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Oak Park, Ill. U.S.A. 9 A M May 7. 1896. My darling Grace, Last night was Wednesday and as I was over at your house writting you a letter, it flashed accross my mind your Uncle Miller would leave today. - So I interrupted Leicester in his practice to ask if he would not like a walk down on Clinton Avenue to say good bye and so we went. Your letter is still started, but my pen and other pad of thin paper is on your fathers desk in the library. We found your Uncle a little perplexed about starting, but we
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believe he will get off in good shape today. We, brothers are prospering nicely, - as yet have not missed a single night together. - It seems quite as natural to say, - "Good morning Les!" as it did to greet Tyler or George the first in the morning. Hulda has been so kind in coming in each day and making up the beds and washing up our lunch disher etc. The little Tassel dog was so delighted to see us at your Uncle's last night. Leicester received genuine greetings from Tassel. - He was so glad to see us, that when he got out the first thing this morning, he must have followed our tracks on up home. - For when I opened the door, Tassel was on the porch
to greet me! - He will be taken back by Hulda or myself during the day. Now today is a day of relaxation, before my last final examination, if you were here we would go away up north along the river and take our lunch and lemons for yankee lemonade, not your bottled English acidulated water. What a joy it would be, but there will be other just such days after you come home. This is just as perfect a day, as our "Cardinal" day, following your recital. Altho' no Kentucky cardinals have yet been announced, the rose breasted grossbeak and Baltimore oriole with the three thrushes are here to
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give us early morning concerts. I can realize in fact how your mother would enjoy those songs, early each morning, they are poetry in themselves. We hope the Etruria, which is due on Monday, will bring us letters from you miles long, which will take three days to read and a week to answer. Hope you are in balmy France, if possible get away from Paris out in Normandy to drive among the French people as they live in their houses. Please give as much of my best as you think you can spare to the Howe girls, they were so kind to me, but I have always believed it was for your sake, for I was a strange in their midst. More and more each day, it comes to me what a noble life awaits us as we are each preparing
to do all that is good in our power with God's help. I had the funniest dream Sunday night. - I thought I had looked and longed for a letter from you for more than a week after one was due, when to my surprise when I came over to stay with Leicester, I unlocked the door and you sprung out and put your arms around my neck, saying, "Dearest Love, come to me!" You had taken the voyage over with great success and had returned on a ship leaving port the same day you came in, saying to your father, "Pa, the voyage is the most restful, let's repeat it and go right home!" To say I was surprised is enough to startle
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a man out of his sleep. I sat up and looked, 'Twas not a "Day dream" by Dove but a stream of early morning twilight. So far it is all true, for no letters have come and you may be here to [recleanse ?] me when least I expect it, but I hope your trip will mean a great deal more to you than you had expected. I have heard nothing from Alice, - Harold and I ate dinner together on Monday, no Tuesday, but I dared not ask for Alice, fearing he would find out my aim. - Has she yet told her parents? Monday night we had a genial dinner at the Leland Hotel, - in honor of Mr. [Cherry, Chessy ?] who is about to return to Africa. Mr. Harvey asked me to preside and act as Toast master, - this was done most
successfully. - Each one present gave some excellent thoughts. 'Twas a stag banquet, but not to equal our quiet suppers together, where courses were less numerous but a deeper feeling of sincerity. All the gentlemen were of high christian character and a temperance set not even smoking. - so you can imagine our joys together. As I was coming home up State Street, a couple were talking noisily with loud laughter, just south of central music Hall, - who do you suppose the woman was? 'Twas Miss Hayes, the prophetess (?) She looked me square in the face, but did not even close her lips or acknowledge in any way she knew me
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I told Mr. Hutchins that lady would know me out at Oak Park, but failed to recognize me in his company in town. The world is wide, my darling and my love for you only strengthens each day and to realize it has been two (2) weeks today since you left, three times as much more and you will be coming home, - perhaps! When you receive this, think of me preparing for graduation, practicing our college hymn and marching on and off the platform of Central Music Hall. Good bye for now my other self.- Your ever loving, Claire Clarence Edmonds Hemingway
