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This morning (what is left of it) belongs to you. Yesterday I got down to my bank and turned in my bank stock exactly according to Mr. Rutledge's4 letter of instruction. I had been kept in bed for several days by a slight heart attack—nothing serious.
Dear sister, I think you are mistaken about being so very clannish. The truth
is that Roscoe5 and Douglas6 and I were the "clan". Jess7 and Jim8 and Jack9 were, in
a sense, the
wards
of
the
clan. We, the three Virginians10, tried to look after the
youngers ones. Ever since that summer11 I spent with you and
Roscoe when the twins12 were
one year old, I have felt that you were more truly my sister than either
Elsie13 or poor Jess. I felt that
because we were very companionable, and liked to
do things together. That is what makes companionship. Do you remember when
we started out to find Pete's
Lake14—and never found it at all? I always loved to see
Roscoe on a horse, and I love to remember him so. I often dream about him as
he was when he rode with us then - - - in the days of
the other World War! In Casper15 we went round in a car—went farthear
er, but it wasn't quite so much fun. However, I rejoiced in that car, because I
realized how much it saved Roscoe's strength. You remember we went up to
Sheridan16, and the next day
crossed the mountains near Gray
Bull17 and had a long, hard drive home—by the worst part
of the old road to Lander18, if I
remember right.
Meta, I would love to have one of the photographs of Roscoe with
Elizabeth's 3
daughter19 on his shoulder. Margaret
had one, and I liked it so much. He aw
always kept
his
figure, which most men do not after fifty.
Jim was always a problem child. He was terribly ashamed of his
gentle-mannered father20, and went with
a tough crowd. There is a nice side to him, and his children21 have seen only that side.
Whenever I have seen that side, I am w weak
to him. His greatest fault is that he thinks he has great business ability.
He made the last twenty years of Father's life unhappy by trying one
disastrous experiment after another.
Jack is just always Jack. He is loyal, true, and loving. But he married rather queerly. Even Father, who was too courteous to dislike any woman, didn't like his wife22.
So you see, dear Meta, the
clan
was, but is no more. I am the only one left,
and God knows I aint no clan! I should 4 thinks
you and I, together, represented the spirit of the old clan more than
anybody else. So let us, in loyalty to those others, who
are gone, try to keep together and be our own ca clan.
Jessie will always be mild and appreciative of any kindness. Elsie I have had to cut out. She followed me up with so much abuse that I just ceased writing to her. An old friend of mine who lives in Lincoln23 wrote me "Why does Elsie let her jealousy of you spoil her life? It has become an obsession with her, and embarrasses her friends."
Now my dear, you and I are simply the only clan there is. We can adopt Jack
when he is good and is not tyrannized over by Jim.
I mean to draw a little closer to poor Jessie. Really, Father was to blame
for her marrying Will Auld24. Didn't he
turn all my securities25 over to
Will Auld? When 5
When
Helen Louise26 was here one day last year helping me go over my accounts she
exclaimed, "Why, Will Auld simply stole twenty thousand dollars from you!
Co Can't you do anything about it?" "Nothing—except mo not to let him steal my peace of mind."
When I first found out how much I was stung, I sat down the next day and
began work on Sapphira27. Those old memories28 were a good cure for worry.
Now that my sprung tendon29 is bad again, I must stop, dear. But you and your dear daughters30 are more in my mind than any other people in the world.
Lovingly & gratefully Willie Mrs. R. C. Cather1 Colusa3 California NEW YORK N.Y.2 OCT 4 1945 430PM