Ellen Axson Wilson to Woodrow Wilson
Title
Ellen Axson Wilson to Woodrow Wilson
Creator
Wilson, Ellen Axson
Identifier
EAW05221911
Date
1911 May 22
Source
Library of Congress
Publisher
Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum
Subject
Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924--Correspondence
Language
English
Spatial Coverage
Old Lyme, CT
Text
Old Lyme,
My own darling,
I am reduced to despair by the discovery, this moment made that, I have not your Minneapolis address! The girls took the telegram giving hotels to send off the message to Portland and with their usual carelessness and did not return it! So I can only send this to "The Publicity Club" and hope for the best! Somehow that does not sound like an established club with a house of its own, but only an "organization."
The dear "lettergram" from Portland was handed me on my arrival at the station here. It was lovely in you to send it! And the other one, equally delightful, came this evening. I am inexpressibly thankful that you can still report yourself "well" There also came today letters from Janie and Burney Porter; and of course they are mad over you and in love with you too. They also sent an interesting and long clipping from a Los Angeles paper. So I feel very much in touch with my darling just now. Some of the cousins, I suppose, in Denver sent quite a jacket of clippings from there which reached me here Saturday night, and were very much enjoyed. Otherwise I not seen many from the west, I hope you will come back loaded! Isn't it all perfectly splendid and wonderful. It is like a royal progress. Surely you must be a man of destiny.
The weather is beautiful here today, and I made a beginning at the painting but did not accomplish much, better luck tomorrow. Everybody was trying apple blossom subjects; and everybody swearing over them and declaring them impossible. The Robinsons are here and he is much better and in good spirits. Mr. Cohen came today, Everett Warner has been here most of the winter. And there are also in the house Mr. Griecken, the impressionist, his wife and two pretty little children. (One of whom, called "Zihte", is at the moment bawling at the top of her voice!) They were both born in France. Mr. Ramsdell came on the same train with me and is staying in the house until Mr. Bicknell comes, when they will both go up to the house on the lake. That is all except a Mr. Knapp who has nervous prostration and is here with a nurse - a young woman. His wife is a sister of Tom Perkins. He played on the Yale football team for years (is an '82 man) and was afterwards a very successful lawyer. But he broke down five years ago and has never been able to use his mind since, though he is always trying. I have never seen such an image of despair. It makes one's heart bleed to look at him.
It is rather hard luck to find such a case in the house, for I have been having a peculiarly bad time with Stockton - since you went away, - and in fact reached here almost used up over it. That is why I did not write you on Saturday or Sunday. I staid in bed Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon, and am now as well as ever. (I would not mention poor Stockton to you at all while you have so much else on your mind but for a special reason which will appear in a moment.) The doctor, the nurse and I have been trying desperately for many weeks to rouse him to do some sort of work especially preparing his Chatauqua lectures. He said he could not work away from Princeton and his books and yet he declined to go to Princeton. But finally a week ago he went; and I was very hopeful - for a few hours only. It was all an utter, dreadful failure. It seems quite certain now that he will never take up his work in Princeton again; and he himself has "decided" never to take it up anywhere. His latest idea is to "go into a monastery." He insists upon having a priest sent for with whom he can confer on the subject.
But Dr. Dercum says that if he gives up his profession he is lost; - it will be only a question of time when he will have to be committed to a hospital for the insane. In this strait I have thought that his old friend Mr. Vincent the new President of Minnesota might help by offering him some small place there, some little lectureship or instructor-ship for a year. Of course he knows - none better - how extremely valuable Stockton will be to him there if he does not get well, for he knows his brilliant Chatauqua career. Stockton says his moral collapse has been to complete that it would be a farce for him to talk to boys about literature and life. In view of that notion (out of which he can't be argued) it might be better if he could do a little teaching in American history instead, while he was "finding himself" again. He is perfectly competent to do it. Even you have scarcely read and studied it more. Of course I am writing this hoping you may have an opportunity to speak to Mr. Vincent about it while there. If you see him he will be almost sure to ask you about Stockton. But you must not go out of your way to do it dear - because of course it can be done after your return, - though time is rather precious as things stand. It is that at least which has decided me to write of it, - most unwillingly. He and Rogers the nurse went back to Phila. on the ten o'clock train; I leaving in the twelve. The day before Helen Bainbridge came at one o'clock and staid until six , and Stockton spent the evening. Of course he did not know that she was in Princeton. I had to rise almost at day-break to do my neglected packing; then Helen met me in New York and came all the way to New Haven just to go on talking it over. It was pretty bad; but she is a splendid girl.
But I must stop if this is to reach you in Minneapolis. We are all perfectly well. I saw dear little Margaret in NY.
Ah darling, how I wish I could tell you how I love you and adore you and long for you. Oh for "the great heart word".
