Spencer Heath Archive

Item 2659

Penned letter from Mrs. Linda Gibson, 226 Bryant Avenue, Ithaca, New York, July 28, 1957, together with Heath’s reply of August 3, 1957

 

 

Dear Mr. Heath,

 

 I almost wrote you a formal, typewritten business letter, but I could not quite bring myself to impose such a phony situation on top of the delightful conversation we had while you were in Ithaca.

 

 Actually, it is even somewhat of a struggle to call you

“Mr. Heath” after hearing Cather and Crawford refer to you as “Pop-Daddy.”

 

 As Cather has undoubtedly told you by now, I am quite interested in the possibility of working with you. I should most certainly like to discuss this idea with you.

 

 It was very disappointing to be unable to follow your suggestion and make the trip this weekend with Cather, Crawford, and the children. I had hoped until the last minute that this might be possible, but obligations and promises here prevented my leaving Ithaca last Friday.

 

 I understand, however, that Crawford is returning to Ithaca and then driving back down to Virginia on August 10^th. Since my  vacation begins this same date, and since I have vacation plans in Pennsylvania, I could plan to follow Crawford in my car. With this arrangement we would both have company for “coffee breaks” and meals, and after having seen you I could go on to Pennsylvania.

 

 If the weekend of August 10^th would be inconvenient for you, I shall be happy to make any other arrangements which you would like to suggest.

 

 In any case, I am enthusiastically looking forward to seeing you again.

Sincerely,

 

(signed) Linda Gibson

____________________________________________________

Dear Linda Gibson:                         August 3, 1957

I must reply to your letter of July 28th, which you must have written before receiving mine of the _____.

 I would like to make your visit here in the manner most convenient and suitable to you. My own idea as expressed in my letter was that you should travel with Crawford to his destina­tion at Charleston and that I would meet you there for a visit to my daughter in Waterford and to me and my grandson (Crawford’s brother) at Elkridge, including possibly a day in Washington before returning you to Ithaca by plane at my expense.

 If, however, you prefer to travel in your own car, we can adjust accordingly — or you could leave it in Pennsylvania on the way down, and I could return you to Pennsylvania instead of Ithaca as your destination. In my letter, I said I would meet you at Charles Town, West Virginia, on August 10th, and shall be very happy to do so irrespective of how you arrive at that point. It should not be necessary for you to bring your car at all unless you parti­cularly desire to have it in Pennsylvania after you leave here.

Whatever arrangements you make about your car, I shall be happy to have you as my guest while you are here and return you to whatever point is most convenient for you.

Sincerely yours,

 

Spencer Heath

SH/m