Letters From Another Time - III

THE AMERICAN CITY       Editorial Offices                     THE MUNICIPAL INDEX
  Published Monthly          443 Fourth Avenue, NY             Published Annually
                                       Harold S. Buttenheim, Editor


                                                                                                May 8, 1929

Dear Selma:

I received your letter this morning, and am hastening to assure you that Elin owed us nothing.  Her rent was paid up until the end of the week and there were no other bills for which she was responsible.  She has a bill at the Queen Quality Shoe Shop here in New York, and on which I had recently bought a pair of shoes for $8.50.  I shall forward this bill to you with my check, and you can make payment direct to the Queen Quality people.  I believe that was all she owed.  Thank you for writing me about this.

As your brother may have told you, we read with the boys some of the poetry which Elin had written and evidently sent in to several magazines, and which had been returned to her.  I showed the one entitled "Mary in Martha" to Mr. H. S. Buttenheim, and we both felt it was very strange it was not accepted for publication.  I said to Mr. Buttenheim it was too bad none of her poems had ever been printed.  He spoke to Mr. E. J. about it, and Mr. H. S. wanted me to write to your mother, telling her that he and Mr. E. J. would like to print a little four-page pamphlet, quoting three or four, or perhaps five, depending on the length, which your mother considers the best of the ones which your brother brought home with him.  If you will have your mother look them over rather carefully and send me just the ones she would like published, it will be done.  Mr. Buttenheim said to let him know how many you would like to have.  He would probably be prepared to send you several hundred if you want them.  Of course a great many people here will want them too.  I think that is a lovely thought, don't you?  I am sure your mother will be glad to have them also.  Will you drop me a line about this, Selma, as soon as you can conveniently do so.

It may be that sometime during the coming summer I will be up around Manchester, although this is just a guess, but if I am, I shall certainly drop in on the Nordstroms, whom I feel I know already.  You may be assured that anything which Florence and I were able to do for Elin was gladly done, for we know she would have done as much or more for either of us.

I hope you are all feeling better, and that your mother is beginning to get back to normal again.

                                                                      Yours sincerely,
                                                                             Marion E. Lewis