A Letter written on Dec 17, 1930

Carnegie Institution of Washington
Nutrition Laboratory
Vila Street, Boston, Massachusetts

December 17, 1930

Professor Abby H. Turner
Zoofysiologiske Laboratorium
University of Copenhagen
Juliane Maries Vej 32
Copenhagen, Denmark

My dear Dr. Turner:

For a lady with whom many people want to correspond and keep in touch with you are the most elusive and comparable to the shrinking violet. I have had on my desk a memorandum to write you for I don't know how long and I have always been hoping to get some clue as to your Copenhagen address. Now today comes in the very nice, thoughtful Christmas card that you sent, again, however, without any address, so what have I been forced to do? I have had to write to the Secretary of the Faculty of Mount Holyoke College, asking if they can divulge your whereabouts. However, joking aside, I suppose you are having a wonderful time in Copenhagen and I envy you being over there. I have such good friends, the good Kroghs, Henriques, the Sorensens, Møllgaard, and Faber.

However, my main reason for writing you is not to chide you for lack of giving us your address but to thank you most warmly for your very kind and appreciative letter sent on the occasion of my sixtieth birthday celebration. This was bound along with some 150 others in a beautiful book, as a permanent memorial of the friendship of my innumerable friends. it so happens that yours and Dr. C.C. Benson's of Toronto are the only two women in the group, but I am very glad to have yours, because I realize that our relations have been very sympathetic and very close for so many years and I know that you always know how I feel toward you and your work. It made me especially happy to have your kind letter. Mrs. Benedict enjoyed it too, very much, indeed,. Some day I shall want to show you the book itself, for I think it will interest you greatly.

Please give my warmest regards to all the people in the Laboratory there and tell them that I think of them at least once a week and really a good deal oftener. For example, the other day I was going on the Baltimore and Ohio from 23rd Street down to Jersey City on the ferry-boat and as we came out around under the stern of the various vessels I thought immediately of the ports of landing over there and one of the first was Copenhagen and my friends in Copenhagen. I had all I could do to keep from jumping off the ferry-boat and swiming [sic] over to the boat and keeping on with them abroad. I know that Cornelia [his wife] would wish to join me in sending regards if she were here at the Laboratory.

With best wishes and best success, I am

Very truly yours,
Francis G Benedict