Dunbarton
Gordonsville, Virginia

September 14th , 1946

Dear Claudia and Marijane:

I sent only one cable - to Claudia - as I was not sure that Molly was still in Jersey. Each letter has given different dates for sailing etc, and none of them definite, so we really feel that we know nothing about her plans, I mean Molly's.

Claudia, your reply came promptly, and I felt sure already that you would delay your trip to the States until spring; you had already indicated as much in your last letter. Anyway the cable was a comfort as it seemed to bring us a little closer together.

I shall now quote from a letter I have just written Phil as I am in a great rush and want to get the facts to you as promptly as possible:

"Jim died early Tuesday morning, September 10th. Nich and I drove Garrett and Joan to Richmond Monday night to the train for Miami as Joan is sending Garrett to Joe by plane from there. When we got back something after eleven p.m. we found that Machi had had a terrible time all alone with Jim. Somehow she forgot that Mac or Josephine would have been so happy to help her. Jim had had a frightful haemorrhage around nine-thirty, bringing up great quantities of black fluid, blood clots and even fragments of what must have been some organ. He became unconscious about that time, although he said to Machi while she was trying to wash him up and change his bed, "Am I dirty?". They turned out to be his last words. Nich stayed with us until about midnight and then went on home, none of us realizing the end was so near. Machi slept not at all and I about two hours. Jim seemed perfectly quiet for most of the night, but about four-thirty Machi called me as his breathing was so stertorous. She seemed to think he was in great pain and wanted Dr Bonying to give him something. Actually something was catching in his throat as when we turned him over he breathed quite easily. I called the doctor and he said the end was probably near, but that Jim could not be suffering. Machi and I stayed by his bedside until he slipped sway very quietly at almost exactly six-thirty in the morning. It was a peaceful death, and we are all happy that he has been spared much suffering. He has been very very uncomfortable these past six weeks with a frightful itching and irritation of the skin from jaundice (the cancer had gone to the gall bladder and liver), but I don't think he ever suffered unbearably. Naturally we cannot be anything but happy to have him gone, as there was no hope of his recovery, and only dread of the intense suffering which so many people suffer with cancer. Dr Bonying said the haemorrhage was caused by the bursting of some inner organ.

Jim's body was taken to the church from the undertaker's and lighted candles stood at his head and feet all night. The funeral was the following day and eleven clergymen were in the chancel. We know Jim would have loved it. Hubard Lloyd came, but Bishop Tucker is at the General Convention and could not get away." (Much to our amazement we have had no personal message of any sort from him).

September 17th.

I just must get this off to you; I feel terrible about having kept it so long, but life has been so full these past few days. I came back to the office on Monday when the football boys came and today the new boys have been coming in. My office is a madhouse when the semester opens. We found there was a telegram from Bishop Tucker after all. We all must have been away when it was telephoned to the house as it turned up in the typed copies I collected from Western Union.

Machi is getting along really quite well. She was in a state of shock for a few days with so many people coming in, and she thought she was losing her mind (so she said) the first night, but Nich and I assured her that she couldn't be if she really thought so! I am afraid she is worried about finances, but I shall not worry until I hear what the Clergy Pension Fund Society will give her and what Bishop can wangle from the Dept. of Missions. If that only amounts to half of what she and Jim got together (it would be $75.00) I am going to suggest to the seven of us that we give her at least $5.00 a month, and better still $10.00 a month each. I told her, and she thinks it would be awful to be a drag on her children, but it is not enough for any one of us to feel, and it would be a pleasure to us I am sure. We certainly want to have her keep Dunbarton, and have a home for us all to come back to. Joan and I talk about closing the house for a spell and sending her to Joe in Costa Rica, but we will not consider such a thing until Marijane has come and gone. I feel too that Machi would find it an effort to take the trip alone. I am constantly amazed at how timid she is when taken out of her habitual environment.

Everyone has been perfectly wonderful to us. Mrs Zinn lent Machi black, and me a hat (Nich wore one of my black dresses and hat); she sent us a beautiful leg of lamb, all cooked with the jelly and gravy coming along with it. Octa brought us two fried chickens for lunch the second day. Some brought fruit, some flowers, some gin and whiskey. It would amaze you to realize how many people knew Jim well enough to really love him. We have had such lovely letters about him.

I must go home to supper. It is after six o'clock. Much love to you, Molly, Hugo, and the boys. You have all been very much in our thoughts. I wrote to Joe and Phil first as we did not cable them. I hope to write soon again while things are fresh in my mind. Jim was so brave. I know he knew he was dying, but he never admitted it to any of us, as I think he wanted to save us. He told John Chapman (who by the way came to see him the week-end before he died). John left early Monday morning, and Jim died Tuesday morning. Katie came to the funeral, and Sam and Sam's Catherine. They had all seen him in the spring when he had been so well and blooming.

Again much love. Hubard Lloyd came, Etta Ambler and Martha Patton, and Molly's friend Alice Smith (which we thought was lovely). The Welbournes and Mrs Cook. And we had seen just recently, when Jim could really see them, the Nichols (including Frances and Ernestine), Hallie Williams, Helen Skiles, the Welbournes and Mrs Cook, and Etta and Martha, and Hubard.

Dennis