[Dorothy Day]
[Peter Maurin Farm]
[469 Bloomingdale Rd.]
[Pleasant Plains, Staten Island, N.Y.]
Feb 3, 1949 St. Blaise
Dear Hilda [in Montreal] –
After your so good and friendly letter I must call you by your Christian name. It was good to get your generous letter and we would be delighted to get the books and I know my daughter would too. Her address is Ridge Road, Westminster, Md. Our farm address - where I am most often is Peter Maurin Farm, 469 Bloomingdale Rd., Pleasant Plains, Staten Island, N.Y.
Do you know our friends - Dr. Karl Stern, 4137 Marlowe Ave., Montreal? They too have children. You would love them.
My daughter is going to have her fifth child in June. Her husband is now working at the Newman Book Shop until 9 at night which leaves her much alone, out in the country and still with no conveniences.
When your books come I will read them too. I love children's books and would love to write one some day. Right now I am engaged on a story of my life which Harpers asked for after reading On Pilgrimage. I'm having an awful struggle getting it done. How do you write with 6 children?
Have you heard of the Grail? Started by two Dutch women in this country? A marvelous school for girls.
My son-in-law, having no formal education, read all of the Chesterton & Belloc to get their education. A good idea.
Got to rush now. Too many people. Write again
Sincerely in Christ
Dorothy Day
[Dorothy Day]
[Peter Maurin Farm, 469 Bloomingdale Rd.]
[Pleasant Plains, Staten Island, N.Y.]
1951
Dear Hilda [in Ireland] –
Thank you for your most interesting letters from Ireland. Just back myself from a 4 mos. trip to the coast and south, and return to 10 degrees above zero and rheumatism in my hands.
How do you ever get so much writing done, and such good writing. I'm trying mainly to finish a St. Therese book. I am too attached to people.
My daughter's children have been sick with mumps, & the oldest with pneumonia. She is 8 this April. Tamar will have her 6th in Aug. - 6 under 9. Quite a handful. And noisy. All in a 4 room house! Poverty indeed.
However if we can raise the money to put on one big room and porch it will do, as they have 4 acres around them and the house only cost $6,000. Housing is still a problem here. One of the worst parts of poverty is the necessity to be always scheming, planning, figuring, how to get bills paid.
That's voluntary poverty too, altho we would like to think romantically about it as freedom from care.
Pray for us, and God bless you.
In Christ
Dorothy Day
P.S. I speak as to a kindred soul. My royalty check went in 10 minutes.
[Dorothy Day]
[Peter Maurin Farm, 469 Bloomingdale Rd.]
[Pleasant Plains, Staten Island, N.Y.]
PAX
Dec. 20, 1951 [possibly 1952?]
Dear Hilda –
Thank you for your lovely letter of Sept 30!
Please excuse delay. I've been travelling about the country & am not half done yet. What a life you have! I envy you living in Ireland near the sea.
Yes, you must come to one our retreats. They are going better than ever this year. A_ _ became a Catholic as a result of one.
Tamar is having a hard winter with her little flock. Too shut in. Their house is too small. They are fearfully overcrowded. A big family needs a big house to be happy.
I'm writing a new book on The Little Flower and I'm hoping it sells well enough _ for me to help her build a big extra living room in back & a porch on the front. She lives in real poverty, poor child. Pray for her.
I'm enjoying this trip very much. It is both work and vacation. There is so much to write about - I could fill two Catholic Workers!
Thank you very much for writing me. A Happy Christmas and New Year to you all
In Christ
Dorothy Day
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