Mother has been ill since September 1. Has been keeping house and cooking. Has a dear servant [ Marjorie ] who helps but doesn't cook. Has finally learned to make good pastry. Will go to Arizona in two weeks. Glad to hear she went to Walnut Canyon. Has read her "French Perspectives" and found it very pleasing. Still distressed about poor proofreading in Lark. Maybe they will see each other in New York after Christmas. W. S. C. [Stout #372]
Hopes they had a nice Thanksgiving. Had hers at home. Please tell Margie the French woman, Josephine, is back working for her part-time; she is an artist of housekeeping. Cook their own breakfast and have to carry in the ice to the icebox, which is pretty heavy. Would appreciate a couple of aprons for Christmas. Hasn't heard from Isabelle yet. Sorry to have been so testy this summer. Willie [Stout #563]
Hurrying to leave for Nebraska but will answer briefly. Georgine Milmine, now Mrs. Benjamin Wells, of Aubrey, N.Y., gathered material on Mrs. Eddy. McClure bought the material, subsequently lost (along with a first edition of Science and Health) when the magazine was sold. Milmine couldn't do the writing, and after sampling short segments of it done by several other people he chose her [Cather]. This was shortly after she came to New York. Carefully checked the material and believes it is all accurate except the first chapter, written by Burton Hendrick, now with Doubleday. His resentment at being removed from the project may be part of the reason Doubleday does not bring it back into print. Please keep confidential. Willa Cather [Stout #649]
Yes, write to Mrs. Wells [Georgine Milmine] but do not mention Cather's name. Might also write to S. S. McClure for an account of how the material was collected. [Stout #658]
Appreciates her kindness to mother and to Margie. Loved Margie with the special love one reserves for children or those whose minds never grow up. Enjoyed cooking for her and caring for her a little when she went home. They understood each other. Is fairly well; writing on The Professor's House, which should be out next fall. Funny to think of Jessie going around with the movie people on A Lost Lady! Willie [Stout #754]
What has she done to upset her so? Hasn't sent anything to Bess [prob. Elizabeth Seymour] or Auntie [Sarah Andrews] since she returned to New York. Hasn't written because she knew Douglass was there. Certainly did not mean to cause discord between her and father about the newspaper story about Margie [Argus, October 30, 1924; apparently following a story in one of the city newspapers in Nebraska]. It caused gossip, but isn't angry about it. Hasn't felt really angry toward her since they quarreled about Mrs. Garber. They've been growing closer and mustn't ruin that now. Hopes she and father will let her buy the house so they can pay Elsie to come live with them and look after them. Willa [Stout #771]
Has found someone to do the translations from Swedish she spoke to him about. Did not mind the philatelist in the private working room; has probably finished the research she needed to do. Willa Cather [Stout #823]
Thanks for plants she sent for Christmas and for copy of "Little Willie," which is very funny. How did she know about the family nickname? Does not care to see [Maxwell] Anderson's rendition of Mary Stuart [Mary of Scotland, 1933]. Is trying hard to complete work on Lucy Gayheart, but people won't leave her alone. Hates meeting with financial advisors who tell her she is losing money. W. [Stout #1209]
Enjoyed her letter. Her grandmother, Mary Ann Anderson, a childhood favorite in Virginia. Used to watch out the window for her to come up the road when in bed sick. Saw her again on visit to Virginia after graduating from college. Walked together up the beautiful Hollow Road to her house on Timber Ridge. Mrs. Anderson always took such a keen interest in people's lives. Mrs. Ackroyed's Aunt Marjorie and Uncle Enoch went to Nebraska with the Cather family. He went to California two years later with two other men from Winchester and only wrote once after that, but Marjorie stayed with the family until she died. Remembers hours spent with Marjorie on the back porch or in the kitchen. Is enclosing a recent picture of Willow Shade, now in bad repair, and has circled the window from which she used to watch for Mrs. Anderson. P.S.: The woman who wove their rugs was Mrs. Kearns. Willa Cather [Stout #1542]
Treasuring the card and photograph [of Mrs. Anderson], taken when she was older, but recognizes her nonetheless. Yes, remembers her Uncle Snowden clearly. Remembers once when she was about five years old, when she and Marjorie had gone to visit at Mrs. Ackroyd's grandmother's house on Timber Ridge, a heavy rainstorm came up and Snowden rode up on his horse and took her home riding in front of him on his cavalry saddle. Willa Cather [Stout #1569]
