Hilda thought that you might be interested in Viola Jordan's letters - don't keep unless you are. Note that in the English hospital Doris had much difficulty in getting them to give her diabetic diet.

I have come to the conclusion that that's all there is
to piano playing- years of scale practising which I have never
done. But I have fun trying.

And so I'll say farewell for now and
I hope the new week will bring new things
which of course it will- and I will
have something more interesting to write you about.
Do you have a piano in your "erie" you should
play for a change from your writing and I know
you do play for I heard you once.

And so farewell again for now-
much love

Viola

-3-

first we scouted around for a five and dime
as I wanted to take back souvenirs-- I did get
some at the Howard Johnson restaurants where
we stopped between times for ice-cream or
lunch-- sooo at 2 P.M. we started for the
hospital after making reservations at the Lord
Calvert cottages as I mentioned and glad we did
for when we came there that evening a note on
door said, sorry, no more rooms or cottages.

I had brought some zinnias in a pitcher of
water and a loaf of my cornmeal bread for D.
and some candy, cashew nuts and a bookThe Nature
of the Universe by Hoyle for E. we expected
to be searched at the entrance but they didn't-
told us to go to office where two doctors asked
us how well we knew E. as he had complained of
fellows from Princeton and such like taking up
his time. This amazed me as from what he had been
sending me, nuts like "the beast" etc I thought
he must have reformed-- they sent to ask him(He
and D. were sitting out on the grounds) and word
came back we were welcome-- Ezra came forward to
meet us and made a pass at me-he is rather jerky
and I was giggling etc so that his arm knocked
the wraparound turban I was wearing but that
was nothing- He wore light lclothes,some kind of
linen jacket and a green visor on his head and
rubbers-they sit out there every afternoon in
two aluminum morris chairs and in front of them
are two or 3 park benches on which his visitors
sit. Dorothy is quite charming isn't she? I had
brought along a photogravure of her which I had
kept in my cabinet in kitchen for 30 years so I
showed it to them- it was taken when she was
studying art in Paris so she said.

-2-

ours was joined with baa bath-room and stall
shower and on the shelf was a row of several
kinds of candy and toiletries and a note saying
something about "honor" system-I didn't avail
myself of the candy however-- our rooms had
nice carpet, three lights, two chairs, aluminum
rack for suitcase,dressing table and the bed had
one blanket-I never undress in these places but
they are very clean--I just removed my stockings
and dress and slept in a wrapper-the pillow was
too fat--in Con's room he had a TV which he could
use for 25c. The place was not very far from the
highway but just far enough so no noise but I
can't say the same about the Lord Calvert cottage
we had in Hyattsville,Wash. the huge trucks
zoomed by all night and they kept lights on all
night at the door and street etc-didn't get much
rest there--

well in the morning(next door there was a car
from Maine and I wondered who it was as I heard
much coughing-but it was a rather youngish couple
rather expected to see an old person come out.
As we got on the road Con spied a coffee shop
back of a hotel that didn't look busy- there we
had a nice breakfast and I must mention the soft-
boiled eggs which were brought peeled and just
right- amazing-- coffee and toast- we reached
Washington about 11 A.M. starting from there at
8 I think.(Elkton I mean) Con wanted to find the
Hospital so we could find a place to sleep not
far but there was nothing but Hyattsville.
The grounds to the hospital shut in by high brick
walls-looking something like the entrance to
Bronz park-- we found the hospital after much
fly-way at the southern end of the city-- that
word is "inquiry"

-4-

-5-

Ezra said it was unfortunate we came Sat. and Sun. as he has more visitors then- pretty soon a Mr. and Mrs. Karens- he curator of the Mellon Foundation of art I believe and Mrs. Karans one of those pseudo learned ladies-0 very pleasant but turning to me or my direction she said, "and just WHO is Mr. Jordan." this gives you her description-- conversation was confused at this point-I thinking she meant my husband and Ezra explaining something about Con I didn't hear-- well these Karans were the same as E's friends making fun of the jews etc and E. told one or two of very "corny" jokes about them in what he thinks is dialect-- ha ha--this nauseates me so I told them that we all probably have Jewish blood in us. Mrs. K. said "how come" or words to that effect-- well said I, look how old the earth is. I got in some points quoting from Robert Graves whom she mentioned in her learned discussion of jews and religion which wasn't wasn't very clear- I asked her point blank if she believed in God and she began spouting what philosophers said etc--so I let her alone after that. Then came a youngish man with his very pretty blond young wife and two children- one about 6 and the little one about 3 so pretty- D. looked around for something to give her so I had some stale choc. I had in my bag-- the man's name was French I believe and they talked about insurance or something- you know the way they talk- they didn't stay long but the Karens didn't either. Con hadn't gotten a chance to really talk to E. so I made up my mind he would sit opposite him Sunday P.M. well at 4 P.M. we all had to

part and E. said he would give Con some books- we walked to the door, D. kissed him good-bye and we waited while he got to his room and opened the window-(some kind of bars it seemed to me across it) didn't have my glasses) and he threw out 3 pamphlets about Monetary Crimes Federal stuff etc which Con has only now looked at and said that Ezra's economics are confused and that he is all out of date-about which the less said the better. All the while we were watched by a character peeping behind a curtain at the next window.

We drove D. to her house on 11th St. she lives in a little concrete house with some people whom she says are not intellectual which satisfies her etc-

That evening we explored Penn. Ave looking for a barber shop and had supper in a little restaurant where TV was at the back and I wondered if Barbara was looking at it and she told me afterwards she was- then we almost went to a movie but couldn't find any we wanted to see so drove to Hyattsville and the before mentioned cottages.

Next morning, Sunday we made the tour of the buildings-couldn't go in the White House Grounds nor the Library of Congress but saw the Waah. monument and the foolish people waiting to take elevator- the latest one Jefferson Mem. very lovely-- I saw a mocking bird for the first time-passerby told me what it was and said there was a bird sanctuary nearby-- Conrad had to go up and read the placque on Blair House-the commemorating of the death of the guard who died when that west indian nigger shot at Truman.

(I think he was " can't remember."

-7-

we didn't dare move or turn our heads-
luckily I could see him without turning- I said
to E. well he's just about right isn't he?

I thought it would be interesting to talk with
him but was discouraged by everyone-ho ho--

Chinese girl called E. grandpa and D. grandma
which I thought rather charming-- we got talking
about catholicism- Dorothy ever the diplomat
keeping me from any bizarre or derogatory re-
marks- you know what I mean--of course I wouldn't
run them down at such a time- but I did say that
no one believes in hell and the devil any more.

Silence on the part of the two catholics, Dave
and chinese girl tho she did manage to sum up
enough courage to tell us she worked form for
Mons. Sheen who has been talking on TV lately.
A very earnest priest whom Conrad labelled a
"fanatic" but he is very magnetic tho I haven't
ever listened to him- it bores me.

Chinese girl let slip a "cherie" when
addressing Dave. she kept unravelling the string
that was around the bag and I said when she got it
unravelled we would play cat's cradle and she
looked at me with worlds of doubt and did I see
a little resentment in those slant eyes- after
some talk of chinese never losing their tempers
I told that story of the two coolies-one of whom
got mad at the other and gouged out his eye- and
the gouged one said"you shouldn't have done that."

I read it years ago-story by an englishman who
was travelling in China- I could have told other
stories told me by my tenant Mr. Rice who lived
in China two years-- one of how he and a friend
who innocently and drunkenly wandered into a

-8-

pagoda or house, door was open- found a row
of chinese sitting around a large red piece
of furniture in the middle of the room- they
sat down and pretty soon the chinese got up
and intoned things and then sat down and Mr.

Rice and his friend clapped appreciatively--
the chinese turned to them and nodded gravely-
this happened two or three times until they
realized they were at a chinese funeral.

