Letter from Kathleen to Mama Margaret and Alma: 1/6/1923
A letter from Will's wife Kathleen, in Atlanta, Georgia, to Will's mother and sister, Mama Margaret and Alma, in South Hadley, Massachusetts, with thanks for Christmas presents.
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Maggie likes the Christian Science books now, but she won't later.
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2206 Highland Ave.
Mt. Auburn
Cincinnati, Ohio.
Jan 6 1923
My dear Mother + Alma,
At last I have a few minutes for letters. I have intended writing every day but there has been plenty to do the last two weeks. We were glad to have Alma's letter yesterday. I
(interruption here - cont. on Sunday.)
am sorry I did not get the packages mailed earlier. I thought I had them off in time and I am inclined to think the mails were slow this year.
We were all delighted with the contents of the big box you packed so carefully and sent here. The towels are lovely and will be treasured. The children were all pleased with their pretty handkerchiefs. I have nearly finished ready "Buddy Jim" aloud and they like it very much. Margaret has read it all + some of the "Queerful Widget." She was very delighted with the furniture which is very pretty and beautifully made.
They have all enjoyed Roger's fish - on land - and we are now planning to use it in the bath tub. Roger's suit is very pretty. He will soon have to be promoted to suits. I realized the other day that some of his rompers were about worn out. Kathleen likes her slippers very much and they fit well.
I am sure we are going to enjoy the Haydn Symphonies very much. So far we have not had much time for practicing them. However the rush is over for me and when I start in I think Will will follow. He is so interested in Radio that he spends all his time reading books on it and so on. He has bought some government sets so you may expect to have one - but I cannot say when.
Margaret and Billy went back to school last Wednesday and we are getting back to normal. The tree + decorations are still up but they will have to go in a day or two. The children have had so much fun playing with the needles from the tree that I have left it up as long as possible. It has been a good tree and looked very pretty when trimmed.
We had the Gere family, Miss Attee + Mrs. Greene for dinner on Christmas Day. so we were a good sized party and we had a pleasant day.
We had a party for the children last Thursday - about ten children and seven grown ups - just played games and had a good time. Last year we had many more children but this year I decided on a smaller party. Billy wanted me to invite all the first grade (about twenty children)!
The children had plenty of presents and were happy with them - books, puzzles, cut out animals, dolls. Ruth dressed a doll she had when a child for Kathleen. It originally came from Paris and is very pretty. The other day I heard Margaret showing it to some one "It's an old fashioned doll at least my aunt had it." I suppose it seems very old to her. We got Margaret a Bible + S + Health and she has enjoyed reading from them. I thought perhaps she was a little young, and am glad to find how pleased she is to have her own set. Billy had an auto and Kathleen a doll carriage. Roger we did not trouble about! I finished Margaret's dress and she has worn it and likes it.
I am sending Alma a sample of advance spring styles from our garden! I hope to write again before long. I must write a line to Eva. Perhaps you will send this on.
Much love,
Kathleen.
Mt. Auburn
Cincinnati, Ohio.
Jan 6 1923
My dear Mother + Alma,
At last I have a few minutes for letters. I have intended writing every day but there has been plenty to do the last two weeks. We were glad to have Alma's letter yesterday. I
(interruption here - cont. on Sunday.)
am sorry I did not get the packages mailed earlier. I thought I had them off in time and I am inclined to think the mails were slow this year.
We were all delighted with the contents of the big box you packed so carefully and sent here. The towels are lovely and will be treasured. The children were all pleased with their pretty handkerchiefs. I have nearly finished ready "Buddy Jim" aloud and they like it very much. Margaret has read it all + some of the "Queerful Widget." She was very delighted with the furniture which is very pretty and beautifully made.
They have all enjoyed Roger's fish - on land - and we are now planning to use it in the bath tub. Roger's suit is very pretty. He will soon have to be promoted to suits. I realized the other day that some of his rompers were about worn out. Kathleen likes her slippers very much and they fit well.
I am sure we are going to enjoy the Haydn Symphonies very much. So far we have not had much time for practicing them. However the rush is over for me and when I start in I think Will will follow. He is so interested in Radio that he spends all his time reading books on it and so on. He has bought some government sets so you may expect to have one - but I cannot say when.
Margaret and Billy went back to school last Wednesday and we are getting back to normal. The tree + decorations are still up but they will have to go in a day or two. The children have had so much fun playing with the needles from the tree that I have left it up as long as possible. It has been a good tree and looked very pretty when trimmed.
We had the Gere family, Miss Attee + Mrs. Greene for dinner on Christmas Day. so we were a good sized party and we had a pleasant day.
We had a party for the children last Thursday - about ten children and seven grown ups - just played games and had a good time. Last year we had many more children but this year I decided on a smaller party. Billy wanted me to invite all the first grade (about twenty children)!
The children had plenty of presents and were happy with them - books, puzzles, cut out animals, dolls. Ruth dressed a doll she had when a child for Kathleen. It originally came from Paris and is very pretty. The other day I heard Margaret showing it to some one "It's an old fashioned doll at least my aunt had it." I suppose it seems very old to her. We got Margaret a Bible + S + Health and she has enjoyed reading from them. I thought perhaps she was a little young, and am glad to find how pleased she is to have her own set. Billy had an auto and Kathleen a doll carriage. Roger we did not trouble about! I finished Margaret's dress and she has worn it and likes it.
I am sending Alma a sample of advance spring styles from our garden! I hope to write again before long. I must write a line to Eva. Perhaps you will send this on.
