Hot Springs, Ark
9-12-41
Mr. Willie Cooper dear Daddy. I received your letter glad to hear from you.
This leaves me doing very well have been real sick since the last time I heard from you,
the Doctor made four trips to see me. I called you Daddy but I don’t know whether you are my Daddy or not
I had a letter the other day from a woman up in ridgway Ill.
She told me you are sleeping with a Big fat Woman every night and calling her your Wife.
So I don’t feel good over it all because I have tried to be a real Wife
to you if you want a woman all that bad you could at least be with her and not
sleep with her the lady that wrote the letter signed her name ruby.
So I guess you know her I dont, you can stay
up there if you want to until you get enough money to come home on. I guess you gave what you did make to your
big fat wife as the lady said you called her. Because you havent given me a red penny for my use.
I liked to have worked myself to death paying your debts and fines. So all the
thanks I gets you staying with a big fat woman and calling her your wife. So I am just about fed up on it now.
I wouldn’t treat a dog that mean let alone human being I am saving the letter for you to see.
If your Big fat Wife let you come home to me. Mr. Lewis says you need not to worry about getting a Job
he says you can get one any time you come home.
So I will look for you some sweet day.
And I don’t know whether I will be here when you come are not. I have a Job offered
to me, so I am thinking about taking it. so I will close good luck to you and the fat Wife – from your lonely Wife.

Retha Cooper