Captivating story, Miss Blue, for it seems like only yesterday that I brought Melba downstairs in my old house by the lake to show her the ancient, genuine Norwegian snowshoes hanging up on one of the rafters, worn by a distant relative from Norway - yes, certain times skiing and the other times show shoeing. In and out among tall pine trees went the wooden snowshoes with rawhide webbing. Melba loved the snowshoes and tried them on. She just stood there, motionless, afraid to lift one foot for fear of bumping the snowshoes together and falling. I had to bend down and separate the shoes from one another and still, Miss Blue, all I heard from then on was Melba's blabbering about how she would right then and there buy herself snowshoes and for all I know, maybe she did just that. We never talked about it again. So, I am not surprised with your news about Melba in Ithaca and the "rather blue" but kindly gentleman who has nurtured Melba's interest in snow shoeing. In love again Melba! Write again soon, Miss Blue, and I will reply with haste for our letters are a lovely source of pleasure for me.

Pearl