November 27, 1933.Dear Miss Turner,
All is well. Even though our classes are much too small, the dollar continues to fall, the hospital census keeps high, there is no money for enough extra help, the nurses are too weary for study, I blink at their deficiencies, and people are beginning to wonder why we came out here anyway.
Still the autonomic system continues fascinating, I'm cheered by an unexpected senior in a preliminary class, the children ask for extra hours in Anatomy & Physiology, and the wards breathe no complaints about sending people off to class. It is a nice place - I'll write you the letter that this begins tomorrow - for Christmas will be here and I will wonder why I didn't begin early on the Christmas letters.
Dec. 10, 1933
This seems the next possible moment for writing and even it isn't quite right.
Dec. 18, 1933
Merry Christmas -
For the first time in history I have not made a real try at Christmas letters. Everything goes on busily. We have bursts of enthusiasm such as last week when I arranged an hour in the dissecting room and another in fluoroscopy and the children saw how beautifully the radius does rotate, after all.
Life goes in waves. This fall our family has been concerned over my twin brother's wife. After a year of suffering she has died of carcinoma leaving a 14 months old daughter. I'm wondering if she wont be someday the child I have thought of adopting. I always have felt that I could take a child of the family. I don't know what plans Theo can make for her. It would be a good way to point one's existence.
My niece Ellen is growing up and writes me long and vivid letters. Also the niece Katharine - not so long but pointed. "Snooky has a cold. His eyes run" in one letter "Snooky is better" in the next (Her cat he is) "Snooky has died but we have a new kittie - His name is Snooky Velvet Lyman." And so the changes come.
The financial situation is beginning to be accepted. One gets philosophical about the dollar and accepts it at 2/3 of its old value or less. People wear old clothes and serve dessert at bridge parties instead of appearking in new ones and inviting folks for dinner. "Monky-Ward" is the favored buying place for imported things and the "5 and 10" for local.
The world troubles come in for some attention and in the meantime our local affairs consume time & energy. Did I tell you I spoke at chapel or was going to. It was rather fun, to be a woman speaking on nursing to that particular crowd of men. People are kind in their comments.
Christmas is to be filled with little doings - singing at the British church, helping trim trees in various of the households, going to dinner, being "at home" for breakfast, generally keeping the day. It is such a joy now to realize that all the worry of last year with Jeanette so sick is done with. She is our most enthusiastic planner.
After tonight I'll have no time for letters until next week. I'm sorry to have done so badly with yours.
All my best wishes for your new year. Look over toward Mount Tom for me. Is Miss Woodland then with her nieces. I must try to get a note off to her. My best to any inquiring friends.
With love,
Katy