Letter written to Miss Carolyn Nancy Peale from grandfather Roy Ivan Johnson-famous english author

Roy Ivan Johnson
5462 University Ave

Feb 24 1923
Dear Carolyn Nancy,
I am sure you forgive such familiarity of address on the part of one who taught your mother the refinements of a language which is to become one of your own social heritages. Just a word about language before I pass on to the more serious business of congratulation: Don't let anybody say to you, "Is um iddley diddley angy tozies toasty in ums tweetums wuzzy-uzzy banket? " and get away with it. The proper reply to such solicitous questions is : "I'm quite comfortable, thank you, but I would like to have an extra cracker with my tea at lunch time"--or some other remark which shows that you are quite capable of thinking for yourself.

No doubt you have already recieved many congratulations, Carolyn Nancy, and some of them have been accompanied by little pink and blue rattles (no, all of them blue for a little girl--or is it pink?) to make them sound louder. But you will value my congratulations none the less because they come a little late and because they are unaccompanied by the noisy din of rattle-boxes. I congratulate you for many reasons: First, because you have a splendid mother; second, because you have a good father ( I'm trusting your mother's judgement on that--so I know it's all right); and third, because you are a splendid baby. I am trusting both your mother's and your father's judgement on that--so I can't be mistaken. You have a pretty name, too, and that's cause for congratulation--though I am a little disappointed because"Dorothy" isn't in it somewhere.

Now just a word of warning about books: if you see anything around that looks like "The Scientific Feeding of Infants," be sure to get it and read it. If you know what's in it you'll be prepared for it. Other books worth reading are "The Fourth Watch" and "Texts." It's a great mistake, however, to take too much of a book at one time. When I was your age or a little older, I use to take whole pages from the dictionary at one time. And I did it so often that after awhile there wasn't any dictionary left.

I hope you feel like cooing and smiling a little after you read this letter. Then I'll know you liked it. You may do as you please about reading it to your father and mother. But I wish you would tell your mother that I appreciated her note of congratulation about the new book. There has been some delay in binding the edition, but copies should be available soon.

There are a great many more things that I should like to tell you--but my space is running out. Mrs. Johnson (that's my babie's mother) says to tell you about our littles boy--the brown-eyed one--but he's a young man nearly eight years old now. He almosts to an "older generation." There! I'll bet that's a new word for you.

WITH WISHES GOOD, BETTER, AND BEST,

(signature) Roy Ivan Johnson

P.S. --What is the color of your eyes?