However I didn't tell this story--

Ho Hum. Well time was getting near 4 o'clock
and we had to start home-- I kissed DE. on his
forehead and tweaked his gray beard which he
wears in 3 parts-- he told Conrad he has trouble
holding up his head-- I asked him if there wan't
an ese osteopath who could look at his neck or
backbone etc- he didn't reply--I think maybe he
lies down too much and doesn't get much exercise-
he is quite fat- but said he had lost some pounds.

I kissed or rather hugged Dorothy and we said
au revoir and went-- We got home about 11 P.M.
after stopping at several Howard J. restaurants
for more ice-cream, supper etc- the food everywhere
tasted much better than up here-we weren't tired
either when we reached home- Conrad is a good
driver.

This ended our trip and I enjoyed it so
much Con said we might go again in the spring.

And now I have less cheerful news. Conrad
developed a boil on his rectum on the sphincter
and it was extremely painful- last week-- he
suffered pretty much and Dr. Meyers in Tenqfly
finally operated on him. For three days Con
could hardly walk and yet Dr. M. made me bring
him

-6-

then after lunch we went again to see D. and E. in the same spot- lovely day-- E. had a string on which he tied peanuts for the squirrels.

But very soon we had more visitors-- Dave Horton whom E. had sent to see us in Tenafly last ye two years ago- he was then on his way to Hamilton Coll in an old broken-down jalopy- he stayed over night- details too long to write-- but now he had filled out and older and quite a personable young man-(we noticed that his name Horton was on the pamphlets E. gave Con, as co-author, so he must have a printing place. He didn't say much-had brought a bag of plums for E. and Dorothy only took one saying she eie didn't dare eat more-- I refused because the skins are bitter- I had brought E. some fruit too-- Dave is attending a catholic Univ. the Univ of Wash. I think-- then over the grounds came a chinese girl-- (I wonder if they came together) anyway they are both attending the same Univ. chinese girl had brought E. some egg-rolls and two little cups of sauce and E. went to it but of course we refused them-- they looked and smelled nice- something like ravioli's I think-- only fatter like rolls. Chinese girl was very pretty- high class-- complained that she had to learn to read anglo-saxon and didn't see why- Ezra consoled her in his enigmatic way can't remember conversation-- while we were talking a group of negroes passed about 100 ft away on path with an attendant and one of them broke away, a man and came forward about 10 ft shouting at the top of his voice- "you sit there talkin'- psychiatry is abstract I tell you it's abstract, it's abstract" again and again.

-9-

him down to Tenafly in my car-- the doctors today are "inhuman" and I told him so- but his wife who is also a nurse said over phone that they can't go visiting in"this business" meaning he is a proctologist-- anyway Con made one great effort to go down last Tuesday night of course he had been taking codein and penecillin and swabbing with boric acid etc and Dr. was waiting for boil to come to a head- but Tues. he decided to operate so I took Con to Englewood Hospital Today he is feeling all right-- went golfing yesterday(you can't make the male sex do anything sensible) he was a little stiff yesterday- going back to the office Monday.

Now that it is all over I must tell you something funny-- you know Con has "hospitalization" paying 90c. a month- so that when he was discharged and the nurse took him down in elevator in wheel-chair-we got to the door and Con gave me his paper that explained the hospitalization etc to take up-stairs to the main office.

Con had a 4-day beard and was wearing a blue cap with visor-- well the woman in the office asked me if I wanted to "pay it now" evidently not understanding the paper. So I reported back to Con and the nurse wouldn't let him walk up-stairs so took him up again in wheel-chair and the funny part is that woman in office looked at him over rather high counter and Con with 4-day beard and blue cap looked up rather as if he were a dwarf-- Barbara said why didn't he say"you've heard of Palmolive and Colgate well, I'm Peet. If you can get the picture you might laugh as much we do every time we think of it.

Harrington Pk., N.J.

Apr.11-'52

Dear Hilda:

You certainly are forgiven for
not remembering my birthday when you are
so charming as to say 64? not that I would
wish to be 64 again- I'm 65.

I went out one of these deceptively
warm spring days, knelt on a rubber pad
and began weeding- of course got a cold, the
first one all winter- and it settled in my
face with neuralgia, not bad-- what a
pleasure not to have teeth to make it worse.

Linda took a neighbor child on the back
of her velocipede and went scooting down a
neighbor's driveway- they both fell off and
Linda got a fractured elbow but the other
little one wasn't hurt much. Linda has had
her arm in a cast these past 2 weeks and can
take it off Monday.

Bryher writes that you expect your
grandson and Perdita soon- what joy you will
have- and how wonderful to be able to see
him so often from way across the seas. Let's
see he must be walking now? Donnie has been
walking since the first of the year and I
think I've taught him to say "all gone" at
least he says something that sounds mighty
like it after he's finished his bottle or
food etc.

After that unnerving experience with
"the beast" I made up my mind not to write
to E. until he apologized or something- and
restrained myself from writing a scathing
letter several times. I waited until he
wrote first, about 2 weeks I guess when lo
and behold I get a blithe letter telling me
that the Swabeys (I think that is the right
spelling because I returned his letter to

-2-

Dorothy and asked her to tell Ezra that we are not in a position to be hospitable except for a meal, to 4 Swabeys, Pa and Ma and 2 children, whom Ezra said might visit us- at least he asked me if there was an motel near us- and that this family wanted to have a horrific swing at N.Y. etc- Mr. Swabey being a "parson",- they would come in a jeep, were Canadians etc.

This was the END- I told Dorothy all about the Pablos youth and that there were about 10 or so motels on the route Jersey side to the Bridge-that I would like to have them say for a Sunday dinner but could not put them up as we do not live in a BIG house any more etc etc. Ezra wrote back that he owed me one buck for telephone and not clear if I pay- paid taxi (the idea--taxi was $7.) and that "he warn't that crazy when he left here but has been put in gook-house on return."

Prof. Edwards in Berkeley whom I warned because this Pablos said he was going there to pick up some tape-recordings by Jaime d'Angulo, wrote back that he would be prepared to meet the "onrushing beast" but that if he played that taxi trick on him he'd bash his head in."

I haven't heard a peep out of Bill Williams since I played that Xmas joke on him- he's probably engrossed in his "novel" which will be "something" I'm sure-- and quite as silly as his autobiog.

Yes, E. wrote me that Olga is coming over and he hopes I'll manage to get to see her. How, he doesn't say. Well I've told him if she comes to N.Y. to let me know and I'll meet her at the bridge and bring her over for as long as she wants to stay. She writes me that she likes me and one can't help but admire her vitality but she's "wrong-headed" somewhere.

I can see her "bucking" up against authority in Washington-it's going to be fun to watch. I suppose Dorothy will

-3-

absent herself on the days when Olga visits him. What kind of living could Ezra make if he got out of the Hospital. He could go live with Maria and then Dorothy would scream-- if he lives with Olga what would happen to Dorothy. All because Ezra really has no convictions about anything.

Easter Sunday

Dear me, a cold grayish day-- yesterday Sue called me up and said the supper and movie which Roy was going to give her (their 7th wedding anniversary he had sent her some beautiful red and yellow roses) was off-I was to go over and stay with the children. All because there was a misunderstanding about a pal of Roy's coming and digging up a tree--seems he took two and one of them Sue didn't want him to take. It may have been Sue's fault as Roy said she could have asked the fellow to wait till he got back. But they had quite a "row"--Sue's voice showed signs of high argument and I could hear Roy still complaining in the background. However Roy came over with a small pink azalea for me, and I hope they patched up the quarrel.

To my great surprise and delight I rec'd Bryher's book yesterday- the "14th of October". I have got well into it and enjoy her descriptions of landscapes, nature etc and her dramatic pictures of the Danes. I don't know whether she would be flattered if I told her this book should be a Text-book in all High Schools.

You will have a wonderful summer with a car-- who will drive? your son-in-law I suppose-what a time he will have to get used to the wheel on the right side. Looking out just now B. saw two scarlet tanagers and they

stayed in our backyard quite a while flitting from tree to tree as if to give us a good look at them--they were not so red as I expected--more pink so I really don't know their name. Con went down to Demarest and chopped some more of Sue's wood and never went in the house--such a funny brother--doesn't make much of Linda or Donnie pretending bachelors aren't supposed to know about children.

