Letter from Henry C. Hammond to Ellen FitzSimons — page 1 (Grahams visit; camellia from 'the emperor of Japan')

First of two pages of a letter in old blue-ink cursive on yellowed paper, written by Judge Henry C. Hammond of Augusta, Ga. to his FitzSimons kinswoman Miss Ellen Milliken FitzSimons of Charleston, South Carolina (the signature and address appear on page 544). Page numbered ‘1’ at top center. Text begins mid-thought, suggesting an earlier sheet may have been lost. The letter recounts a visit from ‘the Grahams’ on their way to Charleston to see their son and the writer’s tongue-in-cheek gift of a camellia ‘sent by the emperor of Japan as token of my devotion to you,’ which Mrs. Graham then jokes should be carried ‘to the real Ellen.’ This is a companion/predecessor piece to the six-page 12 Oct 1940 ‘funeral’ letter (pages 537–542), retelling the same ‘real Ellen / wrong Ellen’ family joke; both letters are signed Henry C. Hammond, consistent with mid-to-late 1930s through early 1940s. The phrase ‘the FitzSimons and boy of them’ is preserved as written and most likely refers to Mrs. Graham (a FitzSimons by birth) and one of her sons. Page 1 paragraph continues onto page 544.