Chapter 10 April 1950

Max and Cohen Bookstore 84 Charing Cross Road, West Central London April 7, 1950 Miss Helene Hanff United States New York City, New York 28 14 East Ninety-fifth Avenue Dear Miss Hanff: Thank you for your Easter gift, which arrived safely yesterday.We are all very happy to see these cans and that carton of raw eggs, and my colleagues and I thank you for your kindness and generosity to us. We are very sorry that we have not been able to deliver the book you requested.Regarding the collection of love poems you mentioned, our store occasionally buys some. Unfortunately, there are no books in the store at present, but we will try our best to search for you.

Thank you again for your gift package. Max and Cohen Bookstore Sincerely, Frank Del Max and Cohen Bookstore 84 Charing Cross Road, West Central London April 7, 1950 Dear Miss Hanff: Please don't let Frank know I'm writing to you.Every time I send you a bill, I really want to sneak a note into the envelope.But Frank must have thought it inappropriate in my position.When you hear me say that, you probably think he's an old-fashioned old man, don't you?In fact, he is a very good person.It's just that every letter or package you send to the bookstore is addressed to him, and he also regards it as his duty to reply to you.But I have always wanted to write to you myself.

We all enjoy reading your letters, and we often get together to figure out what you look like.I am convinced that you must be a young, well-bred, and intelligent-looking man; and old Mr. Martin, despite your excellent humor, insists on thinking of you as a pedant.Would you like to send us a photo of yourself?We all want to see it! If you're curious about Frank, I'll tell you in secret: he's in his late forties, handsome, married to a pretty Irish girl—his second wife, it seems. We are all very grateful for your package.My two little ones (girl 5, boy 4) couldn't be happier because with the raisins and eggs you sent me, I can bake them a cake!

I hope you don't mind me writing to you privately and please don't tell Frank Sincerely wish you Cecily Farr PS I will write my home address on the back of the envelope, just in case you think of anything I can send you from here, please write and let me know. CF New York City 14 East Ninety-fifth Avenue April 10, 1950 Dear Cecily: I'm so disappointed in old Mr. Martin, please tell him: I'm not only ignorant, I haven't even been to college!I just happen to like reading books.Speaking of it, I have to thank a Cambridge scholar Queller Couch (generally called him Q), who made me fall into the pile of books when I was seventeen years old, and I can't extricate myself from then on.As for my appearance, I'm probably as "intelligent" as a beggar on Broadway!

I live in an old, termite-infested, crumbling apartment building with no heat during the day.The other residents of the entire five-story building go out at nine o'clock in the morning and won't come back until six o'clock in the evening. The landlord thinks that he can't afford to turn on the heating all day long for a little writer who is stuck at home shaking a pen. Poor Frank, what a hard time for him, I'm always bossing him around.I was just joking, but I knew he meant it.I've always wanted to poke at his British reserve.If one day he gets a stomach ulcer, it's all my fault.

Please write more and tell me all about London.I fantasize about the day when it will come soon—I will step off ships, trains, and dusty sidewalks... I will walk all over Berkeley Square, and walk all of Wimber Street; I will be in John Donne St. Paul's Cathedral where I preach; I want to sit on the steps of the Tower of London where Elizabeth refuses to be imprisoned... A friend of mine who was a journalist stationed in London during the war once said to me: Tourists often carry preconceived ideas , so they can always see what they originally wanted to see in the UK.I told him that I came to England to explore English literature.And he told me this:

"It's a sure thing to go there." Wish everything is well Helene Hanff