Free Letters to Missy Violet by Barbara Hathaway

Brother is improving every day and we are grateful for God’s mercy. How is James’s foot? Be sure to give him my regards and tell him I appreciate him and the children looking after Duke and the cow for me. If Brother keeps improving, I hope to be home by New Year’s.
How is that sweet baby Cleo? I’m working on a sweater dress for her while I’m here in Florida. Brother usually goes to bed early and I sit and knit while he sleeps.
How is Savannah? Is she keeping company yet? My heart goes out to you and James. I know you have your hands full with so many children in the flower of their youth. I keep you in my prayers always.
Lena, I want you to do something for me. Please go visit little Maggie Dockery and see if she is doing her hand calisthenics. Take Viney with you—she will know what to do. And if you can, please go by and see little Bennie Sattifield and his mother. Let me know how they are coming along.
I will be much obliged if you will see to this for me. And if you happen to see Miss Roula, give her a hug for me. Give everybody at church my regards and give Viney and Charles a hug and a kiss. They are my two sugar lumps. May God bless you and yours.
In Christian love,
Viola McCrae
    Â 
November 16, 1929
Dear Missy Violet,
So good to hear from you. Things are not the same with you away. James and the children are fine. His foot finally got better. For a while I thought my husband was going to be crippled for life. Thank the Lord you sent word for him to stay off it and he listened. And for Viney doing all the things you had taught her.
Don’t worry, I will do what you asked. Viney and I will go see little Maggie Dockery and little Bennie Sattifield. I saw little Bennie in town with Miss Mintzy, that old lady who takes care of him while his mother and father go to work. When anybody talks to her she holds on to that little sack she wears tied around her neck. It’s just some grass and twigs tied up in some muslin, but she think its got some kind of magic in it.
You should see Bennie. He is a great big strong baby. Twice as big as Cleo. I don’t know how Miss Mintzy handles him—she’s all bent over and got the rheumatis in her hands. I’m surprised Bennie hasn’t snatched that amulet from around her neck.
Yes, ma’am, Savannah is keeping company. She is seeing Solomon Trueheart. You know, that part-Indian boy. They will be graduating in May. James don’t like it, though—he favors Lorendo Smith. He and Lorendo fixed it so Savannah would catch Solomon with that fast gal, Windrella Rodgers. Savannah nearly died when she saw the two of them together—I had to step in and tell her about James and Lorendo’s little trick. James don’t know I told. He doesn’t even know I know. Now he just thinks it’s the Lord’s will that Savannah and Solomon got together.
The boys are fine, except for Claude Thomas. You know he’s my peculiar child. I have not told anybody about this, but I may have to send him away. He says he’s going to kill one of the Klan. Lord have mercy! I think what set him off was what happened to Charles and Viney a little while ago when they went fishing up on the river.
Even after the children told him about the little white boy who saved them, he still felt the same way. He says he’s going to get a shotgun and kill the first white person he sees, and you know, Missy Violet, he’s always going off by himself. Half the time I don’t know where he is. I’m so worried about him.
One day, Antonio Rose said to me, “Mama, you know, I been thinkin’. Claude Thomas ain’t doin nothin’ down in the woods but drawin’ pictures of animals and birds and things.” And, Missy Violet, he can draw a picture of anything. The boy really is gifted in that way.
But he doesn’t have any friends—not one. Everybody should have at least one friend. Antonio Rose says the pictures are his