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#0956: Willa Cather to George F. Whicher and Harriet Fox Whicher, January 1 [1929]

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⬩W⬩S⬩C⬩ Dear Friends1:

I meant to go up to the Lord Jeffrey5 to work for a few weeks soon after the Holidays. But now my mother6 has had a stroke in California7, where she is staying with my bachelor brother8. I shall have to go out there now in a few weeks and give up working altogether for the present. I’d made a pleasant start and hate to leave it. If only mother were in San Francisco9! But Long Beach10, near Los Angeles11, is the most hideous and vulgar place in the whole world. Well, the last year was a bad one, and this doesn’t promise much better. But only a part of last year was bad—all the winter in Red Cloud12, where your fruit cake found me, was lovely, lovely,- - like a winter flower garden, opening more and more - - - It was the sort of thing one has to pay for, and pay dear. I suppose I mustn’t squirm now.

Virginia13 and Tom14 gave me good word of you all at Thanksgiving time, and I send you all the good wishes in the world for 1929. I got a shopfull of handkerchiefs last week, and have given them all away but yours and two others—the only one’s I liked. I’m fussy about handkerchiefs.

With love to you all Willa Cather
Mrs. George Whicher3 Amity Street Amherst4 Mass. GRAND CENT. STA.2 JAN 1 1929 930 PM