Notebook 1: Mrs. Carl Goodman and Mr. Andrews reprints

Feb. 4th 1925
Halethorpe M.D.
The Editor of the Elizabeth Journal

Dear Sir:

Many thanks for your letter of Feb. 2nd and enclosures, which explain why I never received any the papers as I had which I had asked for.

In my letter of Dec 22nd I enclosed stamps and asked for copies of the paper and to be sent only one letter, the one which I had received from Mrs. Andrews. The letter from Mrs. Carl Goodman I had have never seen before (and re-enclose). Mrs. Goodman apparently did not send stamps, so probably Miss Foote thought I had sent both letters, and dispatched the papers straight to Plainview.

I am nevertheless very anxious to see the notice & likeness of Mr. Andrews...

all of which I should like to keep so I hope you will kindly send me a paper or papers if there was more than one notice of his death, which as the others have already received theirs I need not send on to them and can keep for myself. 

Thanking you,

Yours Truly,

Lucy Derrick Swindells

Carrie's Notes: This is an interesting note from Lucy to the editor of the Elizabeth Journal. Somehow there was a mixup in the previous notes sent requesting copies of an obituary or story written about the former Rector Mr. E. H. J. Andrews. It sounds as if the paper knew Lucy wrote both letters (which makes sense as her handwriting is so distinguished and recognizable) and sent all copies to her instead of passing them along to Mrs. Goodwin. Lucy's letters often show her ability to look past her own flaws in order to not accept blame for mistakes. 

Notebook 1: A note on Flappers & short hair...

April 2nd 1925

Sir:

I should like to make a few comments on the letter "Flappers at 60" in this mornings paper. Why should women mind making the change which circumstances have already forced upon men.  

Until well into the eighteenth century gentlemen wore long hair. I say say gentlemen advisedly for poor men had already had to dispense with it. 

Long hair unless exquisitely tended is the ugliest thing in creation. Is not the charwoman style of curtains and a little twisted knob good for a laugh in any Pantomine. Where as the Prince in the Pantomine has always short hair not quite to the shoulders delicious curling all round the neck. 

The almost impossible task of doing long hair attractively before hurrying out to the day's work forced men to discontinue it. 

So now that daughters of most households work in offices or other places instead of lolling gracefully on sofas. They too have learnt the value of time. They have incidentally become most all more attractive and Mothers seeing their daughters charms with short hair like to look pretty too. 

L.D.S. 

This is the first letter we read that shares Lucy's strong opinions on the need for women to have short hair. One of her most well known (and published) letters to the Baltimore Sun contains a letter she sent to the King of England about his resistance to women cutting their hair. Today's letter contains wonderful language, I love that she mentions a "charwoman" - which is an older English term for a maid or cleaning woman. It is interesting to me how Lucy uses such generalizations about women such as... they don't have time to be lolling on sofas anymore... that long hair is only seen on maids or cleaning women (or therefore women of a lower class). The last sentence is rather telling as well. I wonder if Lucy initially cut her own hair when it became the style for her daughter to do so in the 20's. To see a picture of Lucy read the About page.   - Carrie

Notebook 1 - Feb 15th 1925

February 15th, 1925
Halethorpe

The Editor of the "Sunday Times"

Dear Sir:
I notice in your Photogravure Secture of today's issue where the Earl & Countess of Coventry are shown, that they are said to have been married 75 years and to be over 92 years old.
This is a mistake as they were married 60 (sixty) years ago, (And 60 years being called a "Diamond Wedding" in England) and the Earl is only 89, having been born in 1838.
The enclosed cuttings from the Overseas Daily Mail may be of interest to you, I do not need them returned.

Faithfully,
Lucy Derrick Swindells

This is another one of my favorite aspects of Lucy! She is never shy about correcting the local newspaper in areas that she feels she is an expert, particularly politics and English Society. While Lucy left England in 1921, she never lost her love of being English. She was extremely proud of her heritage and her mother country. - Carrie