I’m not going to go on about your relationship with this young man. You and Sassafrass will have to discover on your own that there’s no kind of man that takes seriously what comes too easy. From his picture he seems to have nice features, a well-bred looking sort, but my goodness how could you lay your head on the same pillow with that mess he calls hair on his head? Artist or not, that boy’s got to cut his hair. Then you could bring him home for a holiday, but don’t bring him down here looking like he looks. It’ll set the race back a hundred years.

I think I recall Sassafrass mentioning this Leroy to me before. Is he a friend from California? From what you say, he doesn’t sound at all like that Mitch poor Sassafrass is tied to; I hope he’s not, for your sake. But she does carry herself a little different from you, Cypress. I’m not meaning to find fault, but you’ve always got to keep a little money of your own somewhere, because men come and go like the weather. It’s not respectable for a young woman to be totally beholdin to any young man, especially if she’s not married. In my day, there were names for those women and I didn’t raise you to be one of them. You continue to go to those auditions. Get yourself in a company and see if your “perfect” young man doesn’t improve as much as a “perfect” young man could. (smile)

Oh, I nearly forgot. Thank you so much for that kimona. The silk is so fine, I feel downright sinful when I wear it. Of course, no one’s here to see me in it, but I do think your father might have come home more often, if I’d had one of these.

Much love to you,
Mama

P.S. Don’t forget to have that boy cut that mess off his head—he’ll thank you for it later, when he doesn’t look such a fool.

Chapter 16