Spencer Heath Archive

Item 1246

Carbon of letter from Heath at Roadsend Gardens, Elkridge MD, to Lewis Lane, National Broadcasting Corporation, Department of Musical Research, Radio City, New York

June 5, 1939

Dear Lewis,

 

I am wondering very, very much about you. I seems a long time since we have seen very much of each other, and the last time I was in New York, I did not seem to be able to get in communication with you at all. I was up your way on the 26th, and was one of the speakers at a public meeting on Long Island, the other speaker being Grace Isabel Colbrun, who lives at the Orleans Hotel at the corner of Columbus Avenue and 80th Street, and who is the person who has helped several persons including myself with their voice control. She is of an old New York family who used to live on Riverside Drive, but whose home is now in New Caanan, Connecticut. She has spent most of her life in the theatre and on the lecture platform, and is occupied now principally in the trans­lation of foreign language plays. I think she is a member of several clubs, and has good cultural and social connec­tions. I mentioned you to her, and she told me she had met you somewhere casually, at Town Hall, I think.

I suppose you know all about Leona. When I last saw her, she was all a flutter making preparations quietly to become Mrs. Monroe Young on the 2nd of June, and take up her residence at 806 Washington Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y.  Telephone: Nevins 8-6672 – but I dare say none of this is any news to you. Leona is very fond of you as she is of me. Through her I have been keeping more in touch with you than you may suppose. When I last saw her, I was glad to have her tell me that things in a business way seem to be looking up with you, or at least that you were getting better adjusted to them. I certainly do hope that you are not taking on any unnecessary worries, and that you are getting more and more into a position to “let yourself go” in your esthetic world” and practice your art simply and directly for the joy that it gives to you. This is the only way that your own peculiar genius can unfold, and nothing else can find high recog­nition in the world, or find any permanent place. I only hope you will not find it necessary to sacrifice too much in other respects in order to indulge and enjoy yourself in this.

Your letter to Winchester caught up with me, and I have now temporarily mislaid it, so just tell me how every­thing is with you, and remind me again of anything to which I am not now properly responsive.

I was sorry not to see W. Rhea Mureau or any of the other fine Freehold people on my last two visits to New York, but I hope to see some of them on my next.  I am

writing Mr. Mureau today.

Please remember me to Robert Covell and your other intimates and associates, and accept the very best of friendship and regard from yours,

 

                          Sincerely,

.