Blackwell Family                              GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE                          Jessup, Mrs. V. E.
Blackwell, Alice Stonethe sad part is we have two
big subjects for the afternoon
the other one is "Stalin"
Do you happen to have a
picture of Madame Breshkovsky
you could send me that I
might have it for our club
scrap book.
I shall be so very grateful
for any information you can
give me, and thank you
very kindly
           Very sincerely
           Mrs. V. E. Jessup.


Dec 1932                        511 North St.                                                                                                                              
                                       Hannibal, Mo.

Miss Alice Stone Blackwell.
Boston, Mass.
My Dear Miss Stone:-
                Today I read an
article in March '29- Survey
which you had written in
regard to [to] Catherine Breshkovsky.
My subject assigned me for
my literary club is
"Hidden Springs of the Russian
Revolution" by Katherina
Breshkovskaia.
Will you be kind enough
to write and tell me if she
is the [same] one who wrotethis book if so is she still
living and could you tell me
something about her?  Have not
been able to procure a copy of
the book I am to review as yet
as we do not have it in our library
but our librarian has written to
the library in St. Louis to see if they
have a copy of "Hidden Springs of
Russia."  I am intensely interested
in my subject and have been
reading a great deal trying
to familiarize my self with conditions
in Russia that I might
be able to present it in an
intelligent way.
I want to have all Russian music
am planning to have our A Capella
choir sing the "Volga Boat Song"
I see in "Who's Who" that you also
write Russian songs would like 
a suggestion of some other numbers
that might be sung by the choir

Jan 19-1933
511 North St.
Hannibal Mo.
My Dear Miss Blackwell
I want to thank you
for your kind letter of Dec 12-'32
also the clipping and "Xmas" greetings.
I made a trip to . St Louis and 
was fortunate enough to get "the 
Hidden Springs of the Russian Revolution"
also "The Little Grandmother of the 
Russian Revolution" am so happy
you suggested the I read it before
the "Hidden Springs" as it is so 
interesting I could scarcely lay it
down until I finished it and am
going to use a great deal of it 
in my book review.
I think Catherine Brushkovsky is 
on of the most wonderful characters
I ever read about. am so very sorry
our club is unable to send her
a gift for her beloved schools- but
our own girls and boys are
having a struggle during this
depression and we are loaning money (without charging interest) to our Hannibal girls and boys who are enable to attend college we have Junior College here and of course it doesn't take a very big sum for tuition. 
     Miss Blackwell is there some jurisdiction I would like for you to answer regarding Madame Breshkovsky.  How does she feel about the situation in Russia today?
     Is she unhappy over conditions as they exist today?  Does she feel that the great heartaches and privatizations that she endured and the sacrifices she made for her country have been in vain?  and does she feel that her dreams and hopes that she had for her country will ever be fulfilled?  and last but not least what does she think of Stalin's experiment?  Another thing I intended to ask is she living in Check Slovakia from choice or is she really in in exile? 

or in other words has she been banished from her country.  There are so many things I would love to know about her but time and space will not permit.  
     There is one other thing I should like to ask you to do for me - now if it should inconvenience you in the least don't do it.  We have very recently has a review of "Anne  Hutchinson" and there is a monument of her in Boston that stands in front of one of the city buildings, she stands with her left hand resting on the head of her child by her side, clasping her Bible to her heart with her right hand.  I wonder if there are any picture proof cards of her monument if so I would like so very much have one for our club scrap book.My Dear I am enclosing
ten cents (.10¢) in stamps to
cover the postage for the letters
the one I have already rec'd and 
the reply to this letter.
Again I want to thank you 
for your many kindnesses and
wish for you the best of health
and happiness and that your 
eyes are improved.
Very Sincerely Yours
Virginia Jessup
Mrs. V, E. J,