"source material to social historians"

Rose Alden donated Caroline Henderson's letters to Mount Holyoke College in 1957, but she evidently proposed the idea to Caroline much earlier, as it is discussed in this excerpted letter from 1945. 

Although Caroline modestly suggests that she initially thought her letters "could not have any possible value for any one," she does go on to suggest that others have said, "[M]y accounts of that distressing period might at some time serve as source material to social historians of this portion of our nation. ... And as far as I am personally concerned, the material might as well be made available any time."

But Caroline has more pressing concerns in 1945 than the disposition of her letters. World War II is raging; a nephew is in England "on a bomber crew"; and President Franklin D. Roosevelt has very recently died ("It is hard for us to think that his work was done"). Closer to home, the Hendersons may finally have access to indoor plumbing, if only they can find someone to help them install the materials:

"We have at last assembled most of the materials for piping water into the house with a [illegible] in the kitchen and indoor toilet in the bathroom. But we need a Superman to do the work."