My dear Mrs. Denison,
Thank you very much for the picture--it is a charmer. Some day we shall have lots of poppies in their native habitat.
I had a terribly hard time over my decision about China. At first I thought that I really had to go and from the standpoint of position, I probably should have gone, because it is the first time a woman has had a full chair in a man's institution. I must ask you not to let it get out that I have declined. I made up my mind that I cared more for my research than I did for positions and just now there is so much planned for the next two or three years that [I] just couldn't go and leave it.
Cunningham and Doan are getting more and more proof that my theory is correct, so I am pretty happy. When I am ready to retire from active teaching I should enjoy a position for research in some other laboratory--and then I might like a year in Peking. Four men asked to go there next year. Two of them have slowed down in research; the third wanted to go because his subject is parasites, but the chance made me realize that the next two or three years are likely to be my best.
I wrote Dr. Sewall a long letter about the blood work the other day, thinking that he would be especially interested. I felt pretty worried about him because his letter sounded as if he had been pretty much used up by that anti-vivisection campaign. He was to return to Denver about the 20th of January.
I trust my letter isn't too hard to read. Your writing is so wonderfully clear--mine gets worse and worse. At any rate, I send lots of thanks for my poppies.
Affectionately,
Florence R. Sabin