Do I understand from your letter that Mr. Aldington writes you? isn't that nice of him- I should think he would want to see his grandson-when Perdita was here she told B. he had married again and was living in France.

I have just re-read your letter-I'm getting more stupid as time goes on--I should have realized Perdita and husband were buying the car- and- now I see you say E. and Dorothy E. write Aldington and not you-tsk tsk what when will I learn not to understand with my elbows as my father used to say.

O, I did get the info about Perdita moving but I thought Bryher said they were buying a house, maybe out of N.Y. I am so glad you feel so much better and thinking of coming over-- forgive me for mentioning that we have been having so many plane crashes lately over Elizabeth and Jamaica, L.I. people are getting angry and want both airports at Idlewild and Newark, shut down-they take apt. houses you know seem to not miss them. Con says "better stay out of them wind-wagons" but of course people won't. We keep seeing jet plane successfull trips-on TV-pilots tell about trip etc.

Would you care for enclosed scarf? someone gave it to me and I look like h--- in them and never wear 'em.

I did love the woolen one B. gave me thought it many times peasant fashion in car on very cold days driving to Sue's etc.

will close now, with much love

Viola

-4-

4

3

Perhaps I have mentioned that Sue has
s a second-hand little Austin- it has english
steering gear which irks me- the reverse gear
is fifth position and we couldn't pull up the
hood(Roy her husband is away on camp with
his battalion anyway 60 men or so, up at
Plattsburgh where I don't know how many soldiers
are just now, building pontoon bridges and the
like (incidentally the governor of Jersey
alighted from a heliicopter and shook hands
with Roy who is a Capt. which delighted him
of course) how I do digress- well anyway we
went to get gasoline, pardon me, petrol-- and
the garage man showed us a button saying "Bonnet"
which meant the hood- I say- what a surprise
for us. But fooling aside I have to ride with
Sue while she is learning (she has a permit
now which will last a month and then she will
have to go to Garfield N.J abd take her test
after 5 hours in traffic and other hours
and it just about gives me nervous prostration
to ride with her- she does pretty well
but Oh there is so much to learn-- she came
over here alone the other day-good thing
nothing happened for if the police caught her
it wouldn't be so nice. Well I seem to be
loading my troubles on your quite quiet
beautiful time-- but you wouldn't know you
were quiet and beautiful now would you if you
didn't hear the contrary? do forgive me and
don't worry about the P.newsletter- pack it
with your books etc. B. has gone for the mail
and if there should be a note from Sir Pound
thanking me for some fudge brownies I will
relay to you......... no none from him but
B. was glad to get, tho too late for Con, some
geta's made of solid rubber soles that she sent
away for- they have a green ribbon over the big
toe and stay on the foot very nicely. They only

the end and have a label pasted on the
window saying when to come again. Nothing
wrong with my car this time-but if there is they
give you a punched ticket and you have to go
over again and sit and stop and go etc etc etc
This doesn't seem to be cheery does it?
Perhaps you will be amused by this: the
Fairfield, seniors just back from a trip to
Maine brought Sue and the kiddies over yesterday
for a short visit-they had brought some
indian indian headdresses for Donnie and Linda-
Linda put hers on and then danced around
hitting everybody with leaves of the iris she
picked out front-- Mrs. F. and everybody entered
into this roughhouse- by saying, "I'm sick" you
can't hit me etc-- we called her Princess
Yellow Moon and other names until Sue called her
Princess Crazyhorse-- now this is rather silly
isn't it but Linda didn't mind- there was an
indian of this name- can't erremember where Sue
and I saw it- but we both remembered it--
I don't think I've told you what Linda and
Don did the other day- guess I wrote to E. about
it-anyway-- we were amazed to see Linda and
Don one day over here-Linda had asked Don if
he wanted to go see Nannie Jordan-so she on her
bicycle and he on his little velocipede
with no pedals, only steel supports, he came
way from Demarest along Knickerbocker road
which has a deal of traffic, and it is about
3 miles-- we immediately telephoned Sue
who thought they were playing with Slavenska's
little girl, about a block away. Needless
to say they won't do it again. Motorists today
are made conscious of children by signs which
say, Caution, children at Play-- so thank
heaven they got here safely,

Harrington Park, N.J. Dec. 31-'55

Dear Hilda:

The beeswax candles arrived early and gave me that same feeling of joyous Xmastide of other years-- I wanted to put them on butter plates at the table Xmas morning but alas Con and Barbara slept so late I had to eat in state with one candle-I'm always the first one up. Thank you so much for sending them, and incidentally I never knew the town you were born in-- Bethlehem-- near Wyncote of course where you met Ezra. I know you would have loved to see and hear the Firpo banjo band in Phila. as we did on TV-I'm quite crazy about them- their costumes this year were gorgeous as usual I suppose and cost thousands. They always play the old-time jazz like Golden Slippers and I'm wild about Harry etc.

Speaking of Ezra, or were we, he can say the darndest things-- Mary Barnard wrote me complaining that he was getting crustier and crustier. I labored over a letter in french to him once and did I get a scathing rebuke-I wrote back that he couldn't write a correct letter in french either. I give it right back to him when he gets that way.

Con brought the mail this morning before he went off to Hackensack to get his car inspected and buy some much needed shirts etc. Your letter was among them, also one from E. thanking me for some woolen stretch socks something new-size 9-11-that is anybody size 9 to 11 can wear them-I thought of sending some to you and Bryher but then thought you can get much better woolen things in Switzerland where people just have to wear wool.

Glad you liked the beads.

We had a nice Xmas-the children came over and our tree only cost a dollar-trust Con to get one that cheap-he says to the man-where are your dollar trees?

I wrote to Bryher about everything and something tells me she just might let you read it to save repetition. She made my Xmas so opulent with her checque-I wish she wouldn't but I suppose if I had money I'd do the same.

As I was making Con's bed and the beds, before beginning this I was chuckling about two fellows joking on Con's radio which I put on-one said to the other, "what's the matter with you Ken, don't you want

-2-

to grow up and have trouble?" This reminds me that
when Bill Wms. told me to get a copy of a mag. containing
an article by him about the sculpture of Brancusi, I
had to ask a neighbor to get the mag. in N.Y. Well I
wrote to E. about it and said the sculpture was ugly and
childish and I didn't like Lautrec's pictures either-
he wrote back to the effect that he didn't either-so
I told him he was "growing up". The socialological part
of E.'s nature has never been developed it seems to me.

So they are going to laud your 70th birthday? Heavens
it doesn't seem to me you have reached that age-I'm
getting to be afraid to mention 70-- I'm getting on to
69. I think I have your "Helen". It is difficult for
me to follow you in your mystical thoughts.

It is quite joyful about Perdita-I wrote to Bryher
that my card was returned-sent to her old address and no
new address on her envelope. Do tell me where she now is.

Your desire to live in a place of your choosing
"near some woods", Sonnenberg sounds delightful.

I heard Maurice Evans on TV in Macbeth (no allusion to
you) if I quote, "twilight thickens and the crow wings
him to the rocky wood." This phrase enchants me and when
Evans spoke it it remained in my memory. I say it over and
over to myself, what for I don't know.

Oh dear I hate to think of this coming
Tuesday morning at 9:30-I have a summons for jury duty-
if I can get over to Hackensack I won't mind so much--
my car works but if it snows may have to use 2 busses.
I have never been called to jury duty-it is petit court
so perhaps only auto accidents etc. wish I were older-
there is an age limit-don't remember what it is.

I will write you about my experience-at court.

Dear Hilda, we all have blessings but
don't concentrate on them enough. Enough of this or I
might launch into the metaphysical which is always
hovering--the challenge of Satan I do believe.

love, as ever

Viola

Harrington Park, N.J. Apr. 9 - '56

Dear Hilda

Thank you for the dainty Easter card. I was thinking only yesterday of writing to either you or Bryher. I am a very busy old Gramma these days- go down to Sue's in Demarest about 3 miles almost every morning to bathe and feed baby Leroy and clean things up. Sue doesn't like to lift him but egad she lifted the end of a bed to other day and "fle" felt a tug" she is very careless.

