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#2251: Willa Cather to Meta Schaper Cather, August 24 [1916]

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Number Five Bank Street4

I wish the bear had come before I left!


Dear Meta1:

Grandfather7 gave us a scare last night by a sharp turn of illness—He thought he had gall-stones again, and he surely had a dreadful pain. I think it was an intestinal obstruction of some kind, He is much better this morning. We all had a restless night, and Virginia3 says she dreamed over and over of chocolate cookies stuck together with frosting.She has several playhouses, and plays all day long so intensely that it is like a business with her. Yesterday mother8 and I were here and we had tea at four oclock on the upper porch9. I invited Virginia. She came up and ate three cookies and then asked if she might be excused to finish her washing in the back yard. Her best play-house is the little north porch without a door. It has found a use at last! It is so well that Virginia is strong and has such a good physical equipment. Poor Tom10 and Mary11 are always upset. Their little tummies are forever sour. Tom is taking two kinds of [illegible] tonic,—and is never given enough to eat! Last night I sow saw them have their supper—Three dishes of poor ice-cream each, and paper bag of sweet crackers, eaten out of the bag—nothing else! Jess12 is sick all the time, and the poor children do live like little pigs. It makes me very sad to see them growing up like that.

Virginia recognized ever so many Lander6 flowers in the botany books, without being told.

Virginia has 2 toy telephone and calls up the twins13 every day, but they always advise her not to return until Spring. I wish the babies could come down here, for I miss them ever so much. Their grandparents want very much to see them. We all love Virginia dearly, but her Grandmother is really the one who loves her best and who in the end takes the most pains. She is no trouble, because she has such an interesting life of her own, apparently. It is only when we get in the way of her game that she goes wild, but usually we manage not to do that.

With much love to you all, and especially to my twins Willa

To a dear little girl3 with whom I talked about the colors of flowers and butterflies last summer.

Miss Willa Sibert Cather Fridays Five Bank Street4
Mr. R. C. Cather5, Lander6 Wyoming RED CLOUD NEBR.2 24 AUG 1916 7.30 PM