Home, October 17, 1937.Darling Barbara,
Father expected to take me to see you Saturday or Sunday but as his anticipated business engagement did not mature, here I am with the two days gone by and no visit or bundle delivered to you, plus funds. I have worked on the blank and mak[e] later reference to it. Use your emergency check if you need it and hold five dollars of your NYA. funds always in reserve in exchange for it. Had you arrived with Minette and friends it would have been a very pleasant visit for me and I hope you would have enjoyed the luncheon; perhaps you can come in a couple of weeks. This morning instead of going to Church with Dad I worked on your winter coat and have nice new arm pieces set in covering the old breaks in the lining; it is a very fussy job to do and took several hours. I have the blue dress, or aquamarine. the black dress with the blue checked jacket, and the tweed suit from the cleansers, and to-morrow I hope to get the brown dress, the one for which I sent you the gilded ball and string bow. It was not ready with the other things so I took what I could get thinking I might be able to bring them to you. I have cut out and pinned a new lining for the tweed jacket to the suit and perhaps I can get that all in and ready for you when you arrive. In the meantime shall I parcel post any of these things to you or just wait for you to take later?
You seem to be having a very good time, judging from your own tales, and I am glad you are, but (there is that horrible "but") I hope the gay times are not interfering with hours of rest and proper attention to your work.
A week ago yesterday Dad, with Mr. Bramhall and a friend named Clarence Piepenbrink, and I went in Mr. P's car to Chebeague to close the place and Dad to do his usual work of shutting off water, taking off screens etc. We felt terribly to find that some one had entered the place thru the front window in the living room, first ripping the lock off the screen door. I missed the flash light and a good clock from the living room mantel and from the shed a number of Dad's best tools, bucksaw, hatchet, axe, and some paint. The whole end of the shed which is really two doors and which has always been nailed up, had been torn open. It took hours which Dad wished to use in such different work, to repair the damage done, not only to the Camp but to Aunt Fannie's house and the Cobbler's shop. We had the Island Sheriff come over and examine the place and reported all the losses we had discovered but I doubt if it will do any good as it is practically impossible to locate a thief there as there is no regular patrolling of property and the houses are so far apart. Well, I cooked so the men could work and it was a steady job until Tuesday when we left the Camp a bit after three o'clock. The Bay was rougher than it has ever been when we crossed and the water came over the lower deck and swirled all about. Piles of life preservers in the cabin were thrown down and the sea spanked at the windows until I thought they would break. The men were very helpful to Dad and as they slept in the living room, they were up and dressed first, and when I arrived for duty the fireplace had a roaring fire in it and the kitchen stove was red hot with bucket and two kettles full of hot water. I wish I could have stayed and rested but it was pretty cold without big fires all the time.
Barbara - Oct 18, 1937.Here it is Monday morning and a perfect day and I have your brown dress with the gold bands from the cleansers and all the clothes look very well. Just advise me what I am to do about them. Yesterday after I started this letter Lewis came out and took us for a brief ride in the beautiful autumn sun and all the Weston, Waltham, Newton trees were too beautiful for words. The sunset was gorgeous and on the return home we sto pped [sic] to see Mildred and Bess for five minutes. We could have stayed longer but Lewis had a supper engagement. Mil wants me to go with her, Chandler and Lewis up to her camp next week end to help her close it up. I promised to do that, much as I dislike to spare time away from my coat linings and other important work here, in view of her apparent weariness. She has been visiting Stan and Louise in Washington for the past three weeks and is very tired. Bess has a bad cold and was a picture for Puck in her old clothes trying to beat Jack Frost in rescuing some of her plants.
In case it is your plan to come here for lunch this coming Saturday I would still plan to go to help Mildred for I could have the luncheon ready and leave in time, also would have your things ready for you to take in the car on the hangers. Please let me know about this too. I understand that you planned it would be two weeks off, though, as I am hoping to visit with you at that time.
Just had a ;etter [sic] from Bet saying that Bun is in the hospital with sciatica causing extreme suffereing [sic] in her back and leg. She has weights on her leg, hypos and other dope because of the unbearable pain. Quote from Bet's letter, "It has been an awful shock to see her so ill - - lost ten pounds or more and white and haggard." Bun's address is Mrs. Wil liam [sic] Elliott, NorthWestern Hospital, 2647 Chicago Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota, so if you feel like sending her a card she would probably love it as she really loves [you] girls a lot.
After hours of analysis I finally evolved a proper distribution of last year's expenses which you and I will go over when you are here with me. In the meanwhile I enclose copies [no longer with the letter] of the blank you sent, NYA, and which you might have gotten perhaps, to save copying - which took TIME- -. Your Dad really pledged $50 more than I have put down but with the unexpected pressure due to the complete change in Betty's living, and the fact that I put your actually Bank balance of $133, your dificit [sic] is $67, which you can probably make all right with your Library work. Under #18 (a) Type of work - - I did not know whether or not you should also write Library Work. I have already explained to Ceres and Mrs. Locke and Mrs. Forte about Betty's changed plans so they are willing to have their names used for references, if necessary. You can explain to the College if necessary th at [sic] Carolyn's operation, Betty's change of living (due to Aunt's health and financial diffuculties [sic]) have enlarged our financial problem. I do not want you to FEEL such pressure that you cannot maintain the average required to keep your scholarship that you have, and have had; but in the main your exp4nse [sic] account shows that you have not suffered for change, entertainment and diversion, and I believe you will understand this better when I show you the comparisons.
Please fill in such figures as you wish where the total $200 expense item comes from the figures on the yellow card enclosed. Perhaps you can talk o ver [sic] with some-one who understands better than I. Perhaps the t tal [sic] figure is all that is needed, covering all the expenses, but I give you all the detains in case you want them. Please fill in both duplicated copies making any changes necessary, and return them to me both copies as I may use the unused one another year. Be sure you have your original one absolutely correct, filling in the full name (#11) Massachusetts Hopsital Life Insurance Company, #12, Approximately and the amount and then, on the back such other information, by you, me and the College Official.
Love,
M. [mom][This letter was typed. There's an inked inscription in the margin of the last page: "Aunt Ceres illness"]