A Fun Little Find

The dear husband wanted to make a visit to our favorite little book corner, so this evening found us strolling through it's story-strewn walls. While he scoped out the role-playing games, I decided to browse through their antique section. I found a couple of lovely children's books I would love to have( I collect antique children's books...with one of my favorites being published in 1853), but moved on to look over other works. My fingers came across a copy of " Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam-by Edward Fitzgerald", I opened it up and on the first page there was a letter from 1945. That sealed it for me and I had to have the book. I worried a bit that the cashier might take it out, but he left it there and once in the car I had to read it! My husband and I sat wrapt up in the words of one Cpl. Robert McMahon and felt so lucky to have found such a wonderful little note! It seems to be a letter home to his family and he talks about how he hopes to only have to be in San Francisco for little over a year, now that the war was over...and how he'd sent a Billy(I assume a brother) some money from Japan. It wasn't a long letter, but he did talk about how he went to the show nearly every night and how the week before he had gotten to see the world premiere of "Big Sleep" with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. I don't quite know how to explain the feelings this little piece of history has inspired in me, but I am kinda excited that now I get to be the guardian of something like this. I plan to try to do a bit of research and see if I can find out anything more about the young man that wrote this letter. The dear husband and I sat and wondered how life turned out for him...when did he get to go home again...did he ever marry....those kinds of things. If I find out anything more, I'll be sure to let you all know! Just had to share what a fun little find I made tonight!