Much love,
Kathleen.
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1.
Ages of the children this at this time:
Maggie 11
Billy 6
Kathleen 5
Roger 2, almost 3
2.
I have nearly finished ready "Buddy Jim" aloud and they like it very much.
I like to imagine the children gathered around listening to their mother reading aloud to them. I found Buddy Jim, by Elizabeth Gordon, on Amazon. Country pleasures and animals for young Buddy Jim. It's available on Kindle, for only 99 cents, so maybe I'll read it someday.
3.
Margaret has read it all + some of the "Queerful Widget."
Queerful Widget is not available on Kindle, and it has me puzzled. The Amazon description says it's a 1920 novel about a gay young man finding his place in the world. Not the sort of book that I imagine Alma giving an 11-year-old for Christmas in 1923, and not the sort of book that I imagine Kathleen wanting Maggie to read. And then down in the review section there are pictures of a book that does not look like the description, and the one review says the reviewer loved the book aa a child and recently gave it to a nine-year-old grandchild. So it sounds as though Amazon confused this book with another book.
4.
I am sure we are going to enjoy the Haydn Symphonies very much. So far we have not had much time for practicing them.
It sounds as though this is sheet music for a piano adapation of the symphonies. Just two or three of them, imagine, because there are a lot of Haydn symphonies.
5.
He is so interested in Radio that he spends all his time reading books on it and so on.
We'll be hearing a lot about radio in the future. What a magical thing it must have seemed like, way back then!
6.
The children have had so much fun playing with the needles from the tree that I have left it up as long as possible.
What? How do you play with needles from a Christmas tree?
7.
We had the Gere family, Miss Attee + Mrs. Greene for dinner on Christmas Day. so we were a good sized party and we had a pleasant day.
I've got Miss Attee on the Non-Family page for Ohio folks. The other names sound familiar.
8.
Ruth dressed a doll she had when a child for Kathleen. It originally came from Paris and is very pretty.
Ruth had a doll from Paris...wow.
9.
We got Margaret a Bible + S + Health and she has enjoyed reading from them.
S + Health is Science and Health, a Christian Science book by Mary Baker Eddy. I remember seeing the Bible and Science & Health together in a set when I was a child. Of course, Maggie left Christan Science when she grew up.
10.
Billy had an auto and Kathleen a doll carriage. Roger we did not trouble about!
Wait, what? Is she saying they didn't bother to get any presents for their almost-three-year-old child? Am I missing something here?
Ages of the children this at this time:
Maggie 11
Billy 6
Kathleen 5
Roger 2, almost 3
2.
I have nearly finished ready "Buddy Jim" aloud and they like it very much.
I like to imagine the children gathered around listening to their mother reading aloud to them. I found Buddy Jim, by Elizabeth Gordon, on Amazon. Country pleasures and animals for young Buddy Jim. It's available on Kindle, for only 99 cents, so maybe I'll read it someday.
3.
Margaret has read it all + some of the "Queerful Widget."
Queerful Widget is not available on Kindle, and it has me puzzled. The Amazon description says it's a 1920 novel about a gay young man finding his place in the world. Not the sort of book that I imagine Alma giving an 11-year-old for Christmas in 1923, and not the sort of book that I imagine Kathleen wanting Maggie to read. And then down in the review section there are pictures of a book that does not look like the description, and the one review says the reviewer loved the book aa a child and recently gave it to a nine-year-old grandchild. So it sounds as though Amazon confused this book with another book.
4.
I am sure we are going to enjoy the Haydn Symphonies very much. So far we have not had much time for practicing them.
It sounds as though this is sheet music for a piano adapation of the symphonies. Just two or three of them, imagine, because there are a lot of Haydn symphonies.
5.
He is so interested in Radio that he spends all his time reading books on it and so on.
We'll be hearing a lot about radio in the future. What a magical thing it must have seemed like, way back then!
6.
The children have had so much fun playing with the needles from the tree that I have left it up as long as possible.
What? How do you play with needles from a Christmas tree?
7.
We had the Gere family, Miss Attee + Mrs. Greene for dinner on Christmas Day. so we were a good sized party and we had a pleasant day.
I've got Miss Attee on the Non-Family page for Ohio folks. The other names sound familiar.
8.
Ruth dressed a doll she had when a child for Kathleen. It originally came from Paris and is very pretty.
Ruth had a doll from Paris...wow.
9.
We got Margaret a Bible + S + Health and she has enjoyed reading from them.
S + Health is Science and Health, a Christian Science book by Mary Baker Eddy. I remember seeing the Bible and Science & Health together in a set when I was a child. Of course, Maggie left Christan Science when she grew up.
10.
Billy had an auto and Kathleen a doll carriage. Roger we did not trouble about!
Wait, what? Is she saying they didn't bother to get any presents for their almost-three-year-old child? Am I missing something here?
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LINKS TO OTHER RELEVANT PAGES IN THIS WEBSITE
DOCUMENT LISTS FOR PEOPLE:
- WILL: DOCUMENTS ----- Related
- ALMA: DOCUMENTS ----- Incoming
- EVA: DOCUMENTS ----- Related
- MAMA MARGARET: DOCUMENTS ----- Incoming
- KATHLEEN: DOCUMENTS ----- Outgoing
- THE NEXT GENERATION: DOCUMENTS ----- Maggie, Billy, Kay, Roger
- FARMERS & GRAYS: DOCUMENTS ----- Ruth
- NON-FAMILY: OHIO FOLKS ----- Miss Attee
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