Spencer Heath Archive

Item 2404

Carbon of one of two letters of same date from Heath at the home of daughter Beatrice Heath O’Connell, 217 S. Main Street, Winchester, Virginia, to Pyrrha Gladys Grodman

May 26, 1955

 

 

Dearest Lillith:

 

     I was almost happy — meaning much relieved — to receive your letter of May 1955 bearing New York City postmark of May 20, 1955, from Guadalajara, Mexico and forwarded to me here. I had almost despaired of ever hearing from you again. Nearly all of my letters have been returned unclaimed. Some time ago I put several of them unopened in a large envelope and re-mailed them to what had been your last known address. I think it was Polanco, the place where you were in a heart hospital and where my telegram was finally reported as having been delivered to you — and now I am enclosing for you also my unopened letter of February 8, 1955 addressed to Ciudad Acapulco, Gro, Mexico.

 

     I spent a good part of the last winter traveling alone (in my new DeSoto with power steering, power brakes etc) in Florida, mostly in Winter Park, and at Sewanee, Tenn. where I have partially arranged to have my “Citadel, Market and Altar” printed by the Press of the University of the South and I have not yet returned to New York. I had rather expected to be hospitalized here in Winchester during May for a prostate operation, but the doctors say the operation is not now warranted and may be indefinitely postponed, so I have just remained here and had a thorough general check-up. The results are completely negative, except for some small diverticula in the colon that the doctors say are not likely to cause any trouble. Blood pressure etc. is found to be about what would be normal for ages 60 to 65.

 

     So I have little or nothing to complain about as to my health and not anything at all as to financial affairs, except the terrible baffling problem of how, without much sympathetic assistance, to make good use of what I have while I still live. How I do wish that you could have been as fortunate in both body and estate as I have been and that we had joined forces long ago to accomplish something rewarding and really worthwhile. As it is, I feel almost helpless and in great danger of continuing to be an “unfaithful servant” with respect to all the treasure, both intellectual and financial, that has been committed to me. I have long wished we could have a good visit together, even for a day. There is so much to go over of both yours and mine.

 

     As to your property affairs, whatever is going to be done ought to be started soon. Long delay is likely to be unfavorable. Yet it seems you will need to be in New York, your health permitting, to get anything done effectively. If you are able to come, as one of your letters suggested you might be, and need money for the trip I will send it to you, and hope for better success in getting it to you than in the past. I wonder what became of my check for $500.00 that I sent to you at Clifton, Ariz. in May 1952 in a registered letter that was receipted for by M.I. Sage, M.D. as the addressee (not as agent). Also last December I sent you a Christmas remembrance of $100.00, Post Office Money Order No. 2-233,370 purchased at Cooper Station in New York on December 8, 1954 and forward by the Post Office to either Polanco or to Acapulco (I’m not sure which) but nothing was ever heard from either you or from the Post Office concerning it. Please make inquiry, at both post offices if necessary, and accept this little gift with all the good wishes it was intended to convey.

 

     I’m afraid you never got my gift letter (registered) to Arizona in May, 1952 nor my letter of about December 8, 1954, telling you about the money order for $100.

 

     Your most recent letter gives me a big thrill. It is so encouraging about the state of your health and to know that you are thinking of “getting back into the swim” of my ideas that you did so much to encourage and help me to develop and set down. And your closing sentiments are very much as I had hoped that you would write. I do hope your health will keep right on improving and that you will soon have that more satisfactory address you refer to so that I can be in more certain communication with you. Please write to me soon and be sure to let me know quickly of any changes impending either in your plans or circumstances.

Affectionately,

 

 

     A propos of ideas and plans proposed, I am enclosing a schedule of six talks and discussions, most of which have been given before but not as a series, and a tentative statement of Organization and Purpose for the Science of Society Foundation which I hope to get into systematic operation before very long.

 

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­__________________________