Cursive letter, 'Friday' — 'Dear Amy' from Mary, on her recent visit and Bo the baby
Book 1, Page 369 ·1962–1963
Transcription
A single sheet of cream paper covered front to bottom in blue cursive; the letter continues on page 370.
Friday —
Dear Amy —
So wonderful to hear from you. Talked to Ann after she got back to see about Pickens and also about your trip. I know it was grand having Mrs. Knight for two weeks. I have missed you so much. It has been perfect weather here, so I know it must be chilly there. We have had grand rains for the past two days and you can just see things grow.
That visit Sam & Janice were here was wonderful — just wasn’t long enough. They went on to Panama City and spent most of it at the beach. Bo is a precious baby — say only one word, “cooky,” & found where they were as soon as he got here. Had to laugh at [Bam] one night — Bo kept waking & crying so he got in the crib [with] [continues on page 370]
AI Notes
First sheet of a two-page letter on cream wove paper, written front to bottom in blue-ink cursive, dated only “Friday” at the upper right and beginning “Dear Amy.” The writer (signing “Mary” on the verso, page 370) is Mary H. FitzSimons — widow of Samuel Gaillard FitzSimons Jr. (d. 1961), and mother of Sam FitzSimons III. She writes to her sister-in-law Amy FitzSimons (Mrs. James Pickens Walker), the compiler. The letter opens with thanks for Amy’s recent letter and a note that she had spoken to “Ann” (Ann Seymour Knight, Amy’s daughter-in-law / Pickens Jr.'s wife) about Pickens (her son James Pickens Walker Jr.) and Amy’s trip; Amy had had Mrs. Knight (Ann’s mother) for a fortnight’s visit. Mary then reports two days of good rain, and that “Sam & Janice were here” — her son Samuel Gaillard FitzSimons III and his wife Janice — who went on to Panama City with their baby “Bo” (Samuel Gaillard FitzSimons IV, b. 24 Dec 1961). Bo, says Mary, is a precious baby with only one word, “cooky,” and quickly found where the cookies were after his arrival. The page closes with a wry anecdote about “Bam” climbing into Bo’s crib to settle the crying baby. Pairs with page 370 (continuation of the letter) and page 368 (the addressing envelope). underlines on missed, perfect, word preserved as italics; “Pickens” confirmed at top (the recipient’s son, J.P. Walker Jr.); “Mrs. Knight” is Ann Seymour Knight’s mother (the recipient’s daughter-in-law’s mother), not a generic neighbour; “sounds where they were” corrected to “found where they were” (Bo found where the cookies were); “Bam[?]” preserved with uncertainty marker — capital is clearly a B-form, most likely a household pet name for one of the adults (possibly Sam III himself), but not directly resolvable.