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Today’s letter is written from Helene in Vienna to Hilda and and her husband Nathan Firestone in San Francisco. Hilda was Helene’s first cousin once removed.
Dear Hilda and Nathan! Many thanks for your kind letter, which gave me so much joy, happiness, and courage, besides your nice lines gave me the certainty too, that Paul and the children have your sympathy in such a great measure and you don’t feel them burdensome. At this thought I am feeling happy. Maybe, you find me tactless sometimes, to be in sorrow about the children, although they are in your care, but it the emanation for anxiety only consequently comprehensible and to excuse in this exciting days.
Please to excuse also, when I write to you by machine, but my handwriting has changed in such a manner, that I cannot decipher themselves.
I am sorry that we don’t get all letters written to us and that we must wait some weeks for mail. But there is nothing to do against, as to take a lesson in patience and not to lose nerve.
To hear that you are all well makes me contented and I hope the same in future.
Perhaps in the next weeks we shall get some letters at once and so we are knowing what you are doing. I wish you luck and peace, health and good humor, all things not to have in Europe now.
In sending my love to you both I remain
Yours truly
Helen
Paul Zerzawy lived at least for a time with the Firestones during his first few years in America. When Harry arrived in San Francisco in October 1939, he went to live with them while his sister Eva stayed with a different cousin. He stayed with them until he finished high school in 1941.
We learn a great deal from this brief letter. Unlike the long letters she sends her children filled with humor and musical and literary references, this letter is short an to the point. As we’ve seen in previous letters in 1939 and 1940, Helene’s English is nowhere near as fluent as it will be by the time she arrives in Istanbul in 1945. She is grateful for the hospitality of the Firestones and is happy that her children and nephew are safe. Yet she is understandably heartbroken to be separated from her family. Helene’s handwriting has become illegible due to the tremendous stress she is under. The post office is unreliable and there is nothing they can do to improve matters other than try to maintain a positive attitude. Life in Europe at this time is awful. She makes no attempt to hide from Hilda how difficult things are for them in Vienna.