Letter of the Week : Eleanor Roosevelt

This week’s letter is from US First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to Lorena Hickok written in 1933, one of more than 3,500 letters written over thirty years of friendship between the two women. Taken from ‘Empty Without You: The Intimate Letters Of Eleanor Roosevelt And Lorena Hickok' by Rodger Streitmatter who has transcribed more than 300 of these letters.

The most explicit letters were burnt, was it the revelations of state secrets or the controversy of their relationship?  We can never be a 100% sure and it matters not, but what we can appreciate is their correspondence, giving a glimpse into the lives of two ordinary women that happened to have extraordinary lives.

Hx

March 5th

The White House

Washington

Hick my dearest,

I cannot go to bed to-night without a word to you. I felt a little a little as though a part of me was leaving to-night, you have grown so much to be a part of my life that it is empty without you even though I’m busy every minute.
These are strange days & very odd to me but I’ll remember the joys & try to plan pleasant things & count the days between our times together!
To being my diary, after you left I went to supper taking Fjr. [Franklin Jr., Eleanor and Franklin’s third son] & John [Eleanor and Franklin’s youngest Son], Mamma [FDR’s mother, Sara Delano Roosevelt] & Betsey [the wife of James, Eleanor and Franklin’s oldest son] & we were followed by F.D.R & James just before the boys left. I went to the station with them & left the Secret Service man at home.(1st assertion of independence!) Saw the boys onto the train. Returned, had a short talk with F.D.R. James & Betsey. Tommy [Malvina Thompson, Eleanor’s secretary] came & we arranged to-morrow’s work. At ten Meggie & I took her to the gate & I thought of you & “Prinz” [Lorena’s German shepherd]. She [Tommy] seemed very happy & said everyone had a grand time, also that you looked “stunning” dressed up! I then went back & devoted ¾ of an hour talking to Mama, then listened to F.D.R. broadcast*, sorted mail & am now preparing for bed. So endeth my first Sunday.
I’ll call you to-morrow night & this should reach you Tuesday a.m. Oh! darling, I hope on the whole you will be happier for my friendship. I felt I had brought you so much discomfort & hardship to-day & almost more heartache than you could bear & I don’t want to make you unhappy. All my love & I shall be saying to you over thought waves in a few minutes -

Good night my dear one

Angels guard thee

God protect thee

My love enfold thee

All the night through.

Always yours,

E.R

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[*] During this nationwide radio broadcast, FDR announced that every bank in the country would be closed for the next four days as the first step in his effort to bring the country’s banking crisis under control.