We had a snowstorm day before yesterday but it's gone now only in patches around- it was like fairyland Sunday morning, every twig covered and we have been feeding the birds fef- every since the last snow which was much heavier-there is a pair of birds around, the female is gray and the male has a crest and is red-breasted- we also saw a tanager- and we have lots of grackles, phoebe birds, bluejays nutthach' (can't spell it) the kind that go down a tree frontwards, and woodpeckers- Sue buys wild bird seed for her birds and Linda made a feeder at the Brownies, a sort of box cover affair with the top too high-- but we just throw out bread. Oh we did have a lulu of a snow storm before this one- 15 inches-couldn't get my car out for a week. Such queer weather for April!-- you know Hilda with Russia setting off bombs and us here in Nevada, they can't tell me as Con does that the atoms don't have something to do with it. The japanese are measuring the amount of "stuff" in the air.

I suppose you wouldn't give a ---- to hear that Bill and Flossie have flown to Puerto Rico and stopping at St. Thomas Is. where his father grew up. but thought I'd just mention it. Haven't heard much from Ezra and sent him a paper-mate pencil, (no answer) for such a long time that I wrote Dorothy to see if he were ill. She wrote that his room was being painted and had to move his books and things to her place I think as she knew a taxi driver who did it for her-- she wrote that nothing was the matter only he is "old" and for that matter so was she, well we'r all old, and by gum I feel it keeping on my feet so much lately, my leg goes to sleep and my right leg hurts if I turn it a certain way- well we just fall apart don't we? I read somewhere RLS's dictum- "disdain for the inevitable end, one of the finest traits of mankind."

Saw on TV the rector of the cathedral St. John the Divine, still unfinished I guess, on 110th St. remember? having coffee in a room there with a sheik, an Islamite and interpreter, and a Moslem with a kaftan on from Pakistan and the rector's little daughter who also asked questions. I don't know what they proved except that basically all religions are alike--can't remember any extraordinary saying about the prayer of the Islam was nice and they all believe in God. Seems to me I read somewhere that Mohammed was an epileptic. I won't go on or you'll surely think 'I'm an infidel.

Barbara sent for two little bunnies, one with an apron on, that revolve when wound, very cute and the children had too much candy as usual.

Well Con has just come home so supper is the next thing-tho he seems to live on sour cream and apples etc. gets a big meal at noon at Colgate.

As I may not have told you Colgate moved into N.Y. so he doesn't have to use his car to go to the Erie at Closter, just goes around the corner here to the D L & W and his car stands right in the way when I want to turn to get out driveway- never could back out decently anywhere-it irks me.

I do hope Perdita is all right with her three little boys and hope with you she has a daughter this time- what will she name her? after you?

Will write again later-- you know me, always chattering-- and what are you being busy at these days?. Give my love to Bryerr and keep some for yourself,

as ever,

Viola

P.S. There was an opera about Joan of Arc on TV by an italian but I didn't listen- sort of bores me- these modern operas. no one can sing like Tebaldi.

59N16B
WHITE & WYCKOFF
HOLYOKE, U. S. A.

or atmosphere that comes their way from
Russia and the U.S. to find out if there is any
more radioactive "stuff" in the air and I believe
the atom keeps going and never stops. Oh well.

I have been wondering why you haven't written
more-- I hate to say it but poetry these days in
this vulgar age- this money money age is almost
deady ded ded-- they are beginning to print poetry
from the victorian age in columns in the newspapers
d sometimes. As Conrad says, everything is blood
sex and technology, and I don't believe it is
original with him--

On TV Saturday nights Princeton broadcasts
on subjects like biology, etc and this Sat.
well I'll quote- Program devoted to social
sciences with an overall theme titled "America
of Mid-Century." pretty stuffy some of it, but
who am I to complain. Noel Coward has been
broadcasting his plays, with himself in it, "live"
that is not on filk and it's surprising how old-

fashioned and childish some of it seems- Blithe
Spirit bored me with the wives throwing things at
each other etc--- but no one can equal him singing
Mad dogs and englishmen go out in the midday sun.

The Happy Breed, I think will be his next-I'll
look but won't like it I know.

Well B. is home and trying to get the parakeet in
his cage to bring him down stairs-she claims he
talks to her-- we did have a little young yellow one
a female for him- but altho petshop man said his
birds were inspected it got sick and we took it back
and it died- he writing me a note saying it died
of internal injuries because I happened to mention
she flew to the window and knocked her head. Oh well,
Out bird does funny antics with toys- I hear B.
laughing- it is amazing how human they get.

Well dear Hilda, farewell for now and I'm so
glad you are happy and I hope Perdita gets her wish
for a girl- Give my love to Bryher-will write anon.

Love to you both,

Viola

-2-

over 42nd near the Pub: Liby when two steps ahead of me I recognized a familiar figure, and it was indeed Mary Bernard! she had just arrived from her home in Vancouver, two days and 3 nights on train and was as usual in her haunt at the Library researching etc. We walked over to Fifth Ave and I told her about the record, saying I didn't want to go to the Liberty Shop if I could possibly get it at Schirmers. I asked her to come out Sunday and she said she would, and I went to Schirmers- they have five or six floors now- well, no record! so I had to climb abera aboard a 5th Ave bus- such a nuisance, you have to have a dime- not two nickels as of yore, and put two cents in the tray in front of the driver- ye gods, lurching bus, crowds, pawing in pocket book - finally got it- alighted at 50th walked over to Madison past the hullabaloo with all the flags waving around the Radio Music Hall or whatever it is called, with the large figure whatever it is, and the tables and the flowers etc. I hardly ever go in you know so it was quite new- I GOT the record at last! then I looked around for James. Jas. Finley you know, Ezra's little friend who married Irene and they have a baby boy, Paris. I told you about the RH type blood etc etc. They had asked me to go in Sunday as it was Irene's birthday but I didn't go and tel. them- James' mother who is french answered and I had to laugh when I told her to tell them I was sorry I could not come in and she said, "I know you will be." being french she got her tenses mixed up. Anyway, I found James in his cage, he has been promoted from just a clerk, he now takes care of orders etc I guess. I saw his yellow hair-startlingly yellow, such a thin boy, thin hands and not good looking a-tall- well I asked him to come and bring Irene and the baby Sunday too and he is going to phone Conrad and tell him what time he can be at the bridge, too. Now I must write Mary and tell her about it- she knows them so she won't feel second hand you know.

I wonder if you'd like to hear about Sue's plans for a house. Perhaps you haven't heard of housing problems- I can't for the life of me see why- except that selfish people

MRS. V. S. B. JORDAN

195 JEFFERSON AVENUE

TENAFLY, N. J.

have uppied the price of everything in this world and made it im-
possible to build a sensible house for less than $16,000. and you
should see the little dog-houses with the little back-yards they
have to live in. Well Sue has got an architect(he says he is part
indian) Ho ho- anyway, Sue has her own ideas- no cellar, radiant
heating- concrete floors with lineoleum and r ugs- ali on one floor
no up-stairs, big fire-place with no mantle- magazine rack in wall
ironing board in wall- large garage connected with house so room
for bicycles and work bench etc. Large picture window out back
looking on terrace and garagen- their land is about 400 feet deep
and 150 wide- up near here in Demarest- rather more country than
here- no sewers as yet- you don't know how I small miss Lindal
I don't think they can build before next spring as it is too
late I should think to start on it.

The steel pier at Atlantic City is afire- they're always
having a fire on their piers it seems.

Well, I have a few small sweet peaches on my tree, quite a
few Kieferer pears which all the family makes fun of but I love
'em. have transplanted my strawberries far apart so I can tqke
care of the runner this time- have quite a few citron, one or two
pumpkins, and a great surprise, 3 or 4 musk melons! never could
make t hem grow before- have had many zuccini squash- great big
fellows-they grow better after I get the horrible worms out.

