Skip to main content

#2105: Willa Cather to Roscoe Cather, April 3 [1933]

More about this letter…
Plain view:

Guide to Reading Letter Transcriptions

Some of these features are only visible when "plain text" is off.

Textual Feature Appearance
passage deleted with a strikethrough mark deleted passage
passage deleted by overwritten added letters overwritten passage
passage added above the line passage with added text above
passage added on the line passage with added text inline
passage added in the margin passage with text added in margin
handwritten addition to a typewritten letter typed passage with added handwritten text
missing or unreadable text missing text noted with "[illegible]"
uncertain transcriptions word[?]
notes written by someone other than Willa Cather Note in another's hand
printed letterhead text printed text
text printed on postcards, envelopes, etc. printed text
text of date and place stamps stamped text
passage written by Cather on separate enclosure. written text
⬩W⬩S⬩C⬩ My Dear Boy1;

your letter came just in time. When I found I could not get a room at the Northampton Inn, I was seriously thinking of going down to Burmuda3 and side-stepping the Smith Commencement4. ( I won't stay with Professors and help them pay off their social debts, you know.) But since you think Virginia5 would be disappointed, I will manage to be there. I have written the hotel at Amherst6 to engage a room, but have had no reply. Of course everything is crowded at that season. I'm going not at all for the degree, which I certainly don't need, but on your account, and on Mother's7. When I thought it over, I was sure that she would want me to be there. I have not even written Virginia since Christmas. I have not done a stroke of serious work this winter. My correspondence and business affairs have driven me to the limit all the time. I had lost a good deal of money on bonds going bad, so I've simply devoted my time to getting rid of the old municipals which used to be so good, and putting the money into Tel. and Tel, and into Government bonds. Of course I've had to sell at 60 to 75, but it was the only thing to do. I've had Alfred Knopf's8 lawyer9 to help me. But such transactions, together with the awful Income tax I have to pay, have broken up my winter completely. I'll do the best I can to represent you at Commencement and keep Virginia from feeling lonely.

With a heartful of love, Willie