Tuesday.Dear Margaret:
Your letter was dear to my heart - and so was Bertha's. I can't answer either in any real way - but here are a few of the later developments. Epidemic grows worse in Boston, all hospitals are closed to surgical cases for at least two weeks, probably longer. Doctors say "don't wait," bad for nerves and
anyeverything. Alan brought parents down to Pittsfield where he inspected the Hillcrest Surgical Institute. Pleasant doctor, good accomodations [sic], much cheaper than Boston for rooms but operation charge will be more. Alan came here last night and left today for N.Y. Parents are in Pittsfield and refuse to stir till I am out of the woods. I am expecting now to go to Pittsfield next Tuesday and hope to have the thing done Wednesday.You must not come anywhere near these plague-infected regions. If you could go to P-, Thursday or Friday and say a cheering word to Mother and give me a kiss, I suppose it would help more than most things - but I don't really like to have you travelling [sic] about at all. I can't look ahead now but for a few days before I have to come back, surely I will be with you and Bertha. But don't let us try to plan too much now.
The department is infinitely kind but the 'fessor is sick, two instructors are gone and I feel like a final deserter. Things never were worse. There will probably be eleven in the new course that I ought to give up and the seminar by a series of office blunders, has dwindled to three. La - la - but we must not be down hearted. My dearest love to you -