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#2758: Willa Cather to James D. Cather, January 11, 1939

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My dear Jim1:

I was so pleased with everything that Elsie3 and Helen Louise4 have written me about your new house and I know that you will all be happy, especially as Helen Louise is at home again. All the aunts and uncles give me such good reports of your two children5. I hope I can come out before long to see them for myself. When they were little children, I certainly loved them very dearly.

Now, just a word about the question you ask me in your letter. How foolish of you to think that I ever expected you to return the small amounts I sent on to you in that year6 when times were so hard. I certainly never thought of such a thing, and I would have loved to do more. bBut the long and expensive visits that I made to Mother7 when she was ill at Las Encinas8 during those three years, made my bank account a little short.

I heartily thank you and Ethel9 for the beautiful pillowcases you sent me at Christmas time. I assure you that I have no others half so nice - indeed, nine are all plain hemstitched ones, except for two that dear old Annie Sadelaak10 embroidered for me. The handkerchiefs, I am sure, came from Helen Louise and Charles Edwin, and I have one of them in my hand at this minute.

I hope the New Year will bring good things to you, my dear boy, and I hope you will never forget the one member of the family11 who did more than anyone else for his family. Indeed, I have never known anyone, anywhere, who took so much thought for his own people and spent his strength and money so generously for them.

It came about that by the time he was on his feet I didn't need a "hand-up", - but if I had needed it, I know he would have given it.

My love to you dear Jim, and my hearty good wishes to you all. Willie