The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers, Digital Edition > My Day
My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt

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PENSACOLA, Fla., Thursday—Yesterday morning, very soon after breakfast, I left Washington by plane for Jacksonville, Florida. I have hoped for some time to find 48 hours when I could get away to visit some friends who are now stationed near here. The young man, Lieutenant E. R. Miller, is a Naval Reserve Officer and he and his wife are from the North and therefore not accustomed to Southern summers. The heat has seemed a little extreme at times, I think, particularly since they moved into a new house and completely settled it during the hottest month of the summer.

It is fun, though, spending 24 hours with young people who are enthusiastic about a new home and all that they are doing. So many of us never show our enthusiasm about anything, and I think that does make life rather drab.

When I was in Washington yesterday, a kind friend spoke to me about the work carried on by the Little Sisters of the Poor. These sisters, who are devoted to poverty, are the most indefatigable workers. With the gifts which they collect, they care for old people, children and all those who, for one reason or another are overwhelmed by the difficulties of living and need kindly support for a time. Sometimes, in the case of old people, they care for them until they die. In spite of the hard work, the care is gentle and there is always an element of gaiety in whatever they do.

My friend tells me that in summer it is even harder than in winter for the sisters to obtain the gifts they need to carry on their ministrations. Each time that I visit the old people's home in Washington, which these sisters run, I marvel at what they accomplish. I hope that we shall make their tasks easier by remembering them both in winter and in summer.

I hear that there is to be a conference at Williams College from August 24th to the 29th, which has as its purpose a discussion of the problems which may be faced in the postwar world, if we are to build a permanent peace. This conference is called, "The Williamstown Institute of Human Relations." Because many religious leaders of various denominations feel the urgency of arousing public opinion now to discuss these problems, I feel sure that there will be good speakers and a large attendance.

E.R.

(COPYRIGHT, 1941, BY UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE, INC.)


Names and Terms Mentioned or Referenced

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  • Pensacola (Fla., United States) [ index ]


About this document

My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt, August 22, 1941

Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962
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Digital edition created by The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project The George Washington University 312 Academic Building 2100 Foxhall Road, NW Washington, DC 20007

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MEP edition publlished on June 30, 2008.

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Transcription created from a photocopy of a UFS wire copy of a My Day column instance archived at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library.
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