Miriam Van Waters Papers. Male Prisoner Correspondence, 1927-1971. Correspondence: M, 1935-1936. A-71, folder 612. Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.

April 15, 1936

Russell McWilliams, No. 5661-E, Box 1112, Joliet, Illinois.

Dear Russell:

Your letter of March 8th has been here for some time, and I am sorry that I have taken so long to write. I am sending you a small check, and hope you can find a good use for it. It is too bad that your letters from home have slowed up. I am sure they think of you often, and are sorry they cannot do more.

I am very much interested about your English course, and I think that 87% is a pretty good mark. I am sure that if you do as well with the next course, you will know quite a lot about the subject. Whenever you write anything which you think has value or interest for anyone else, you ought not to destroy it.

Affairs here are going well. For Easter the girls had an egg hunt in the new cottage building up on the hill. Also, they each received a pretty plant from the greenhouse. Some of them take them home with them, when they go. The Glee Club sang all the lovely Easter music, very well. My mother is visiting in Buffalo. She has gone to the home of my nephew, George, whom you have heard so much about. She is very well. Sarah is well too, and very busy with her school work.

Write me again soon, and in the meantime, continue your efforts to learn as much as you can that will help you to adjust your life to the conditions and surroundings you find yourself placed under. In this fashion you can be prepared for all changes and improvements which come your way.

Best wishes to you Russell, Sincerely,

MVW/K

[left] TO:

NAME Dr. Miram Van Waters

STREET & NUMBER Box 99

CITY Framingham, STATE Mass.

[center] Return

[right] [Upside down] CENSORED 2

[right-side up] BOX 1112

JOLIET, ILLINOIS

April 19, 1936

ALL REMITTANCES MUST BE BY CHECK OR MONEY ORDER

[left] Dear Dr. Van Waters;

I have received your most welcome letter of March 10, and April 16. I was very glad to hear from you and to learn you are doing so well. You are very much interested in the welfare of your big family of girls. You are, no doubt, liked very much by all of the girls. You certainly have some wonderful ideas on prison management.

My grade in English wasn't all that it should have been. I made a very foolish mistake on a predicate adjective, nominative, or some thing on that order. It being my examination and very important [cost?] me a great deal. If I had not made that mistake my average would have exceeded ninety but that is the way it goes.

I wanted to be more prompt in answering your letter of March 10, but I could hardly manage to do so. There were several people I just had to write to.

Mr. Darrow's birthday was April 18. He was here a few weeks ago. He isn't very strong this year, however, he is feeling fine. We had a nice visit. I think he is a very fine man and he is blessed with an equally good wife.

Miss Binford was here two weeks ago. She is very busy with her work. We had a fine visit. She brought me a female canary which I had requested. I will send her a good male when I get one. The bird has four eggs now. They should start hatching April 27th. If I have good luck I will be able to send you one, but not before they start singing. Good birds for good friends and crows for crow friends. I would send you only the best.

Please don't expect one too soon. It takes a few months for them to begin singing in earnest and I will tame them, make regular pets of them. I am promising you a bird before they are hatched; so let us hope fo the best.

Dad and Mary Bell are about the same as usual. She has a fine brain for learning things. I hope dad can send her to school until I get out of this hell hole, then I can take care of them. Believe me, dad wont work any more when I get out. I will have enough education by that time to get a pretty fair job. I am not too particular, but the main thing is to get out of here before anything happens to dad. I could do nothing for her if I was in here. I would have a little money which he will leave me for the purpose of caring for her, but the amount is small and wouldn't go very far. I ask that God will grant him a long life.

I am studying English and learning typing. It will come in handy one of these days; as I have no intention of spending my life behind these walls. The studying I am doing isn't to adjust myself to the conditions and surroundings I find myself placed under. The hope of freedom has stimulated ever effort I have made. After two more courses I will know something about English.

Thank you ever so much for the check. I certainly can find a good use for it. I was almost broke, and a little money really means so much to a person in prison. I think you fully understand.

Do you permit your girls to smoke? How much? I have been thinking of your institution and wondered about it.

[left margin] EB Please return

[left] The flower gardens should be good this year. Vegetable gardens are no longer permitted. I am working in the greenhouse now.

I hope to play a little baseball again this year.

Sending my very best wishes to you and Sarah.

[right] Very sincerely yours, Reg. No. 5661 E. Russell McWilliams

[left] Dear Russell

[center] Box 1112 5661-E

[right] 5/18/36 File (MWV - sent copy)

[left] I was joyfully surprised to get your letter this morning. I feel grateful to Prof. Fitzgerald for seeing that you get the book promptly. The impulse to send it came while I was in Washington. The book appealed to me for many reasons. Perhaps I shall wait till I hear your opinion of it before I write you mine. I did not think I had time to write you a letter, but I wrote to the bookstore, hardly knowing whether the books would reach you. I like the beauty of the out of doors, the excitement of the farming, the wise understanding of the Natives, the description of the animals, and then the glimpses of the writer's personality - a fine woman a friend to her friends, a woman of the [Danish?] [nobility who knew how?] to work and [how?] to live. Now, if you like the book (or even if you don't!) I shall write you more about it later.

As to the money. I am shocked to learn you were down to .03. Don't let that happen again. Of course Mike could send you some if he hadn't the [common human?] failing of [thoughtlessness?]. But you and I are in prison: so we can remember. My trouble is I don't really know what your expenses are. How much does it take to keep you comfortable in supplies? Do me the favor to tell me. There should be no false reserves among friends. I'll answer [any?] of your questions if you will answer mine.

Miss Kelly is out sick- it is just a bad cold. She never takes any vacations. More than anyone else she is always doing what she can for everyone. As I do not like to use just anybody for a secretary I have done all her work and mine since Thursday. I have taken pride in getting all the work done each day, and on [?] gardening besides.

You would shake your head over the gardening. I love the flowers but I also love hard exercise, so I push the lawn mower, and neglect the finer work. But I have planted three [?] bushes, plenty of English daisies, pansies and [?] this last week; also some wild lady slippers.

The snap dragon has my best wishes. What color do you think it will be?

What a glorious plan it is for us to consider and work for, getting you out of prison (I suppose I shall always be in this one); you will have three green houses and one floral shop, and my snapdragon will always have a place.

I am glad Miss Binford wrote a card. I hope your quarentine is lifted by June 9th and you can have a visit with her. Perhaps if you told her how much letters mean both Miss Binford and Miss [Homons?] would write.