Spencer Heath Archive

Item 2274

Typed carbon of letter from Elkridge to Pyrrha Gladys Grodman (“Pearl”), presumably dictated by Heath to someone since “Heath” is referred to twice and “Lucille,” referring to his daughter, is misspelled. Reeve’s work should be investigated.

March 8, 1942

Dear Pearl:

I am enclosing some additional material that Mr. Heath has written pursuant to the suggestions in your last letter. Your comments are awaited with the greatest interest.

 In consequence of a recommendation made just before we left New York, we are now working on a resume (pronounced ray-zoo-may) of the Energy Concept in the style of those in the Reader’s Digest. We feel that such a resume can be very use­ful in inducing those whose attention may otherwise elude us to get the story in a short form.

 Mr. Heath spent about three hours in the Forty-Second Street Library with the spirit of Mr. Reeve. The manuscript is very voluminous, and Mr. Heath came away with a distinct impression that he had discovered at least one possible reason why Reeve has been neglected. The subject is treated in a very scholarly manner, and Mr. Heath found some of his own thoughts paralleled to a degree both striking and gratifying. But Reeve seems to have spent a great deal of his force in destruct­ive criticism of his contemporaries in the physical and in the social sciences. And unfortunately the manuscript was not sufficiently organized to permit a reader to find Reeve’s critical conclusions and suggestions, if any, without going carefully over the whole 2,000 (!) pages.

 Our own situation can be summed up in the statement that we are pursuing the noiseless tenor of our way. Lucille and I went to the village Saturday (Baltimore) and saw “Louisiana Purchase.” Then we went dancing free for nothing on the theater roof. Dairy products are getting more expensive every day, the lawn is coming up in green patches, and every glance over the left shoulder reveals signs of spring. Heigh ho!

 By the way, what do you know about entropy?

 How can one wish good luck to a veterinarian without wishing bad luck to some of them “dumb critters”?

Yours,