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#1975: Willa Cather to Elsie Cather, June 12, 1935

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My dear Roscoe4;

I am returning Virginia's5 letter to you, for I know you will want to keep it. She is evidently thinking things out herself, and that will do her a great deal more good than your thinking or mine would do. I am afraid I did not thank you for the interest check, but I will credit it the first time I go to bank - and that is tomorrow.

You must have received Mary Virginia's6 wedding announcement. I wish you could have been here - it was really a lovely little wedding, at the "Little Church Around the Corner"7 - in the very little chapel where Father8 used to sit down and rest during his short visit here. Virginia and Adelaide9 (whom your Virginia will remember) both looked so pretty. Isabelle Hambourg10 would not be restrained, but got up out of her bed to go to that wedding (which occurred on the one beautiful day in several weeks) and even to the little tea afterward, which occurred took place in Donovan's11 apartment.

As to the groom, Dick Mellen12, I have known him ever since Virginia was engaged to him last fall, and I was strong for him as soon as I met him. He is a Vermont13 boy, and his parents14 are just the nicest kind of Vermont people. After the engagement I used to beg Virginia to let me read the letters from her future mother-in-law, they were so warm and affectionate and dignified - not a bit of sloppy sentimentality. The boy graduated from Harvard Medical in May. He is very quiet, very intelligent, rather shy. He was Thomas Auld's15 roommate at Amherst for four years, and met both of Virginia's parents16.! Brave boy! Virginia will be a splendid wife for him. She has become a splendid little housekeeper, and when he gets a practice in a small 2 New England town, she will be nice to people and help him along. Of course, they have two rather hard years to face just now, Dick will be an interne in Bellevue Hospital for two years, living in the hospital with only week-ends off. Virginia will go on with her library work, and will have to live alone in a very tiny flat most of the time. They certainly won't see too much of each other. I did not encourage, nor did I protest. But after they decided they wanted to be married now, I did all I could to help them. If West Virginia is not home yet, you must send her this letter, for I know she will want to hear about it.

About my own plans, which are pretty misty, I will write you later. For the present Isabelle's illness will keep me here.

With love to you all,
Dear Sister1

I made a carbon of this letter to Roscoe because I thought you might be interested to hear something about Virginia's wedding, though you may have heard from other sources. It was really very charming.

W.

Isn't life surprising! I never would have guessed that Virginia would marry such a serious young man. Just the boy I would have thought she'd rather pass over.

Miss Elsie Cather1 1030 South 52nd Street Lincoln3 Nebraska NEW YORK, N. Y. STA Y2 JUN 15 1935 1130 PM