My neig hbor old Mr. Griffin 80 odd, got knocked out in that
hot spell and has been in hospital these two weeks, had to have a
transfusion-don't know whether he'll pull thru. If he doesn't
we'll have that part of our land that he used for garden to
run next year. on says he'lp he'll put in some more fruit
trees. Well I must stop gabbing. Oh I must tell you about

-4-

the few northern spy apples on my dwarf tree, most of them
gnarily as I didn't spray- and near the front of the house or
rather southern exposure I have a little fig tree which has
two tiny green figs on the bottom of it- and it's only 4 feet
tall- will have to cover it for the winter. I also have some
roses there and they are blooming, just a few.

Little Linda has a slight cold- Roy took her in his car
one day, a windy day and she had no bonnet on. His car had the
top down I should have mentioned.

I enclose an article about Angela Thirkei because it
mentions Wm. Morris.

I suppose Perdita will be winging her way to these
shores pretty soon. Hope to see her out here and hope
oh yes she has met Mary B. I wonder if she will have a
new address- hope she will let me know anyway.

Oh I might tell you how Barbara and I, going to visit
the Fairfields who live on the street back of the Old Aero
Actors Home, Sunday, went over there to see a vaudeville show
for the actors and people interested. They have about two acres
and a ice old-fashioned large building. We enjoyed the acts
extremely- Eddie Gar r did his famous drunk act, a german cellist
made us scream with delight- I guess you'll think I'm just
a low-brow shem, but I love these clownish things. Barbara
recognized an actor who made a speech, he was in The Mad Women
of Chaillot, think she said he was one of the prospectors in it.
Anyway we enjoyed the out of doors performance, they danced on
the cement walk etc, piano on porch, old-timers were these etc.
awfully interesting- then we went back to the Fairfields for
coffee and cake.

Well I must stop- hope you're going to have a lovely
fall-I love fall even more than spring. O, I have forgotten
what I wanted to put in this letter. The Liszt song that I
heard on WQXR sung by Pierre Bernac- this singer has a
beautiful voice and this perfect song was or is sung by him
about as perfectly as I could expect to hear it. My mother

-5-

used to sing this and I used to try to- her music is in a
horrible condition- after these 65 years or so- but-----
I wonder if you are familiar with this song.

Es muss ein wunderbares sein
Umms Lieben zweier Seelen
Sich schliessen ganz einander ein, sich nie ein wort
verhelen

Und Freud und Leid, und Gluck und Noth
so mit ein ander tragen, so mit ein ander tragen
vom ewsten Kuss bis in den Tod, sich nur von Liebe sagen,
sich nur von Liebe sagen.

Ah, Liszt, Liszt, never will be another Liszt.
It always makes the tears come, t his song it is so perfect,
words and music., and t his Pierre Bernac as I've said sings
it to perfection.

O, I must not forget to mention that I heard must
much to my amazement, over WQXR last evening, Katherine Ruth
Heyman, Ezra's heart-throb of younger years? play on a record
of course, a clavierstucke by that old fool Schoenberg.
Such a mess of tinkling nothing and irritating chords. It was
a relief to hear Rubenstein playing Chopin afterwards, but I
wrote to Ezra about it.

And now I think I'm written out- hope you don't
have to take an aspirin to finish this.

Love to you and Bryher and Perdita and
tell Bryher I'll write anon.

As ever,
Viola

-2-

as we sat at the table Perdita gave us the darling handkerchieves and the comb and the pearls out of the embroidered bag! thank you so much dear Hilda- the pearls are just lovely and they look like cultured ones- are you sure you could give them to me? they would look lovely on you, much more distingue than on me.

Anyway I shall keep them for my very best and shall endeavor to acquire a jet black dress from somewhere to wear them on. Conrad gave me some time ago a chinese bracelet and ring and assured me I should get a very black dress to show the bracelet off.

This afternoon there was a party of chinese young people looking at the grounds and Geo. Washington's headquarters in Old Tappan where we went after Inspiration Point. All the trees there are labeled- there is a ginkoe tree and several black leets locusts and cucumber magnolias and a huge weeping willow, oh an enormous thing. The Hqytrs. are kept up by the masons and they have another building where they give picnics etc- this wasn't open or we could have bought some postcards to send you and put our names in their visitors book.

Then we came home and I thinking that Perdita knew I wanted her to have some supper kept talking until I could find out about her date and then hustled with the supper-luckily I had it all prepared beforehand. Linda and Sue and Roy came in from their shopping it being Saturday. Perdita remarked how much Linda had grown.

Perdita is always so jolly and ready to laugh and I enjoy her very much. Conrad and Barbara have great talks about whether she is sophisticated or not and think there is no reason why she should not "talk more" about London and the things we have not seen etc. I have to explain that Perdita doesn't realize that that would be interesting to them- for instance like the descriptions that Mary Barnard gave us of her stay in Italy. It was new to Mary etc. but after we get to know Perdita better she will probably

MRS. V. S. B. JORDAN

195 JEFFERSON AVENUE

TENAFLY, N. J.

-3-

give us some of her views on things instead of listening politely to ours, especially mylearned and scientific propoundings of the limit of space etc. It is quite clear to my birdbrain that Einstein is very wrong in his stubborn insistence that space is limited. The very ideal!

I have forgotten if I told you about Mary B's visit to E. in Washington last week- she has friends who live in the northern part of the city and the hospital is in the southwest part so she writes she spent most of her time on streetcars. But she visited with him and on one of her visits the author of "The Greek Way" the Roman Way" etc, Edith Hamilton was there and she enjoyed meeting her. Mrs. Pound (Dorothy) is allowed to go and take E. out any fine afternoon but the rest of the inmates cannot go out except in the middle of summer on fine days. Isn't that awful? Mary said E. fed the squirrels and gave her some cigarettes I had sent him as he doesn't smoke much. Mary writes that E. has given her a new project to work on and she is quite happy about it-she didn't say what it was. Mary says E. is looking very well probably because he isn't cooped up so much.

Oh, I entirely forgot to mention the tortoiseshell comb you gave me- it is perfectly lovely. I wear my hair braided in round blobs over my ears- never have bobbed it since Conrad was born-this comb is quite precious and I do hope someone, perhaps Linda may be able to wear it when she grows up if hair styles change. I would love to wear it and who knows I may if someone should give me a box at the Opera or if I had life enough to dress up for some concert

-4-

Ezra tells me he wants to see anything, snooty or not about him. "In his paper Dr. Wertham contends in effect that Pound was per-

mitted to escape trial principally because his "fascist" opinions did not reflect accepted opinion."

Here is anot her excerpt: "Pound's "insanity" is an example of how we are trying to explain away profound defects in society by placing them outside society in the sphere of individual pathology. Ezra Pound has no delusions in any strictly pathological sense.

But we have let ourselves be deluded into the belief that responsibility is not responsibility, guilt not guilt and incitement to hate not incitement to violence."

I suppose if I should send this article to Olga it would make her more unhappy than she is.

Well, I per sonally think that if Ezra had "stood up to his convictions" when first arrested and not feared or zather found out the penalty from his lawyer for "treason" such as his, a peculiar kind of treason that probably did not mean death."

he would be in a betterprecaution- I mean he would have gotten perhaps ten years imprisonment and a fine- but now that he is considered "insane" he will have to stay in a booby place for life. If he can stand it I suppose he is safe and perhaps he likes it that way. This is my own opinion of course. I really believe if Ezra were let out he would still air his opinions and perhaps be a menace in some measure among the younger generation

tho they are being educated in schools and colleges very much more thoroly about political things than they were in our day. I mean Ezra would write articles etc. This sounds as the I am a hypocrite as far as Ezra is concerned. But one can only hope for the best for him. His notes to me show that he is still raging about things in general underneath, and in the next line he thanks me for my "gentle thought" in sending him stuffed dates for instance when he says peanuts or just nuts would be just as good. I guess he means I should not go to that trouble of making the dates etc. Well to tell the truth I thought if I sent him nuts he would be sensitive about it-

"nuts" being slang you know. Sily of me what?

