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#1545: Willa Cather to Carrie Miner Sherwood, June 14, 1941

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My dear Carrie1:

Your letter is surely one of the dearest and warmest that true friend ever wrote to friend. I have read it over many times and each time it gives me a sense of your presence, the feeling of having been with you. I think you and Mary3 have made a beautiful plan to be together for the winter. It will simplify the routine of life for both of you, and will leave both of you much more freedom. And some time in the autumn your heart-hungry friend will return to you. It shall be a secret. I will not let anybody know (not even Elsie4) that I am coming, but I will give you good warning. And if either of you are ill or if circumstances should make a visitor inconvenient, you know me well enough and trust me enough to let me know. I want to be with you when we can be at peace and forget how the world is destroying itself. We three can remember when it was such a happy world.

I am leaving New York2 in three days from now, to join Roscoe5. Edith6 is going with me, as the trip will be somewhat difficult for me even in a drawing room. Doing up one's hair and putting on one's corsets are impossibilities for the left hand alone. I still wear my metal glove7, but I think my hand8 is getting stronger and more nimble every day. Edith and I will simply spend our summer vacation in California9 instead of at Grand Manan10. I hope I shall be able to avoid going to Southern California. I would love so much to see Jack11 and Jim12 and my nieces13 and nephews14 there, but I scarcely feel up to it. I have to dole myself out in small doses nowadays, and I want to be wholly myself when I go to you.

With my true, true love dear Carrie, Willie

P.S. Please, when you see Mrs. Stockman15, tell her how much I appreciate her friendly letter.