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some terrible, impossible, absurd thing. I swear, sometimes I am at my wits end to know how to handle Mother. There are times when it is utterly hopeless to attempt to reason with her. Everything you can possibly say is wrong, every suggestion impossible and then she intrages [[?]] because I won't try to help her, suggest what she should do. I do try and get nowhere. Mother is a problem sometimes. I feel terribly sorry for her and want to make things smooth and pleasant for her, but so often I find myself up against a stone wall. I can't do the right thing.
Erie, Pa.
Thursday, Oct. 13, '38.
Last night after going to bed, I told Willie I had suggested to Mother she stay until after New Year's hoping Wiilie would agree and even suggest it to Mother herself which would end the difficulty. Instead, Willie let me know she would like to have her go sooner - she said having Mother here tied her down, made more work for her, etc. I was dumbfounded to have her so frank about it as I thought they had been getting along pretty well this time. Willie was doing about as she would anyway and Mother was an actual help to her in some ways. So a hell of a lot of help I got there. It made me mad. Mother is getting old and I simply can't suggest she leave when I know she would like to stay until the first of the year. It is principally because it appears she wont go to Buena Vista this year, and it would be silly to go to Syracuse in November, come back here for X-mas and then turn around and go back to Syracuse. Willie says Mother's actions make her feel like a criminal every time she goes out without her, etc. etc. So there is no peace and I am forced to lie to Mother about it for I cannot