MRS. V. S. B. JORDAN

195 JEFFERSON AVENUE

TENAFLY, N. J.

-5-

I meant to write much differently- I was going to begin about thinking of you in your "eerie" where you can look at the Savoy Alps etc but got on to this article by Wertham.

I am sending you something that will make you smile and perhaps put it away in your winter trunk, hmm? some pieces of what I laugingly call needle-point again! I have a book showing costume and dress from egyptian times to the present so I thought you'd like some Greek costumes. I showed them to Perdita and she said when are you going to send them-I said oh around Xmas I guess and she giggled delightedly. I have made two of italian costumes can't remember the time, for Mary B. and others for other friends- it would be all right if they didn't think they were "pot-holders" the round shape gives that impression-I have made two chinese ones for Gloria as she has some japanese pictures and statuettes well, statuettes in her parlor. They are cute I think- little boys flying kitesakites and holding lanterns. Anyway I love to do them. I should have made the shape rectangle like a picture but alas they don't have frames for this and I do like a frame.

I must write Bryher a long letter about nothing-an nothing in particular because what can one write to someone who has travelled so much and seen so much- and Hilda, do not think that our taking Perdita around to local spots etc is anything wonderful- we like to have her like us and come over when she can and don't think you have to repay us in some way-

heavens I should not have
yackety-yacked(slang) so much - now comes the season of
cheer- my neighbor old Mr. Griffin will not be able
to make me a huge Xmas wreath this year- he died 2 yrs ago-
now he is able but has other things to do hmm? much love

Viola

Harrington Park, N.J. Sept. 27-'56

Dear Hilda;

Thank you very much for sending me your "Tribute to Freud" and flattering me, tho I don't like flattery, and am a horrid hypocrite into the bargain. I can understand why you wrote about him- he still seems to be a controversial subject, and you met him personally, he being a famous personality. It is hard for me to write this but were you surprised when your idol showed feet of clay? I will now proceed to run him down, tho nobody has ever called me an intellectual. I think I can put it in one sentence- Freud thought that nobody grows up. I guess that will do tho I could if I thought it helpful to the young write a book which they wouldn't read and should not-from my viewpoint of 69 years, and it wouldn't be flattering to Freud.

I expect when your book is reviewed you will get all kinds of letters from all kinds of people, and that might be fun. You have heard perhaps from friends or maybe Perdita tho somehow I don't think she follows TV as much as we do-- that large stipends are given to famous people, celebrities etc who appear on TV-not so large as a person like Elvis Pressley but they do get MONEY., and you just might be numbered among them.

I am sending you a kind of "beatup" copy of the Sat. Rev. which has articles about Freud and don't pay any attention to my notations I just let go for the moment you know.

I have been over to Sue's all morning as she had a dentist's appt. and I had to bathe the baby Beverly and also little Leroy. I can't remember bathing my own babies at 1 month of age- and here I had a regular bath paraphenalia of layers of rubber, sprays etc which I didn't use but managed to get it done without much crying on the part of Beverly. Then little Leroy who tries to climb up my back as I lean over Sue's low bath-tub. Then some ironing and

Harrington Park, N.J. Nov. 15-'56

Dear Hilda:

Bryher's letter telling about your breaking your leg upset me so that Con had to open a bottle of grandjo to steady me nerves. Perhaps also I was a bit tired from a morning until 3 P.M. with my four grandchildren as Sue wanted to go shopping. But really, it was quite a shock because who would ever think such a thing could happen. What we should be thankful for is as I wrote Bryher, that you didn't break your hip.

I do hope your leg will mend in due time and that you won't try to walk too soon., altho the doctors today are getting people up no matter what is the matter with 'em- after operations and childbirth- but a leg is different and you must be careful. I hope they found the mischievous person who put that wax under the mat. I really can't understand it- some servant, thoughtless or a child?

Here it is November and we are still having indian summer- a little frost last week but surprisingly warm for this time of year.

Sue wants me to cook Thanksg. dinner and they will donate the turkey so I expect a big time next week. Barbara says she saw some hubbard squash se in one of the stores, something that hasn't been on the market these past two years- I love it and Thanksg. doesn't seem right without it.

You will have goose I believe-at least Bryher told me so in one of her letters, saying she thinks turkey too dry. I only hope Roy won't bring me a frozen turkey- can't abide 'em. I had one the time Perdita was with us and I was mortified because it didn't get done and I wanted to show off our american thanksg.

I don't suppose you'd care to hear about old Bill and the visit we made to Jack Thirlwall's house. Con took us to Rutherford to pick up Bill and Flossie(here I am telling you about it) but only because of the japanese(Vassar grad. wife and the two children with jap. cast to their faces- cute children, a baby 7 months and a boy 7.

The old mother of the wife stayed in kitchen

but I went out to say something to her at least and she bowed very low and Fuji, that's the wife's name, said she was hard of hearing.

Thirlwall himself is quite an interesting chap-
he told us that he traced his ancestry back about
850 years- has a bishop for a great great grand
father, and way back, his great great great grand-
mother used to lay a knife on the table and say
go steal a sheep from the scots. This would make
him descended from the Picts, eh?

I wonder if you would like to have four grand-
children- this is what happened this morning-

Linda in bed with a cold- at noon time, O I'm
forgetting little Leroy's bath- but before that Sue
bathes baby Beverly- then bottle and sleep in the
breezeway- a connection bet. the house and garage-
in baby carriage- little Leroy plays around until
lunch-they have a very large main room with two ten
foot windows and in one corner all the toys which
don't stay there by any means-- well Donnie, 5 and a
very big boy-wears size 12 clothes, goes to kinder-
garten in P.M. one has to change all his clothes and
give him lunch and a "snack-bag" of 3 cookies-then
off he goes at 12 noon giving him 20 min. to get to
school, quite a long way, thru the village where there
is always a woman police-that is a woman with uniform
on as 5 streets converge there. then Linda calls for
her lunch on a tray. then I do some ironing and
at 2 Beverly gets her yolk of egg and squash and
bottle-she is 3 months old and the cutest thing-
then she goes to sleep in her crib on wheels in
uSue's room. Luckily Sue came back at 3 just as
Leroy wakes up-0 I forgot I had to take him out
in the stroller as he wouldn't take his nap today.

Well this is only part of it-I don't see how
Sue stands it- and that is why I go over there
every other morning to help.

B. and Con are looking at TV- O we had quite
a treat the other night- a shakespearian actor
Donald Moffat took the part of Pickwick in that
amusing episode of the breach of promise suit.

All the other actors were simply delightful.

I have had bursitis in my right arm but
better now--couldn't do my hair properly-one
never knows how much one uses the right arm when
it won't work-- but your poor leg-now Hilda take
your vitamin pills and have patience and it will
heal. Love to you dear, from Viola

Harrington Park, N.J. Nov. 27-'56

Dear Hilda:

And how are you today? I hope mending properly and that you won't try to walk too soon.

A letter from Prof. Norman H. Pearson yesterday asking me to send Ezra's letters which I did and it is the understanding that if Yale wants to pay anything for them that the money be sent to Mary. Prof. P. Told me again about your accident as I had heard from Bryher, and said also "I wish you might have been able to see the great exhibition which the Yale Library had in honor of Hilda's 70th birthday last September. It was most exciting." He wants your letters to me so I will go up attic one of these days and find them. It is good that I am like a squirrel when it comes to saving things like letters.

We have had no snow yet and it doesn't go below 30 at night and tomorrow will be 40 to 45- but of course we will eventually get snow but I hope not like Erie, Pa. which had to dig itself out and it was almost a national (I think that is the word they used) disaster.

Con has gone tonight to his Bridge lesson at the Nat Northern Valley Regional School near here- a very new large school having all kinds of subjects for outside people to study-painting, even dancing and Con goes Mondays and Tuesdays-what for I don't know-to sharpen his wits I guess. Barbara tried to learn piano but found after she got there that they only taught transposing and harmony for those who could play- she called it a "gyp" and got her money back.

