Ellen Axson Wilson to Woodrow Wilson
Title
Ellen Axson Wilson to Woodrow Wilson
Creator
Wilson, Ellen Axson
Identifier
EAW02171910
Date
1910 February 17
Description
Ellen Wilson writes to her husband, who is on a trip to Bermuda, about attending the Associated Charities convention.
Source
Library of Congress
Publisher
Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum
Subject
Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924--Correspondence
Language
English
Spatial Coverage
Princeton, NJ
Text
Princeton,
My own darling,
I am afraid you will be disappointed at not hearing this week; We have all been very stupid, for it was not until Tuesday night that any of us remembered that there was now a "new line" to Bermuda sailing on Wednesdays. It had become, I suppose, a fixed idea that Saturday was the one and only mail day for the islands. However it is perhaps just as well, or better, for you to have a whole weeks rest from Princeton; with not a word to break the calm.
Fortunately I do not need to break it now with many words on the all absorbing subject. There is of course no need and I have seen absolutely no one involved in it, directly or indirectly. There is just one message this morning from Mr. Morris, viz. that the alumnus who sent that impertinent letter to you and to the "Weekly" had been persuaded to withdraw it; so it would not go in the "Weekly".-
There are quite a little pile of "nice" letters from alumni, but after much hesitation, I have decided not to send even these unless you write for them, so if you want them say so. I am enclosing only the one letter from Mr. Morris because it needs an immediate answer.
I hope you had a good voyage, my darling, and have found real Bermuda weather; and that the peace of it all is "soaking in" and through and through you. How I love to think of you there! Here the weather is atrocius. The bill of fare today is "rain, turning to snow and much colder today; snow tomorrow; winds becoming northeasterly and increasing to high"! We are all well except Stockton - who is better, I was in his room yesterday.
Monday Jessie and I went in to the dentist and Tuesday I went according to schedule, to Camden to the Convention of the Associated Charities." Yesterday afternoon I heard a lecture by Miss Ida Yarbell, and afterwards Jessie gave a lecture to her mission board of 27. So it has been rather a full week. Miss Yarbell's lecture was on "American Women." And it reminded me of what a flighty person at the convention told me of one of the Sunday speeches there, "Oh! it was perfectly splendid! so depressing"! Miss Yarbell's was all the more depressing because in my opinion it was perfectly true. You can hardly imagine anything more conservative, it ought have been one's grandmother talking. Indeed it was largely a demonstration of the fact that the grandmothers were incomparably superior to us. We are like Kipling's ship who had not found itself; we are consumed with restlessness and self consciousness, and like a certain "Sally", "always want to be where we aint." We are without steadiness of purpose or deep sense of obligation, things which our grandmothers had intensely. Therefore they had true dignity and the real secret of living, for they respected themselves and their work in the order of society; and did it efficiently and surely.
Much to my surprise I thoroughly enjoyed the meetings of the Associated Charities. Fortunately all the social functions I escaped, as they were held on Sunday. But several of the papers both by men and women were most able and interesting; one by a young woman from Mobile, AL deliciously witty. Then there was a Mrs. Wise about whom, as the children say, I am "perfectly crazy"; she was so charming, eloquent, womanly, beautiful - with such a noble type of beauty. Don't imagine a "fascinating," spectacular person however; she was a grey-haired woman of at least fifty. - The afternoon session was enlivened by a furious quarrel between the representative of the Mass. Savings Bank Insurance System and the representative of the Met. Industrial Ins. System. Though it was hardly a "quarrel" either, since the latter did all the abusing and insulting.
The girls all send love beyond expression. We miss you more than we can say; and are happier than we can say to have you away! As for me, you know, dearest, that it is quite impossible to express my love. It is greater than ever and I had thought that sort was impossible!
As ever your dearest little wife,
Eileen.
Oh, by the way, Madge is going to buy land adjoining John Webb and sell (next fall) her present holding in the valley. So she wants a certain security at once to sell, but steel stocks. I suppose they are in your bank drawer, and you of course have the key! Could you send it back by mail? If you think it unsafe to do so, just say so and Madge will borrow the money for the short time necessary from the bank. Ma Howe thinks that would be the best way. After we got into the vault would we know which were hers, etc.?
