Graceanna Lewis letter

402 Gayley Street, Media, Pa.
April 26th, 1902.

My Dear Friend,
I do not like a letter
with apologies, so I will waive the
need of them and pass to more agreeable
subjects. The first of these is thy gifts of
Easter time. Last year thee gave me a St.
John. It has been on my bureau ever since
with the two crimson hearts on each side
a daily sight to remind me of thy kindness
I have a niece, Miss Ellen Fussell, daughter
of my nephew Dr. Linnaeus Fussell (and
a very lovely girl too) who is an Episcopalian &
who I think would like this year's picture, as
coming from a friend of mine. I need hardly
say that she is very fond of her great aunt.
If thee were here I would show thee, barring
my own modesty, a lovely little poem she

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once wrote ending with
“She’s just our dear Aunt Gracie”
I would ask nothing better for a remembrance
of me when I pass from outward sight, as I
must before many years pass by.

My niece, her father's sister with whom
I live, does the work of our little family,
including our washing and ironing, and, of
course I help her what I can so that I still
get breakfast, wash the dishes and make the
beds on washing morning, but I do not do it
easily now. I get so tired that I really do
not wish to do any else the rest of the day.
Nor do I at any time find my energy
upholding me as in times past. I am willing
to rest more from either physical or mental
exercise.

But I still go on with painting, and have
in my drawer several pictures made of the
Panzies I copied when they were in bloom,
and the morning glories of last year, and
the roses which bloom from time to time.
These make, each of their kind, pictures
which different relatives like to have as


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keepsakes, and which I like to paint for
them, knowing a time must come, if I live
long enough, when I cannot see to do it
any longer. I think, now the color helps me
to see, for I can do it better than any
other work.

I have not changed my style of painting
but I see why thee thinks I have. It is because
my artist nephew showed me how much
better the forms and colors were brought out
by putting in a background. This background
itself, requires great labor to put in delicately
and has to be done by repeated washes of very
pale tints to keep it from becoming streaked or
spotted, and which really is the most difficult
part of the picture. The reason thee likes it
is that it [underlined] is [/underlined] effective in bringing out the
colors and in more clearly defining the forms. The
pictures are richer, as they should be from the
much greater work put upon them.

My nephew has been making a number
of lovely landscapes during the year
and is now employed on two, one that he
can work at from the front porch on days

not suitable for outdoors, and a second
at a distance from the house for clear and
mild weather. He is becoming more fully
recognized amongst his associate artists who
do [underlined] not [/underlined] belong to the “Impressionist” School.
One thing he observed this winter thee
will be interested in hearing. A house to the N. W.
of us become vacant. He was at the time making
a painting of a view in that direction, and day
after the day he saw a Cardinal Grosbeak trying
to fight his shadow in a window of the closed
house. Finally his mate appeared. A neighbor
became interested and fed the birds with corn
and scraps of bread, and then the fighting
male changed its tactics, and absolutely
carried corn up to the prisoner and tried
to feed him! At length a new tenant was
found for the house, and now the bird is
giving his attention to one of our third-story
windows. The pair are here daily and we have
the many variations of their mates, all of which
have a certain recognizable similarity, the
female singing as well as the male. All of this
has been written of before, but this year it
happened to us, and therefore we know that
it true.

All our young folks are bird lovers, and it
is good for them to keep them out of doors as

much as they have time for. The girls are both
Teachers, the boys – mere [men?], in active business
life. Except the youngest who is still a student
at Swarthmore College. All of them are
relatives to be thankful for, and furnish
much of the comfort and happiness of my
life.

This is new blooming time for cherries, peaches,
plums, pears and quinces, our fruit yard
being gay with the blossoms. Alas! for the
Curculio and the scale which do not allow
us much fruit!! Three young pear trees killed
by scale and must be taken up and burned!
The weather mild and lovely after the long, hard
winter, but we endured it better than last
winter having kept better fires. No rheumatism
nor kindred suffering. I feel ready for the
enjoyment of spring, despite of age and
growing weakness.

I have not given up my scientific
studies. Yesterday my nephew [Dr. Linnaeus Fussell]
brought me from the Del. Co. Institute of
Sciences the year’s supply of the American
Naturalist. In it I found a Reclassification
of Reptiles. I am going over it to see whether
or not it is better than that I already
have and whether I ought to adopt it

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or not. I have reworked my chart oif
the Fishers, and have laid that by as the
best I can do with present knowledge. I
am awaiting for further information on one
especial group of the mammals, now
wholly extinct. I do not know that
these charts will ever be published.
They would be costly, and I have not
the cash to spend upon them, but
the work is really valuable and of
great interest to me. It furnishes me
with the ability at least of seeing
where others who do rush into print
with far less knowledge, make mistakes
which are misleading, and enunciate
theories which I think hinder the real
advance of inquiry. one has to know
enough to see the wrong road as well
as the right way. I could not be
satisfied that I was making a right
use of the days that are left me without
something of this kind. Then my young

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folks want me to write up a history of
our family, and that takes me a long
way. With all the papers and magazines
we have to read, I lead a very busy life
notwithstanding my years, and the days
as they pass by each seems to be full,
though I neither see nor hear as well
as once.

I so often think of thee, and fear thee
is overworking thy strength. Thee is the
housekeeper, and on thyself depends the
arrangements for the preservntation of thy
health and strength. Thee is really found
for the sake of the family to treat thyself
with all possible care, even to luxury in
hours of rest and nourishing food, getting
outside help as much as thee needs. What
might seem selfish Indulgence, and which
thee might refuse to give they self on this
account, may be the very best thing possible
for others. Good women so often do refuse
what they need beyond every thing else in
life. I want thee to think this over and

see where thee can save thyself in every
direction. I was impressed with the
need ofor this for thee by thy last letter
although I do not think thee said a
word like it. But I felt it, and
therefore make bold to speak of it. If
I was mistaken like this advice pass by,
but if I am not, do my dear friend,
heed it most conscientiously, and be
the better for it thyself, and for all
around thee.

Thy true and most loving friend
Graceanna Lewis.