My dear Miss Addams
Whether this will reach you before you leave Chicago for your many engagements, is I suppose very doubtful! And possibly quite soon I may hear of your presence at some much nearer point to us. But I want to lose no opportunity of conveying to you the great desire, which Frieda and I both feel, that you may find it possible to come to see us, now that we are seated in our new home. We felt that we had really no right to ask you to make the long journey out to Woolwich -- [page 2] even though, I think, Woolwich itself would have interested you.
But here we are very accessible indeed, both from the [center] of London and from Hampstead, where, I believe you usually stay.
It would indeed be a proud joy for us to have you come to our home either to stay for some days, or for a brief visit if necessary.
Frieda landed safely at Liverpool on Monday May 3rd, which I had spent there in suspense and very tiring wandering to and fro trying to get some authentic information. What actually happened was that, in anticipation of the Strike, the ship was docked some miles down the river, and passengers and baggage brought up by tender. But no one could or would tell me that, all the long day through! [page 3] They actually landed at 6 p.m. and there was no train till 10 p.m. -- with The Strike beginning at midnight! It was a rather harsh experience, as we were turned out at 4 a.m. at Rugby to drag ourselves and our heavy grips to another train, seemingly a quarter of a mile away, and obliged to leave the heavier baggage to its fate!
At 6:30 a.m. we were finally ejected at Chalk Farm in a nearly freezing temperature; but very fortunately for us that was not very far from here, and after an hour or more we secured a share in a taxi, and were soon at our home, cold, cheerless and disordered as it was! For I had removed only the previous Thursday!
We were very very thankful that Frieda's arrival had not been even a few hours later! I am afraid many even of her fellow passengers must have been unable to get home and those from later boats must [page 4] have been quite stranded.It is difficult to form a fair judgment of what The Strike accomplished!
The New Leader evidently feels that its termination was a betrayal of the miners and therefore I am afraid there is a rather bitter schism in the ranks of [Labor]. But I do not know much about it, I fear, for I have been very closely tied to the house, with workmen always impending and sometimes here! And my hands have found constant employment. It seems now almost a dream that we have been to Chicago and seen all our dearly loved friends there! We hope that many will come to see us here! How I wish dear Mrs. Pelham were coming this summer! A friend of ours who met her (an actor) spoke so warmly of her a day or two ago!
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