A card from Ezra saying Prof.P. wrote him (about the letters I guess) and also told him about your disaster so E. writes me thanking me for some fudge fudge brownies.

and pretending he doesn't know where
you"indulged in these calamitous
acrobatics tryin to balance on soap etc."
but really to find out if I had sent his
letters, but says he will write you.

I go over to Sue's tomorrow to help
with her housework like ironing and hanging
clothes in her nice big cellar-she has a
washing-machine. I also give little Leroy
a bath and clean the bath-room, only staying
half a day every other day. Sue doesn't like
to cook tho she can make a better apple pie
than I can (with flako of course) I made some
doughnuts today to take over and I also make
a good kind of cornmeal bread that they like.

I have not written to Perdita for a
long time. Give her my love when you write and
hope to see her and her children come summer
sure next year as we talked of this year.
My how the days fly by, only to us "oldies"
I suppose.

I have had bursitis in my right arm
but better now and now I have one of those
blow your nose continually colds.

What can I send you? candy? yes I
think I will.

Cheerio my dear, with love from
Viola

S.I'm enclosing a crossword-
don't suppose you have time for such-
but I do them every night to get to sleep.
I meant to include Bryher's letters
when I said Prof. P wanted letters.

love to you both.V.

Saw some of the Hungrefugees being outfitted
with clothing at Gimbels this morning on TV
and a Gen. somebody from Texas says they have
many businesses all over where they can employ
them-

Harrington Park, N.J. Dec. 27, '56

Dear Hilda:

The hubub of Xmas being over- all the carols sung( and we heard some from England) and I have a breathing space. Our Xmas was made so much more enjoyable by Bryher's kindness sending such a spendiferous check- I could get things that I perhaps would not have thought of, but I also will be able to pay for auto licence etc instead of loading it on Con per usual.

I hear from Prof. Holmes, every time he writes and he has been writing me numerous letters about letters etc- that you are cheerful and recovering well. The last communication I had from him was a copy of the Tribute to Ezra from Yale broadcast- centin containing some new let us say anecdotes of MacLeish and Bill Wms. etc but I had already seen much of it in the Poundnewsletter. I fear I have amazed the good professor Holmes by dashing his hopes at my being overwhelmed by the sale of E's letters which brought $750. and will go to Mary- and my refusal to let him see or have a list of E's book which I have told him are my property and can't be seen etc. However perhaps he has complained to you about all this.

We had a merrie Xmas. altho I received many cards and notes telling of operations, and other sad things from old friends. But to turn to something more cheery. We had the 4 children over and Donnie, aged 5 kept saying "see if there's another one for me"- and I had gotten a darling little velvet humpty dumpty with a tiny hat perched atop its head for little Leroy 17 mo. I thought he would be wild about it, but he went over to the Teddybear B. had gotten him and said "beeby" and threw my humpty dumpty to the floor.

Con has been taking bridge lessons at the new Regional H.S.mhere so of an evening he lays out cards for 4 people and plays it alone saying it would be "over my head. Well I am not crazy about cards anyway.

We had a fine flurry of snow for a little while today and it has been dark

Harrington Park, N.J. Mar. 5-'57

Dear Hilda;

Bryher writes about your getting out of the hospital and that you are so much better and gives me your permanent address. This is surely good news and makes me feel happy at growing old, I mean older. Altho I did not break my leg, I too cannot stoop over quickly as I have a leg that contains some kind of ligament or something that gets out of kilter even when I sit down have to put leg forward a bit- very musterious but thank heaven I can walk and I hear you are walking very well.

This morning on TV, Dave Garroway and his staff are at Philadelphia and I thought I'd describe a few things, hoping not to make you feel too nostalgic. They gave views of everything important in Philly- the "chinese wall" has been taken down--can't remember what is taking its place but no matter-- saw the statue of Wm. Penn atop a building and oh many many places- among them Elfreth place- does this ring a bell? But most interesting was the Uptown Mummers Stringband founded in 1876. Golly what costumes costing thousands of dollars- today they had silk costumes with large clocks resting on shoulders and atop the clock were 10 sometimes 15 huge ostrich feathers and they paraded in the street front of the Sheraton Hotel where Dave is and into the hotel and up the stairs, bending to get their feathers in. playing all kinds of instruments, banjo, sax, accordions and one had a tinkling affair.

Yesterday, Dave is there for a week I think, they had ballet dancers and parade of students from Gerard college,? my memory is not good but I think that was the name. the ballet danced in the foyer of the Sheraton Hotel they seemed just 4the right size, I mean I don't like tall ballet dancers like that half-indian Maria Tallchief.

Last night we saw Romeo and Juliet by the Old Vick players- took an hour and a half but had to leave out a great deal- they had the first fight of the Capulets and Montagu and the nurse had a

funny scene in the street- then a ball with
Romeo in a strange mask and then the balcony scene.

the Romeo wasn't very good lipking, with a typical
large english nose, but he was tall- the Juliet
was very good altho Jewish- and young which so many
Juliet's are not-- then the scene of the banishment
of Romeo and the giving of the sleeping potion to
Juliet and her refusal to marry the Count- then
the double tragedy of their deaths-- I would have
liked to see more, or what was left out but it
would have taken too long. Next week we're going
to see the Sadler's Well dancers.

It is too bad you don't have TV like ours-
they showed deep sea fish from off coast of Spain
and Hilda I couldn't possibly describe them- things
you could only imagine in nightmares- some were
lovely of course- one the shape of a snow crystal
so orderly and it was a fish- another an invisible
thing like a ribbon that went floating along and
could only be seen when light struck it- a crab
that gathered fronds of plants all over it until it
looked like a king sitting on throne- a porcupine
fish and some little puffballs- well I can't go on.
A program called Bold Adventure or I search for
Adventure where people go to little known places
and bring back their own films. what a world.

It is beginning to be a little springy tho
cold- today will be 46- we had a fall of snow last
week and it's still hanging around. We all have
had sore throats and white patches on them- had to
go with B. to doctor as it was in gland of ear-
my throat is well now but B's still hangs on-
Con won't admit he has a cold but coughs a bit.

Sue and children all well and I must write
Bryher and tell her what fun the children are as
she has the idea(tru at times) that children should
be seen and not heard, but Hilda what would I do
with myself if I didn't have more than one house to
clean(not thotoly you know) and if you could see
that rubber doll Beverly and little Leroy, you would
understand how I love children.

Hoping you will every day in every way get
better and better, a la Coue. Lots of love from us
all Viola

Harrington Park, N.J. Apr. 8-'57

Dear Hilda;

I hope you are progressing nicely and mending and generally taking care not to do too much in the way of walking or working or stooping and riding bicycles what?

We are having March weather this morning-(my day at home from going over to Sue's) at 7 A.M. it was snowing very fine and then stopped and the wind began and then snowed again but now the sun is out and it's going to be about 50 deg. Out west they have had several blizzards and tornadoes-perfectly awful destruction. We saw on TV a lot of it and a family who took in 91 people-they have a large farm in Colorado I think it was and the people slept on the floor and in chairs and the barn and any place they could. The coffee ran out the first night and I don't remember what they said about how long the people were their guests but I think they had enough food-the couple a Mr. and Mrs Brown appeared on one of the programs and they were given a huge refrigerator by the sponsor-you see how hospitality is rewarded.

This morning on TV I heard that Dr. Bodkin Adams has been set free. His whole name escapes me except the Bodkin. We have been following his case off and on-chiefly because when it was first mentioned it told of a mysterious man living behind an iron fence or something and his name was Ellerman- Knowing that is Bryher's name we got interested. I haven't mentioned this to Bryher but I don't think she would care if I told you about it. We still think old Bodkins is guilty and I personally think the lawyers want to share in his loot. What is justice said Plato or who was it.

Never trust your doctor eh?

I haven't heard from E. for weeks. He only deigns to send me a card when I send him fudge brownies. and I ain't a-goin' to send him any.