[postscript on top of first page] I will send one newspaper article, after all, because I am sure it will do you good.
My own darling,
I am afraid you will be disappointed at not hearing this week; We have all been very stupid, for it was not until Tuesday night that any of us remembered that there was now a "new line" to Bermuda sailing on Wednesdays. It had become, I suppose, a fixed idea that Saturday was the one and only mail day for the islands. However it is perhaps just as well, or better, for you to have a whole weeks rest from Princeton; with not a word to break the calm.
Fortunately I do not need to break it now with many words on the all absorbing subject. There is of course no need and I have seen absolutely no one involved in it, directly or indirectly. There is just one message this morning from Mr. Morris, viz. that the alumnus who sent that impertinent letter to you and to the "Weekly" had been persuaded to withdraw it; so it would not go in the "Weekly".-
There are quite a little pile of "nice" letters from alumni, but after much hesitation, I have decided not to send even these unless you write for them, so if you want them say so. I am enclosing only the one letter from Mr. Morris because it needs an immediate answer.
I hope you had a good voyage, my darling, and have found real Bermuda weather; and that the peace of it all is "soaking in" and through and through you. How I love to think of you there! Here the weather is atrocius. The bill of fare today is "rain, turning to snow and much colder today; snow tomorrow; winds becoming northeasterly and increasing to high"! We are all well except Stockton - who is better, I was in his room yesterday.
Monday Jessie and I went in to the dentist and Tuesday I went according to schedule, to Camden to the Convention of the Associated Charities." Yesterday afternoon I heard a lecture by Miss Ida Yarbell, and afterwards Jessie gave a lecture to her mission board of 27. So it has been rather a full week. Miss Yarbell's lecture was on "American Women." And it reminded me of what a flighty person at the convention told me of one of the Sunday speeches there, "Oh! it was perfectly splendid! so depressing"! Miss Yarbell's was all the more depressing because in my opinion it was perfectly true. You can hardly imagine anything more conservative, it ought have been one's grandmother talking. Indeed it was largely a demonstration of the fact that the grandmothers were incomparably superior to us. We are like Kipling's ship who had not found itself; we are consumed with restlessness and self consciousness, and like a certain "Sally", "always want to be where we aint." We are without steadiness of purpose or deep sense of obligation, things which our grandmothers had intensely. Therefore they had true dignity and the real secret of living, for they respected themselves and their work in the order of society; and did it efficiently and surely.
Much to my surprise I thoroughly enjoyed the meetings of the Associated Charities. Fortunately all the social functions I escaped, as they were held on Sunday. But several of the papers both by men and women were most able and interesting; one by a young woman from Mobile, AL deliciously witty. Then there was a Mrs. Wise about whom, as the children say, I am "perfectly crazy"; she was so charming, eloquent, womanly, beautiful - with such a noble type of beauty. Don't imagine a "fascinating," spectacular person however; she was a grey-haired woman of at least fifty. - The afternoon session was enlivened by a furious quarrel between the representative of the Mass. Savings Bank Insurance System and the representative of the Met. Industrial Ins. System. Though it was hardly a "quarrel" either, since the latter did all the abusing and insulting.
The girls all send love beyond expression. We miss you more than we can say; and are happier than we can say to have you away! As for me, you know, dearest, that it is quite impossible to express my love. It is greater than ever and I had thought that sort was impossible!
As ever your dearest little wife,
Eileen.
Oh, by the way, Madge is going to buy land adjoining John Webb and sell (next fall) her present holding in the valley. So she wants a certain security at once to sell, but steel stocks. I suppose they are in your bank drawer, and you of course have the key! Could you send it back by mail? If you think it unsafe to do so, just say so and Madge will borrow the money for the short time necessary from the bank. Ma Howe thinks that would be the best way. After we got into the vault would we know which were hers, etc.?
[postscript on top of first page] I will send one newspaper article, after all, because I am sure it will do you good.
Original Format
Letter
To
Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924
Files
Collection
Citation
Wilson, Ellen Axson, “Ellen Axson Wilson to Woodrow Wilson,” 1910 February 17, EAW02171910 , Ellen Axson Wilson Letters, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.