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Now it is the sixteenth! I have not had time to sign this letter until now.
November 13, 1942. November 16 A day of Glory! My dear Margaret1:I am so sorry that I happened to be out on a short errand to the bank when you telephoned me Tuesday. It was so unfortunate that I had to miss Elizabeth's5 visit to New York2. I came down from Williamstown6 November 5th, just a few days after Elizabeth left you. I am especially disappointed to have missed seeing the little Margaret II7. Certainly she must be a darling child from all reports I hear of her. Her mother sent me some little snapshots of her, and I keep them with other favorite snapshots in the drawer of the little reading table beside my bed. I especially like the picture of Margaret riding on a donkey in the park, with her father8 walking beside her. She seems such a determined little person with her two pigtails sticking out behind – even her hair seems to be full of vitality.
Miss Lewis3 and I had a pleasant three
weeks rest in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The hotel9 there is a delightful place, but I was not strong enough10 to do
much walking. The weather happened to be very bad – a great deal of rain and
mist, as sometimes happens in the Berkshires. However, it was a change for
us, and as our splendid
housekeeper11 was called to Boston4 by the death of her husband12, just the day before we left New
York, it was a fortunate get-away.,
because, Aafter the long and very anxious
summer, we were neither one of us in any condition to struggle with the
domestic situation. Our housekeeper is still unable to come back to us
(Colored people take deaths very seriously, you know, and make a great
occasion of them! An important part of the occasion is being "prostrated".).
When you telephoned the other day, it was our faithful cleaning woman who
answered you. We have not so far engaged a new housekeeper, as we are
hoping
⬩W⬩S⬩C⬩
Mrs. Rabouin will recover from her "prostration". Meanwhile we go out to
hotels and restaurants for lunch and dinner – which is not very good for
either of us.
I have had nice letters from both your father13 and mother14 lately and they were such a comfort. Please send this letter on to Elizabeth with my love. Since our return from Williamstown I have not been getting on very rapidly, and I cannot dictate many letters at a time.
Lovingly to you, my dear Your Aunt Willie ⬩W⬩S⬩C⬩ Mrs. R. S. Shannon1 712 Commonwealth Ave Boston4 Mass.