2

3

I don't know if I told you about my
crashing into the door of our garage
and taking it down when I backed out
with a flat on my 70th birthday.

Yesterday I woke up with a left hand
that wouldn't "work" and today it isn't
much better-I think I worked too long at
petit point pulling three yarn thru and
muscles rebelled. But at first I thought
I was getting arthritis as my right leg
still hurts like the dev-- when I sit in a
certain position or try to pick up
something.

I told Bryher that I would describe
the Finleys visit to us- but on second thought
I don't believe you have heard of young Finley-
he came to see us in Tenafly long ago before
he married-protegeof Ezra's and by his own
admission he is a "thief" because he scanned
the books we had and took home a bunch of E's
books which I eventually regained but a picture
of E. is missing and on the back of it it said
"to V.S.B" and I'm mad- and I mentioned it to
him when they were here but got no satisfaction.

They brought their two children, quaint little
things with very good manners-we took them over
to Sue's that afternoon(they had been there
before, and immediately James(he wants to be
called Gordon) and Con made a rush down the woods
back of the house whooping like indians- Finley
is one of these modernneurotics,oh not quite that
but he is writing poetry and plays-translating
Cocteau etc-has done something called Nightwood-
and wishes the movies would buy it etc. Finley
went to see Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast several
times when it showed in N.Y. I saw it but didn't
get that crazy over it.

Well my son Con has just come out of his
room and gone down to get his lunch which consists
of coon cheddar cheese and apples, sometimes
swiss cheese- he wore a patch over his left eye
yesterday to rest it- he pegs away at his book
constantly of course and thinks it will be
finished around June.

To return to the Finleys, Irene his wife
is an interesting girl-they have spparated
several times as Finley-Oh well I really don't
know why except that money is scarce and Finley

works at selling airplane tickets in
some corporation forget where- and I guess
Irene had to go to work once- they now live
in a 3 room apartment and she just wrote me
a funny letter about returning their visit
(they live out on L.I.) saying we must walk
around as she hates to have people just sit and
look at their 40 plants and parakeetsa and
one of them is bald, and a java sparrow etc.

Irene has RH type blood and it is hard for
her to bear children- but she has managed to
have these two, a boy and a girl and as I
have said they are rather small but look
healthy. I certainly am rattling on- but

I have no literary news except that Con got
me the Sat. Rev. for my birthday- all magazines
seem to be folding- and none of them are very
earth-quaking anyway- I can't stand the New
Yorker any more and Life bores me etc etc you
away in your swiss mountains don't see how gauche
the world is getting- showing pictures of
operations on hearts, childbirth and whatnot.

I'm certainly going to bore you today-
I answered a program by Dr. Bergen Evans who is
quite an intellectual and has a program explaining
the correct meaning of words- Dame Sybil the
actress and Oh two others can't remember their
names, prominent literary folk on the panel. They
fooled around with the meaning of sophistication
and the pun- showing the man in the street's
definition of each-very amusing. Well anyone whose
letter is chosen to discuss, giving a word they
want corrected etc will receive a set of an
encyclopedia. I thought it would be funny to
give them a word-- mayhem. because on the store
window of our Variety store in Closter, they have
a sign saying " We're at it again. Sorry for the
mayhem. We'll be finished soon." Now Con thinks
whoever made the sign used the word to be funny but
I think it was ignorance. We will see what
Dr. Evans thinks if they deign to use my contributi
and if I get the set I'll write you.

Love to you and Bryher, as ever,
Viola

Aug. 15-'57

Harrington Park, N.J.

Dear Hilda;

I have just received your book of
poems from the Grove Publishing Co., and
thank you very much for sending them to me-
They take me, as you wish to be taken I
think, into your world of greek gods and goddess
and I'm always wishing you would come out
of it and let your readers see how you feel
about real life. However I suppose it is
the poets prefigative to write as it
pleases them. that word is prerogative.

I know nothing about poetry as to
scanning the lines or rules or how many
lines there should be etc. However it is
somewhat of a relief to read of the beauty
of flowers such as you write about and
picturing you(all writers write about them-
selves do they not?) in the days when the
greek women, so we are told, walked the
streets, or did they? in saffron robes with
their beauty bee boxes containing perhaps
perfume and cosmetics, and it doesn't stretch
my imagination to think of you in that role.

I was going to say it is a relief after
listening for hours at a time these past days
to oh then- the senate hearings on extortion
and corruption by italians and jews who have
been exploiting workers of unions, rather in
unions consisting of ignorant puerto ricans
and others- taking thousands of dollars that
should have been theirs etc etc ad nauseam.

All these thugs took the 5th amendment
refusing to answer questions of investigation
and repeating over and over again, "I refuse
to answer on the grounds that I may incriminate
myself." But the senate will be able to
pass a law to stop this wilfull use of the
amendment, ideal as it is.

I heard thru Ezra that you had to return
to the hospital but he did not say what for.
I suppose it was a check-up and I do hope
there is nothing wrong with the healing
processes of your hip? was it? I declare
I have forgotten whether it was your leg or hip.

We have been having the most frightful
weather, humid and in the 90's with now and
then a breezy sunny day which almost made
us forget.

I have been re-reading Renan's Life of Jesus
have you ever read it?

Now I think I shall have to tell you
an amusing story but I don't know whether
you will think it funny especially in the
light of the last mountain climbing where the
man hung headdownwards on a rope for days etc
we heard about it on TV

Well here 'tis- it seems this man
was one of 3,000 that were climbing a
mountain and upon looking back he saw 2,000
more that had joined them-you know how
people will join a queue, and so he yelled
down "go back, go back, there's nothing up
there."

With which I shall have to say nitey-nit
as I go over to Sue's tomorrow to stay
with my four grandchildren while she goes
out shopping for groceries etc.

Thanking you again dear Hilda for
letting me inside your world which gives
you so much pleasure.

love, as ever

Viola

Harrington Park, N.J. Sept. 22-'57

Dear Hilda;

Enclosing a review of your poems by Babette Deutsch altho Perdita may have seen it also and sent it to you.

We have been having the most atrocious weather with humidity that never seems to stop and it isn't any too pleasant for my "rheumatism" or whatever it is in me bones. Can't help thinking it is those bombs that are to blame for the high "humiture" a new word the weather prophets are using.

The latest news, tho I suppose you don't care much, is that Bill is getting himself in almost everything-you can't pick up a paper or magazine that doesn't say something about him and we stayed up til 11 the other night to see him on TV. He answered the very "pompous" as Con said questions put to him by the interviewer Wingate, such as would a catholic make a good president- what religion have you- what do you think of Ezra Pound etc. Bill did his best tho he fumbled for a word now and then.

Ezra has been asking me to ask friends for ten poems"if I had children going to high school, that they would like like least to be without" or some such way of putting it. I sent him the old ones like In School Days, Whittier(I love that one) and Dover Beach and oh lots of oldies and some I had copied in a blankbook when I was about 18. So far my friend Marj. Fletcher has sent ten, and the wife of the little italian prof. who teaches english at Columbia and who lives next door has copied three of Blake-the lamb, the black boy and piping down etc all of which used to be in our fourth readers, and I can't see Blake at all.

Well I think E. is going to put out a paper-back anthology of them. Sue bought

a paper-back collection of verses at one
of the enormous grocery stores that are
the fashion over here where they have
everything-children's clothes, toys, magazines
and whatnot- and the book had 20 pages
devoted to E's poems.

I must tell you something that little
Leroy aged 2 said the other day- he saw
that baby Beverly just 1 year old had a
dress on and not having seen her in anything
but slacks, he said "girl". very observing
little tad isn't he.

It is Sunday eve and I am about to
go down and finish cooking some pork chops
that Con just gave me a scolding about saying
I always dry them out- but you see I just
wanted to sear them on both sides and get
ready to really cook them when HE was ready
for supper- both B. and Con are very irregular
at meals, something my great-grandfather
wouldn't stand for a minute.

And now, apologizing for not sending
you and Bryher a birthday card (I may yet)
and sending you both love and best wishes

as ever, yours

Viola