Visitation

We did receive visitors, during our storybook first year together in Boston. Here, with Valerie, my old Paris friend and companion C Brooklyn “Beetle” Derr,1 who stopped to see us in May, on his way back to the States, when his mission was over. When visitors came, we tended to turn into visitors, ourselves. Indeed, I fear, we (well, at least I) became unshuttuppable tourguides. The famous house behind Valerie and Beetle, built by Major John Vassall in 1759, was later Washington’s headquarters in 1775-76, then the home of Governor Elbridge Gerry, and even later that of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. A favorite stop, of course, inasmuch as it sat just across the street from the Cambridge Chapel on Longfellow Park. Below, same occasion; same lovely lady.2 Better view of some of Mr Longfellow’s rather famous lilacs.3

1Beetle was Mission Secretary (and therefore my District Leader) through the last part of 1963; he held that assignment through the presidential transition in 1964 from the Hinckleys to the Harts. 2By this time, about half-way through getting our Rick ready to enter the world. She was always beautiful; never more so, perhaps, than in “delicate” times like these. 3Now you know how I knew that this was the darling month of May. We were told (can’t verify) that he planted more different lilac varieties in his yard than anybody else had done to date, anywhere.

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