February 21st 1930

Dear Emelyn,

I was so glad to get your letter the other day, and
to hear the good news about your eyes. If you have got back
to reading and writing at your pleasure, surely even life in
town must seem heavenly compared to what you have been through
during the last few years.

Your letter reached me on my birthday, and I was greatly
touched that you should have remembered it; I should have told
you sooner if I had not been laid up at the time with a slight
attack of grippe which made writing a great effort. I think I
wrote you last summer to explain my long silence, and to tell you
of my very serious illness which began with an attack of grippe
early in March and lasted till June. I had to be very careful all
summer, and I am only now beginning to feel like myself again.
But even now, I find that a slight attack of grippe leaves me
out of sorts for a long time, and I have to be careful on
account of my heart.

You must not think, though, that I am an invalid, for I
lead a busy and active life, and next month I hope to go to
Spain this summer on a trip of several weeks.

Gross and the little dogs are all well, and will be much
pleased at being remembered by you. We have had a very trying
winter, not particularly cold, but with continuous gales and rain,
so that the usual out-of-door life of the Riviera has been im-
possible. With such weather one sometimes regrets not being in a
city, where climate makes less difference; but whenever the sun
comes out for an hour or two, I feel repaid for living in the
country.

My sister-in-law is sailing at the end of May to spend
the summer with me, and I suppose I shall be at Saint-Brice for the
greater part of the time. I hope she will not suffer from the
bitter cold that you have been having lately. Ever since she had
pneumonia so badly, three years ago, I have been anxious about
her in winter.

Washburn