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Transcription of Letter
From
Mrs. J.R. Derbyshire
62 Friars Avenue
Delapre
Northampton
England
To[1]
Mr. John Derbyshire
c/o 279 Broome Street
Apt 6C
New York U.S.A.
NY 10002
Sept. 14th.
My Dear Son,
Had your letter today, I have written to you three times, I can't understand why you haven't received my
letters.[2] I worry about you so I can't sleep for worrying. I pray every night for your safety &
well being & hope that
everything will be resolved soon one way or t'other.
Our fantastic weather continues. Yes, thank you dear for the card, a bit early but thanks all
the same. Tess is 6 next Sunday. She's really gorgeous, has her cut
short now & looks
smashing.
What can I say. John, you are your own man. I am most unhappy about this situation with
Cindia's
family, it is beyond my comprehension why you tolerate it, but its your life. I can only pray for your tolerance to my
way of thinking & hope
you are not storing up trouble for yourself.
I went to hospital for X-ray on my "tum" & am told have a duodenal ulcer & a hiatus hernia &
wait for it have to put a bit of weight back on.[3] I'm 9½
stone, D says get back to 10 stone.
If you can't stay in U.S. I can lend you some money to tide
you over, but I can't send any to you, I should be afraid you wouldn't get it. Please write soon & let me know how
things are. Do be wary.
Loving you always
Your devoted
Mother
You know what Dads views are its too late to change now
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Notes
- I arrived in New York August 4 and stayed at this address for a week or two. This was the Lower East Side, and there were some fine echoes of the old immigrant experience. The apartment building at 279 Broome was mostly occupied by Chinese and Hispanic families, but there were still mezuzahs on the door-posts, much painted over. The apartment window looked out across Broome Street to the Kehila Kedosha Janina synagogue, then rather shabby but since beautifully restored. Kehila Kedosha Janina is the only Greek Romaniote synagogue in the Western hemisphere.
- There was some postal regulation I was not aware of. I think mailmen would deliver to only one name per apartment, unless formally notified of other names resident — something like that. For whatever reason, mail sent to me was being returned to senders. By the date of this letter I was definitely living elsewhere; but this letter was forwarded to me.
- My mother, though not large, fretted about her weight for as far back as I can recall. Then, around 1970, she took up some miracle diet and became slim and trim.