Sunday afternoon.
Dear Pat,
Whew! But it's hot here. We've had summer weather all week, temperatures in the eighties and sometimes to ninety, coupled with humidity near the saturation point. Even night temperatures range from 65 to 70. You might know, we've been sleeping with the window open wide all night and you know mother's aversion to night air. She is indulging in her favorite sport right now, sumbath [sic] in the hammock. Probably due to a rude awakening some morning with everything frozen stiff.
Went to Church this morning, communion service. Up to Grandma's for dinner which was somewhat delayed due to an unexpected visit from the old neighbors. Harold came to the door first, and although he has grown quite tall we recognized him immediately as his features have changed little. Mr. & Mrs. Cohen and Granpa [sic] Cohen all looked fine. They left Sit at home studying. He's trying to complete his pre-med at F & M in three years. Seems he and three other brains are ensconced on the top floor of the dorm at school where they spend their time in incessant study and exchange of knowledge. They've been nicknamed Volumes I, II, III, and IV. I don't know which volume Sidney is.
We finally sold your bike yesterday. In fact the guy wanted two, would have taken mother's also if it hadn't been sold. From the ad. he thought we were running a bike shop and would have them on sale anytime. That's why he waited 'til this week. Understand you got your new one together without calling on Dennis, the menace, or any other Amherstian. I'm still waiting for MW to send me the instructions and parts list.
No doubt, by the time you receive this letter you will have received the three or four packages now enroute. What is your desk lamp out of? Whaleoil? Nice that Wilbur makes such a good soda-jerk. Did mother tell you how much we liked the "Friendly ICe [sic] Cream" place we stopped at on our way back to NY. Expect to get back there some day for one of those super sundaes they serve.
Speaking of Grandma's phonetic spelling, your malaprob, "sandscript", is worthy of Pogo and Co.
Last night at Club, Peg gave us the enclosed card to send you. The pencilled name is a classmate of yours whose family are friends of Peg's Aunt (her mother's youngest sister) and Uncle who live in Short Hills, N.J. The name looks like Lutz to me. The message on the back is from little Charlie.
Hipples were also at club. They were telling us about Ricky, who is in a prep school at Garden City, Long Island. This summer, a neighbor at Chataque, who is studying specialized teaching at Syracuse U., used Ricky as a guinea pig in her research and discovered that he suffers from regressive eye movement (sounds subversive, but isn't). Further tests by experts have borne out her discovery. Now he goes in to NYU every Saturday for remedial courses or treatment or something. No one seems very clear as to the method of correction.
Regressive eye movement is a tendency to read from right to left, to pronounce was as saw and reverse the word order of the matter being read. It explains Ricky's dislike of reading and his inability to keep up with his classes in other subjects due to his slowness in reading problems in tests as well as studying text material. Mary Horne, who has gone back to teaching this year (She's at Heistand) believes it is a common problem with children. Many kids have a tendancy [sic] to write sevens and nines backwards and give other indications of this regressive eye movement. Of course, the public schools are not staffed with trained personnel to determine which children may be suffering from it and which ones may be suffering from some other condition. Paul Rhodes says, "Give hime [sic] a mirror to read with." Simple solution, eh?
I am sending along an IAS circular. [no longer with the letter] If you can use one of the free gifts, fill in the name of a friend and send it in.
Peg was very much impressed with H.N.'s critique in the Gazette. Did you see it? She told Margueretta she should be writing professionally. We haven't been telling you about things that happen, if they are reported in the G & D, assuming that you will see them. Do you read the paper carefully? There have been many items lately about friends and acquaintances of yours.
Did you try the pop-corn yet? What will they think of next!
Well, so long for now. Write, if you get work.
Love,
Dad
P.S. Just packed another carton to mail tomorrow. Coasters in this package but matching tray must go later when a carton large enough to accomodate [sic] it is used. Mother says save the cookie containers, we can't eat enough ice cream to keep you in cookies. Don't throw out the garters as packing paper.