Spring 1947, "May dearest, this is being written on the train."

Spring 1947, "May dearest, this is being written on the train."

Travel

Trains

Weather

Health

Gardening

Marks speaks of her train trip, the weather, things to be grateful for, Woolley's health, and gardening

Jeannette Marks

March 13 1947

Correspondence

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[1]
March 13, 1946 [1947?]
Westport, Essex County, New York
Ticonderoga and Down
May dearest, this is being written on the train.
We have passed hundreds of huts and
Port Henry. Apparently fishing and ice
are both good there. And I suppose
prices for ice fish are wickedly high.
…...When we go around sharp curves I
can see the gray white curls of engine
smoke,--gray white like the pointy [??]
bricks in the hillsides and like the
tired snow. All else is blended in
non-descript browns and tans and
black greens. We have just reached
the drab days before spring actually
comes. But the first day of spring will
soon be here. As I said yesterday
it won’t be long now before we can
sit and we can eat out of doors.
Perk up, my dear! Let us think
[2]
-2-
Westport, Essex County, New York
of all the good things - despite the sorrows
of these past years - [?] are [?] days:
a pleasant and kind old home, happy
doggies, good food and many faithful
friends. Just as soon as you get your
eyes into better shape, we’ll urge
Harriet to make a special trip up.
Then, later, when your eyes are well
I shall ask one or two others. But
you must make an effort to get
yourself as rapidly as possible into
better shape. You must make
an effort above everything else to
use your eyes more. Ask Mr.
Barker [??] as well as Mrs. Barker to give
you for 5 minutes each [?] gentle
rubbing over the back of the neck
the shoulders, and around on the
[3]
-3-
Westport, Essex County, New York
chest, this will stimulate all the
muscles and nerve tricks from which
the eyes draw their new supplies
and energies. Also say, please,
that I wish them to massage
your face each time they hot pack
your eyes. The best thing to use
for the massage of the face is a
good cold cream. In a round
tin box up in Harriet’s room on
her bureau there is some Harper
cold cream. How I wish that
I could put my arms around
you and make you well.
But it is true that the Lord
helps those who help themselves,
and we must work very hard
to help ourselves. This we can
[4]
-4-
Westport, Essex County, New York
do in two ways: (1) such simple
things as I have suggested in addi-
tion to good food and rest (2)
by our thoughts. I [crossed out]
It will be only a short time
now before we can be having a
good time in the gardens. You
know it is the first week in
April when I plant the [???],
and I want you there not only
for that but also to see me
pick [??] the early peas into the
garden. You and the doggies
are my mascots, you know
know, and I can’t get on in
the garden without you, my dear.
When I get home I am going to
set out up the tomato seedling
[5]
-5-
Westport, Essex County, New York
boxes in the attic of the office.
It may do as well as that absurd
petunia, we’ll have early to-
matoes.
Don’t worry, May dear, I have
returned [??] four and five [?]
of that dreadful infection in my nose
& throat, and it was a horrid
cattarhal [??] condition of which I am
not mostly free yet. Pull
yourself together, May dearest,
and pull hard so that we
can work and be together
in the garden in less than
4 weeks now.
Give Martha my love & thanks
and ask her to give my ut-
most [??] request to both Mr. Barker
& Mrs. Barker.
Always your love, Jeannette.
[in margin]
Here is a proof of new folder which I did not see until
on the train. Ask Martha to read this to you.