Grandad was 90 when he typed this letter. In his late years he had a gravelly voice, smoked a pipe, drank lots of red rose tea and always had scotch mints to hand out. Magnifying glass was always close by. “10 Kings Court, Orillia, ON, L3V 6S4, Wednesday 21st April 1982 Dear Annette, Archie, Gillian and Paul, Evelyn told me to call you every night but so far I haven’t done so. No real occasion or problem. I am assuming you are all fine or I would have heard from you. This is Stephens typewriter borrowed. I have a new tape for my own, but will have to wait till Evelyn comes back. We, Stephen and myself are fine. I went out today and got a haircut, I wish I could get a pair of shorts and stockings, a short sweater so you could see what an idiot I look. I got a crew cut of malice aforethought….. I have a big heavy vice here which might be useful. Johnny never uses it. If you were here now you could take it back with you. It is brand new. I bought it before I went blind…never been used—almost. Some books also, but both of you are ‘rent’ book types. But Paul might take after his grandfather. Gillian is so nimble-witted and bright she might be a ‘blue stocking’. I expect they will go on to University. I wish I could live to see Gillian sixteen. She will go places. Try and get two books. “The Story of My Life” by Helen Keller, and the other simply called “Teacher” also by Helen. Helen will make you ashamed of yourself as she did me…and many more. “Teacher” is about the Irish Girl Anne Sullivan who brought her out of the black hole of Calcutta. I am undecided which was the noblest or greatest genius of the two, Blind, deaf and dumb. Never knew what sound was. You might as well consider educating a tree in the forest. The tree is alive, dumb and sightless like Helen. Yet in time she passed into Radcliffe College on an entrance exam of the same standard as Harvard entrants. In time she graduated. She became fluent in French, German, Latin, Greek and classical English, did untold good. Roosevelt was a personal friend and the important and distinguished of the world, she was a guest of King George and Queen Mary in Buckingham Palace. These two books are more thrilling than the greatest ‘Who Dunit”. I mentioned Greek back there and Bennie Palmer learned Latin and Greek for aesthetic reasons only. It was no bother for Palmer to learn Latin or Greek. He had brains. I had none and the vast majority of High School and University of students are mostly well educated numskulls without capacity. I better give over or you won’t read or have the time for what I have written. Hope all are well and my love to yourselves and Gillian and Paul” Grandad.”
Posted on: Thu, 18 Jul 2013 00:45:34 +0000