Gardener Elizabeth Lawrence’s Adorable Winter Letter to Ann Preston Bridgers

January 23, 1942 

On this day, the garden writer Elizabeth Lawrence wrote to her friend, the playwright Ann Preston Bridgers.

We had thin toast and your wild strawberry jam for tea this afternoon by the fire in my studio...

Bessie and I took a salad and a pan of rolls and went to have supper with your family last night.

Mrs. B. insisted upon adding both ham and chicken.

We had [Ann’s mountain friend] Blanche’s walnuts for dessert.

And Robert and I made Cleopatras, not so good, somehow, like the ones at Christmas…

I must put the puppy to bed before he chews up all the files of Gardening Illustrated.