Letter 1941 Aug 11

first version of Esp childhood - anything related to genealogy is untrue.

Henry wrote to his sister 1941 that Esperanza had "anarchist instead of Marxist ideas"

Got yours dated July 28 and Aug. 6. It seems you're having a large time, in fancy style. You are entitled to it, everyone should have the opportunity. It doesn't take a fortune, just a fair income. Will the Der Tag take place shortly? - seriously or in comic opera style? Trousseau (I don't know how that is spelled, pardon it) sounds like Arabian night military wedding (shotgun) - The choice on such occasions was beheading with a polished scimitar - or lingering death by matrimony.

Fitting finale to the wedding march is hasty trip to Mexico where divorces can be had in 3 days (for gringos) less for natives and about 50 pesos - Be all free and happy by time the champagne jag clears up. Great artistic souls can't stay married long - Rivera has been married & divorced so often he gets special rates and has a regular lawyer to handle the routine. Fear greatly your impending marriage will have to be repeated 4 or 5 times to make it stick. Try to get as much worldly goods as possible out of the deal - you know - get married on a smokestack and win a nice new kitchen range - in a balloon and have a 5 yr. subscription to the The Press etc.

Your gushes over Bittersweet - bah! Nuts! The film by that name stinks, its lousy. Grace Moore was here several months ago - only $1.35 Mex. , Meliza Korgus was here last week $4.50 to 1.50 - I'd make same distinction between the two, but didn't hear either. Saw Merry Widow - with Chevalier - its still good and though Great Waltz is still showing Korgus has gone back. Was in a show about 3 months ago when Tyrone Power et al - (30 actors) were due to appear within an hour or two - I walked out - no crawled out - such a jamb - worse than a circus and not even one elephant in the lot. Phooey. I couldn't stand to see the stupid hero worship of the saps.

I saw the opera Magic Flute - Mozart - a week ago with Elda but don't like opera unless many melodies abound - like Mikado. The audience even tells you to be quiet if in painful disgust with whole affair you begin discussing weather and similar startlingly interesting subjects.

Tell Mil the picture looks like a genuine Gainsborough (or is it 2 other guys), pose, hat, flowers and all. Very beautiful, really lovely - and the lines of the right hand (both for that matter) plus shadows skillfully accentuating the beauty of the face create a picture of which she may justly be proud. Either she is truly photogenic or really lovely - maybe both. (She looks like Jeanette McDonald there) I'd like to bite her. If the law would permit it I'd become a polygamist. I find that abstaining never cured my amorous impulses - every lovely woman I see I desire. I've recently re-read the songs of Solomon in Spanish - and I second the motion. Having just one wife is insufficient. You should be allowed one of each distinct type. When Elda is within arms reach I cant resist reaching. When I'm with Esperanza (well I usually use both arms then), but in all - I find that I love them all. What to do? My heart is so desolate I need the comfort of a dozen- I'll probably become a Mohamedan.

You can get Omar Khayyam? ? yes, no ?? in Spanish - beautifully illustrated, lovely binding - for about $10 Mex says Esperanza. I haven't seen it in any bookstore and I've asked in the largest and smallest. One will say - "We'll have it in, in the next order, due within 2 wks.," another, "No, that's out of print, I don't believe its obtainable," others will state frankly that they never seen or heard of such an outlandish name.

Mother was saying that you will learn only by experience and that having a single track mind - narrow gauge at that - you just don't learn fast. She claims your mental muscles are weak. You're not using all your corpuscles that should be devoted to problem solving, that when you read the cards you use a marked deck. She even insinuates you have a diseased conscience. She is, I believe, unhappy and mistrusts your judgment.

My personal judgment of you is - after you told John what I'd written you (just in payment of the dollar you had sent ) that you are ein altes waschweib. So I've wasted this page so I could devote a clean sheet to the biography of Her. I haven't all the details but will fill in the gaps in time.

