Letter from 'Minnie,' Thursday A.M. — Dearest Sister, page 1 (Lucia's X-ray news)
Book 1, Page 358 ·1920–1950
Transcription
A letter on a single sheet of cream wove paper, dated only by day of the week. Blue cursive throughout. First of three sheets; continues on page 359, signed Minnie on page 360.
Thursday A.M.
Dearest Sister,
We had a wonderful visit & just can’t tell you what it meant to me just being there with you and the wonderful rest.
The trip was pleasant and I can say, we were in and out of showers, and were here by 2:30 I think. — [Many] shops and we [ate] ice tea and rolls & she gave us a nice snack.
The news is anything but good. [These] spots are lower right lung. — Sis says the X-Ray Dr. says a very rapid growing tumor; he hopes a tumor sensitive to X-Ray — they are to take a picture again later part of next week and will know more then, but I feel it’s something only God knows. He said they would also try a new medication. She asked him if it would only prolong her suffering. He said no, it would make her more comfortable. Poor child she knew all this last week, but only
AI Notes
First sheet of a three-page letter on cream wove paper in blue cursive, dated only ‘Thursday A.M.’ at the upper right and addressed ‘Dearest Sister.’ The letter is in the same hand as the ‘Friday night’ letter on pp. 355–356 (also signed ‘Minnie’) and continues on page 359 and concludes on page 360, where it is signed Minnie. Same recipient (‘Sister’) as that earlier letter. The writer reports a recent visit to her sister, the trip home through showers (arriving at 2:30), and then delivers grave news about Lucia: an X-ray doctor has confirmed a rapidly growing tumor in the lower right lung (‘These spots are lower right lung —’) which the doctor hopes is sensitive to X-ray; a new medication is also to be tried; the patient asked whether treatment would only prolong her suffering, and the doctor answered no, it would make her more comfortable. The letter breaks off mid-sentence at the bottom of the sheet: ‘Poor child she knew all this last week, but only —’ continuing onto page 359. The signer ‘Minnie’ is plausibly Mary Anne Perry FitzSimons (‘Minnie,’ 1859–1934), the compiler’s mother — same hand as pp. 355–356; confirmation by handwriting comparison to her dated 1933 letters in book-002 (pp. 091–096) flagged for follow-up. ‘Lucia’ (the sick child) is not yet identified in family records.
The letter breaks off at the bottom of the sheet; continues on page 359.