Letter from Hendersonville, N.C., November 22, 1929: family writer to 'Ellie' about recovering eyes
Book 1, Page 482 ·1929
Transcription
A single sheet of folded letter paper. Datelined at upper right in cursive:
Hendersonville, N.C. November 22nd 1929.
Dear “Ellie”:
How I appreciated that letter of yours. It came just before I left [several words obliterated by a brown stain] I was [not?] disappointed when my eyes went back on me, though I was not surprised for I had not counted on them strongly, and have always felt that nothing but a prolonged rest with outdoor work would solve the problem. I have been cutting wood, and watching my diet and feel much better already, and after 8 or 9 months I believe my eyes will be completely cured.
I sawUncle Pete the day before yesterday, and he seems as cheerful as ever. He and Frank came over to see us last Sunday, and we enjoyed their visit tremendously. James looks much better and seems in good spirits; we have a fine time together andtherehad no trouble at all with our meals. [caret-inserted phrase, illegible]The weather has been fine, but there is a light flurry of snow this morning; however the [whole] of
thislastweek the sky was blue and the atmosphere as clear as a bell.
AI Notes
A single sheet of folded letter paper, slightly toned and creased along the folds. Datelined ‘Hendersonville, N.C. / November 22nd 1929’ at the upper right and addressed to ‘Dear Ellie’ — likely Ellen Milliken FitzSimons (Aunt Ellen, the Charleston Library Society librarian and daughter of Dr. Christopher FitzSimons 3rd). A short passage in the upper-middle (after ‘just before I’) is masked by a brown stain / adhesive residue that obliterates a few words; the rest reads cleanly. Body discusses recovery of the writer’s eyes through outdoor work and diet, a visit from ‘Uncle Pete,’ and the previous Sunday’s visit from ‘James and Frank.’ Continues on p483 with a further continuation as page 2 on p486. [removed the speculative authorship attribution to W. Huger FitzSimons (the signature on this fragment is not visible — the previous attribution was inferred only from the Hendersonville datelining; W. Huger died 19 Dec 1929, four weeks after this letter, making him a candidate but not certain). Removed the speculative addition of ‘Minnie FitzSimons’ from the people list (her name does not appear on this page). Corrected the misread of the cutting-wood / dieting passage.]
Letter continues on page 483, with a further continuation as page 2 on 486.
The writer’s hand matches the closing leaf on page 483 (signed “Affy”) and the page-2 fragment on page 486; together these are read as a single November 1929 letter from the Hendersonville/Flat Rock area to Ellen Milliken FitzSimons (“Ellie”), the Charleston Library Society librarian. The writer is almost certainly her brother William Huger FitzSimons, who died at Hendersonville on 19 December 1929 — less than a month after this letter. The “outdoor work and diet” regime reflects the early-20th-century convention of treating chronic illness with rest cures in the Blue Ridge.