Time was
A geezer in the chamber of deputies, in the time of Juarez, was named Mateos. He wrote a history book and had children. We're concerned with only two - a boy and a girl. The boy had two sons - both suffering from bone consumption. One - a photographer in local movie studio - the other a lawyer, both named Mateos. The girl married a doctor named Lopéz. He was a mine doctor in the state of Durango and hated Porfiro Diaz. A miner (patient of his in same mine) became known in the U.S.A. (due to efforts of Pershing to catch him and Wallace Beery to "immortalize" him) as Pancho Villa shared his dislike for Diaz. A fellow named Madero started preaching (from the Am. Side of the Rio Bravo - Grande to you) preaching against Diaz and calling for revolution. Villa got started and made it a good practice, though disturbed by federal troops. The good Dr. in the case goes to Monterrey with his wife and 3 children then on way to meet Villa is shot in the Mts. by Rurales - Diaz police. Two months later the wife gives birth to a daughter - the revolution is in full swing. There is no food, no milk for baby - so she is fed on paste-flour and sugar boiled in water. They go to live with a friend in Chiapas - a sugar plantation owner - horribly rich with 90 casks of 40 yr old wine in his cellar. The sugar mill, buildings and rich guachipin are burned until only ashes remain - and the mother and 4 children - they live with Indians - simple people - who haven't been to college and speak a local dialect. The mother had been a school teacher so some knowledge was imparted to the offspring. Esperanza López at the age of 11 attends convent school. At 13 goes to Hospital de Jesús founded by Hernan Cortez - 1527 A.D. (1st in W. Hemisphere) operated by nuns. Works regularly 16 hrs. per day, no time and a half for overtime. One day each month free. Feels sorry for nuns, teaches them to disbelieve in god and three escape and later marry. Is given "the works" by church officials. Bishop lectures to her two months - sees its hopeless - then they discuss Molier, Daudet, Proust, Schiller, Kant, Hegel etc - Teaches her all he knows of the classics, lends her books, inspires her to study world history and French literature - another Monte Cristo Chateau d'?f case. At 16 goes to work at English Hospital - works only 18 hours a day and has 4 afternoons, between 2 and 6, free each month. Learns English - is sent to Columbia U. to study hospital technique.

Comes back after 6 mos. - gets in dept. of Education as secy. to Secy. perfects her shorthand typing etc. gains in worldly wisdom - as to what makes politics etc. Is official stenographer at numerous union Congresses etc. learns what goes on before the speeches are made - and how speeches are changed before being sent to press. With recent change n administration learns what "nepotism" and "sinecure" signify, discovers that new Secy. of Ed. has publishing house (remember Bobbs Merrill and Gov. McNutt) prints new texts - cost 7 cents are sold at $1.25. She fights but opposition - i.e. - 11 at top of racket stand to win $1,500,000 in sale of new texts - tough going - enter Henry in office asking for course of study for summer school for Elda - Esperanza speaks Eng. Henry sees a luscious but very business like blonde of 26, 6 ft 6, 121 lbs who fears not God and is more than her match for the average man - who for a 3 day vacation hikes (not hitch hikes) 90 miles thru the mountains, rides horses for relaxation, swims in lakes of Volcano craters - temperature 40 degrees, owns a 7 room house, beautiful furniture with garage & servants quarters - all modern - .220 swift Winchester 22 rifle with scope sight - .38 special detective model Colt. Rifle, saddle & sombrero decorating her boudoir. He learns these things later. First visit gets information he desires, sees that she is dressed in black with the huge mass of golden hair (assumes she is French) and wears two rings, 3rd finger left hand. Is cautioned by Walter to evade that type. Returns after several weeks, discovers the name is Senora (Mrs.) Esperanza López Mateos (which she had written, without coaxing, on pamphlet, plus home address, the first time he had called) that the husband is seldom home, that though he lives in her house - have been separated for years?? Oh yeah ??? what does he say? That "anytime I can do anything for you, let me know" - sounds good - goes later on a hike, discovers, what he had suspected - a very lonesome person with interests similar to his - though harboring anarchist instead of Marxist ideas - (will remove same shortly - by force if necessary). Discovers likewise (later) that though legally married to cousin (for practical reasons, job etc) - the bone consumption Mateos - had never slept with him - they had grown up together in same household - the 2 Mateos boys being orphans. Mother doesn't want Esperanza to get divorce - Where would the 2 boys go? Esp. continues to give both transfusions of her own blood regularly. Dr. says must stop for 6 mo. or will get liver trouble. She loves Henry and says since he has stolen her heart she is all his - marriage or no - wants him to find a little apartment for the 2 in Coyoacan. Henry cant leave house so has postman and butcher boy looking for a place. He loves her so much won't even kiss Elda.
p.s. Blab this and get your damned throat slit.

1941 Aug 11 - letter from Henry to sister Marie