A belated remembrance to Edna Purviance who passed 65 years ago of cancer January 13th 1958, she was 62.
Her last letter to Charlie Chaplin who lived in Switzerland he speaks of it in his autobiography:
November 13th 1956
Dear Charlie,
Here I am again with a heart full of thanks, and back in hospital (Cedars of Lebanon) taking Cobalt x-ray treatment on my neck. There cannot be a hell hereafter! It all comes while one can wriggle even a little finger. However, it is the best known treatment for what ails me. Hope to be going home at the end of the week, then can be an outside patient (how wonderful!). Am thankful my innards are O.K., this is a purely and simply local, so they say – all of which reminds me of the corner of Seventh and Broadway tearing up little bits of paper, throwing them to the four winds. A cop comes along and asks him, what was the big idea. He answers: ‘Just keeping elephants away.’ The cop says: ‘There aren’t any elephants in this district.’ The fellow answers: ‘Well, it works, doesn’t it?’ This is my silly for the day, so forgive me.
Hope you and the family are well and enjoying everything you have worked for.
Love always, Edna.
He may have gotten the date of the letter incorrect - because he writes in his Autobiography: “Shortly after I received this letter she died. And so the world grows young. And youth takes over. And we who have lived a little longer become a little more estranged as we journey on our way” Page 477
