My dear Miss Addams:
I wish I had written you about this long ago, but feared to interfere with something I did not understand; but now I am advised by Miss Holmes to say all I feel. To put it all in a sentence at first, I am frantically urging that Ella and Alice Boynton be appointed joint matrons at the W.I.L. here. They would do wonderful work together, and fill all the wants and needs of the place I think together, with between them having the languages in hand (and mouth).
Few people I fear understand fully what a superb person Miss Holmes has been on this job, with rare talents for it, great devotion and understanding, and splendid health for a really long and hard day's work. She joins me in praying that the Boynton girls may be her successors. [page 2]
As you of course understand Miss Glücklich is perfectly friendly to Miss Holmes and I think is sorry that she is not remaining. But she does not consult her about the work of the place or League; and on this particular point, I don't imagine she has any more understanding of the gifted process and work of homemaking which Miss Holmes has put into this work, than a child would have. She seems now rather vaguely and delinquently to be having some "French-speaking" person in mind. And although some thing might be gained in language, all the special progress which Miss Holmes has begun would be lost. Anne and I have been at the Maison Internationale a great deal off and on, and feel great obligations to Miss Homles in many ways and full of appreciation for her capacity and gifts. We think this is all so important that we hope you will be minded to cable instructions.
On the purely personal side, where I am pretty well informed, I feel convinced it will be far better for Ella and Alice to work on this side of the world and not try to be a part of Stuart's new family, and I know Charles agreed perfectly in this view. Then although neither one of them is strong enough to work as hard as Miss Holmes does, still they will reinforce each other, and their economic independence is sufficient for them to put somewhat more money into efficient service that Miss H. has done, and relieve themselves in this way. And one more point, which is not altogether selfish, they will work in perfect sympathy with me in the International Students League, where they are now already responsible for Sunday afternoon musicales.
This is the end of this plea. I have another purely personal one of which I will write later.
Affectionately,
Rho Fisk Zueblin [signed]
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