Always and altogether,
Your own
Eileen.
My own darling,
I am reduced to despair by the discovery, this moment made that, I have not your Minneapolis address! The girls took the telegram giving hotels to send off the message to Portland and with their usual carelessness and did not return it! So I can only send this to "The Publicity Club" and hope for the best! Somehow that does not sound like an established club with a house of its own, but only an "organization."
The dear "lettergram" from Portland was handed me on my arrival at the station here. It was lovely in you to send it! And the other one, equally delightful, came this evening. I am inexpressibly thankful that you can still report yourself "well" There also came today letters from Janie and Burney Porter; and of course they are mad over you and in love with you too. They also sent an interesting and long clipping from a Los Angeles paper. So I feel very much in touch with my darling just now. Some of the cousins, I suppose, in Denver sent quite a jacket of clippings from there which reached me here Saturday night, and were very much enjoyed. Otherwise I not seen many from the west, I hope you will come back loaded! Isn't it all perfectly splendid and wonderful. It is like a royal progress. Surely you must be a man of destiny.
The weather is beautiful here today, and I made a beginning at the painting but did not accomplish much, better luck tomorrow. Everybody was trying apple blossom subjects; and everybody swearing over them and declaring them impossible. The Robinsons are here and he is much better and in good spirits. Mr. Cohen came today, Everett Warner has been here most of the winter. And there are also in the house Mr. Griecken, the impressionist, his wife and two pretty little children. (One of whom, called "Zihte", is at the moment bawling at the top of her voice!) They were both born in France. Mr. Ramsdell came on the same train with me and is staying in the house until Mr. Bicknell comes, when they will both go up to the house on the lake. That is all except a Mr. Knapp who has nervous prostration and is here with a nurse - a young woman. His wife is a sister of Tom Perkins. He played on the Yale football team for years (is an '82 man) and was afterwards a very successful lawyer. But he broke down five years ago and has never been able to use his mind since, though he is always trying. I have never seen such an image of despair. It makes one's heart bleed to look at him.
It is rather hard luck to find such a case in the house, for I have been having a peculiarly bad time with Stockton - since you went away, - and in fact reached here almost used up over it. That is why I did not write you on Saturday or Sunday. I staid in bed Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon, and am now as well as ever. (I would not mention poor Stockton to you at all while you have so much else on your mind but for a special reason which will appear in a moment.) The doctor, the nurse and I have been trying desperately for many weeks to rouse him to do some sort of work especially preparing his Chatauqua lectures. He said he could not work away from Princeton and his books and yet he declined to go to Princeton. But finally a week ago he went; and I was very hopeful - for a few hours only. It was all an utter, dreadful failure. It seems quite certain now that he will never take up his work in Princeton again; and he himself has "decided" never to take it up anywhere. His latest idea is to "go into a monastery." He insists upon having a priest sent for with whom he can confer on the subject.
But Dr. Dercum says that if he gives up his profession he is lost; - it will be only a question of time when he will have to be committed to a hospital for the insane. In this strait I have thought that his old friend Mr. Vincent the new President of Minnesota might help by offering him some small place there, some little lectureship or instructor-ship for a year. Of course he knows - none better - how extremely valuable Stockton will be to him there if he does not get well, for he knows his brilliant Chatauqua career. Stockton says his moral collapse has been to complete that it would be a farce for him to talk to boys about literature and life. In view of that notion (out of which he can't be argued) it might be better if he could do a little teaching in American history instead, while he was "finding himself" again. He is perfectly competent to do it. Even you have scarcely read and studied it more. Of course I am writing this hoping you may have an opportunity to speak to Mr. Vincent about it while there. If you see him he will be almost sure to ask you about Stockton. But you must not go out of your way to do it dear - because of course it can be done after your return, - though time is rather precious as things stand. It is that at least which has decided me to write of it, - most unwillingly. He and Rogers the nurse went back to Phila. on the ten o'clock train; I leaving in the twelve. The day before Helen Bainbridge came at one o'clock and staid until six , and Stockton spent the evening. Of course he did not know that she was in Princeton. I had to rise almost at day-break to do my neglected packing; then Helen met me in New York and came all the way to New Haven just to go on talking it over. It was pretty bad; but she is a splendid girl.
But I must stop if this is to reach you in Minneapolis. We are all perfectly well. I saw dear little Margaret in NY.
Ah darling, how I wish I could tell you how I love you and adore you and long for you. Oh for "the great heart word".
Always and altogether,
Your own
Eileen.
Original Format
Letter
To
Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924
Files
Collection
Citation
Wilson, Ellen Axson, “Ellen Axson Wilson to Woodrow Wilson,” 1911 May 22, EAW05221911 , Ellen Axson Wilson Letters, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.