Christmas and will use them herself right away. Doesn't want to regret on death bed that all the best things were saved, only to be used by strangers. Hopes Elsie enjoyed the beads Cather sent. Originally bought them for herself, but then sent them to Elsie after Edith gave her some very similar beads on her birthday. Christmas Day was awful. Spent the day unpacking books sent to new apartment [on 5 Bank Street] from Pittsburgh, then ate an early dinner at Guffanti's before calling it a day. Both going to Boston for New Year's, Edith to see family and she to see Mrs. Fields and Mrs. Deland. Will be tiring, as she will have to take advantage of so many enjoyable opportunities. Intends to be devoted to new novel when she returns. Edith loved Elsie's present and will write soon. On Christmas Eve heard Fremstad sing Isolde [in Richard Wagner's Tristan and Isolde]. Great opera is only thing that can recall childhood feelings of Christmas. Fremstad was wonderful. Got home late, but not as late as Fremstad, who got in at two a.m. and found the miniature orange tree Cather had sent, and immediately wrote a thank-you note. Fremstad is hard to please but Cather thought the orange tree would be perfect when she was fresh from singing Isolde, as it is otherworldly and thus in keeping with the role. Like other imaginative people, Fremstad responds instinctively. Heard she took the tree into her bedroom that night. Loved the photographs of Virginia, as did Isabelle. Would Elsie like an English edition of Alexander's Bridge? Apartment not large enough for three, but Elsie could be there often if she came to New York for a while. PS: Thank Roscoe and Virginia for nice gifts. Willie
It has been raining for days, but is going out anyway. Isabelle is not feeling well and is staying in. Dorothy and Giles were planning on going to North River, but the roads seem too bad. Saw Mrs. Smith Pew, who said she used to sell sheep to father. Likes what she said about always having kept her sheep separate from Mr. Pew's. Is hoping for some sunshine before leaving Valley Home on Wednesday to go to Pittsburgh. Mrs. Freeze says she wishes she were a Cather and was fortunate to have been raised in the family. Willie
Giles is anxious about running out of hollyhock seeds, so can father send him some? With his trembling hands, Giles probably doesn't write many letters. Seems himself otherwise, and Dorothy looks vibrant still. Saw Annie Freeze, who is leaving for Kansas to visit her brothers. Mrs. Pew lost everything to a house fire two days ago. Traveled up the double S to see Molly Muses, who has aged, though her house looked well-kept. Will stay at Giles Smith's tonight and will soon see Mary Smith in Winchester (she was recently knocked out by a racing buggy at the fair). Lizzie Potts is very hospitable. She and Isabelle will stay here with her for one more week. Willie
Had first session with Léon Bakst yesterday. He pronounces his name like "boxed," but if one insists on making it sound mid-western, it can be pronounced to rhyme with "waxed." Please tell the family to learn how to pronounce it, as his name will be associated with hers often. Bakst's studio is made up of large rooms filled with gorgeous, meticulously arranged objects from Asia and Europe. In those rooms, it seems as if one is in a church dedicated to all the world's religions. Bakst is the kind of person she has always loved—like Annie Sadilek and Joe Pavelik Sr. and other childhood friends. Though he doesn't speak English well, he is trying to read One of Ours using a dictionary. He uses French to speak to her, and has told her fairy tales from Russia. Thankfully, he did not ask her to dress formally and is painting just her head and shoulders. He picked a green shirt she had, reminiscent of a Russian blouse. Sittings remind her of the days listening to Mr. Ducker as he spat tobacco juice, she is such a student to the master. Time will go quickly in those wonderful, scrupulously neat rooms. [Pasted at the top of the second page is a newspaper clipping in French listing results in horse races, including a horse named Red Cloud, with a note written by Cather pointing out that Red Cloud is winning in Paris.] Willa
Just received her letters. Sorry, but is busy tonight; thanks for the invitation. Please come to tea on Monday. Miss Bunner [?] and other friends will come. P.S.: The afternoon at Mrs. Fields's was so enjoyable! Willa Sibert Cather
Must refer to her as Miss Guiney due to long history of admiration, though such a habit does not mean she feels distant. Returned from travels in the West recently, and is glad to be back. Typically is longing for it, but got her fill during the recent trip. The people seem so fat and overconfident, as if they are trying to meet the expectations of Owen Wister and Remington. The land in Arizona and New Mexico is amazing, though. As Balzac commented, the desert has both all and nothing, God without humankind. That line has to be lived awhile before its profundity sinks in. The spirit gets lonesome in a place where the only history is geologic. Glad she liked "Alexander," but thinks "The Bohemian Girl" is even better. Mrs. Fields did not like it, however, but she just could not get past the crudeness of the characters' behavior. Will Guiney let her and her sister rent the cottage? Did she know Andrew Lang or the unfortunate Mr. Stead [possibly William Thomas Stead, British writer who died when the Titanic sunk in April 1912]? Mrs. Vermocken writes that she loves Guiney's house, and hopes she can see it (and Guiney) soon. Was planning to stay with Mrs. Fields in October, but work is keeping her in the city. Willa
