161. Letter: Received June 15, 1934

“Dear Mrs. Rosevelt,
     I no your
     Busy. I read
     In the pappers
     Where you visit
     At this place and that. Each
     Day I read.
     My back’s bad, I
     Have to stay in Bed.

     Recipes I
     Copy from
     The papper, like those
     Betty Crocker menus for folks
     On Relief or
     Low Income, you know.
     Made the Prune sause-
     It just makes four
     Portions, not five
     Like it said.
     Spanish Rice, cheese soup,
     Cabbage chopped with
     Vinegar and Sugar, I made
     Those. But I cannt
     Make the Codfish
     Balls. Their is no
     Codfish here, no
     Water.

     Your a busy
     Lady, I no that,
     I Hope you have
     Time to read this Letter.
     If not, thats
     OK. Give
     Regards to Mr. Rosevelt.
     I no how it
     Fells when you cant move.
     When I rub my
     Legs, my Skin strips off.
     Well, my husband
     Francis thats his name,
     Worked in town
     Inside the Dry Goods
     Store. He’s out of
     Work right now.
     He says ‘not his
     Falt,’ he says that
     Mr. Tally 
     Closed the hole store
     Down, no warning.
     Thats what Francis
     Says. He has lost
     Jobs before.

     Anyhow don’t
     Mean to take your time. Why
     I am writting,
     I saw in that
     Magazine your
     Christmas. It told
     How your sons,
     Sory but I
     Cannt recall their names,
     Bought a Robe for you. And
     What I want to
     Know, wheres your Old
     Robe? Because I
     Sure could use it.
     Well I guess thats 
     Silly, I know that, but
     I don’t have
     A night-gown any more,
     I just where my
     Robe, and its got
     Holes. Someone
     Comes to visit,
     They might see some
     Place that they should Not.

     I guess you cannt
     Mail me your old Robe.
     I’d pay stamps. But
     Any clothes–
     I know not to ask
     A job for Francis. They all
     Want them. And
     By the way I
     Copied from the papper,
     Your Low Income
     Recipe for
     That Fruit Roly
     Poly. Made it
     When we still had
     Fruit. Sure tasted
     Good.
                    Sincerly
                    Yours,
                    Flo Lentz”

                                                  Tommy–
                                                  Send this on to H.–
                                                  Check Relief allotment?–
                                                  See what can be
                                                  Done. Get
                                                  Back to me.

                                                                  E.R.