Atlantic City-–April 8" 1902
Dearest --
All goes well with us in spite of storms outside. Your mother certainly enjoys the sea and it agrees with her visibly. Your fathers spirits remain undimmed even by this wind and weather. I do not imagine that I am a very satisfactory substitute but I am enjoying the sojourn very much -- if I hadn't written a book. I have almost finished Royce and long for you at each chapter. Perhaps ↑when↓ we are old and retired into a rear flat on Ewing St. we will be able to read together -- but not write we won't do that any more! [page 2] Mrs Kelley is coming to H. H. for the summer, arrives in Chicago April 10" we will give a reception to Mrs Nathan on her way to Cal. and do what we can to restore peace between the two warring factions. I don't want to go to Cal. a little bit I find as the time draws near but Sister Kelley has no notion of letting me off. I some times think that I could almost persuade your mother to go. I do wish she could be by the sea for weeks at a time. There is the greatest change in her color & vigor! [page 3] Did I tell you in my first letter of my visit to Lowell and the mills run almost altogether by Greeks, isn't it strange the way the nations mix up. The Woman's Club there of 600 had a curiously contemptuous attitude toward them, that made you wonder where the New England conscience has gone to, and how curiously unrelated conscience is to life.
Your letter from [illegible] came today just before we went into lunch, it all [page 4] seemed so real and vivid that I almost felt as if you had dropped in. Royce has made me speculative I suppose and for the moment not much of a realist. Do take time to go out on the Campagna often. It stays by lots better than the city itself does and gives you some pathetic sense of dependence upon the Brothers of the Past. Wouldn't it be [wonderful] if one could understand it and put oneself into [page 5] some proportionate relation. The sea was very fine yesterday during a storm and I found myself caring a good deal for it. I have been gazing at it today in quite a mooney fashion. With love to Sister Eleanor and constant love and devotion to you, dear. I am always yrs J. A.
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