[Some paragraph marks added for ease of reading]
Rev. Dr. William M. Nesbit
15 Frederick Street
Naugatuck, ConnecticutDear little Girl:- We have heard Adolf Hitler this P.M. Papa had been out calling all the morning and just returned at 2.P.M. He didn't know Hitler was to be on - I guess nobody did. Hitler said that "a lot of toothless old men - had an idea about reconstructing the world - and they did not even know that the reconstruction had already taken place." The old men may be toothless, but Hitler had better look out - he may feel the bite of some very, sharp gums.
Last night, when I wrote the letter to you - I was very tired. I went down to the Church - in the afternoon - and my job was to serve the pies. They serve them from the little room right next to the Furnace Room. I had smelt a smell like oil-waste as the door into the furnace room was open. Suddenly, Mrs. Shelley grabbed her boy (she had been talking to me) and ran toward the exit door to the stairs - At the same moment - there was an explosion. It was a good one. Mrs. Shelley had seen the sparks - they were big ones - about the size of cherries. I didn't know that an explosion of that kind is frightening but it is. For about 15 minutes, the legs hook as if I had seen an accident. My right ear - immediately began to pain and felt very uncomfortable the rest of the evening. Mr. Tucker was by the piano - and he was frightened too - but his ear wasn't affected. To-day the ear is tender. Percussion is a strange thing.
Mrs. Noyes says that when she was in one of the factories in Maine. They had a severe explosion - and 3 of the girls had their ears affected. The Doctor immediately put 2 drops of warm oil - in the ears. It amused me - for I had said when the first explosion occurred - "Wouldn't it have been terrible if someone had been in the Church." I didn't expect that in the next one - I would be right next to the furnace room. The wall in the little room I was in was O.K. but the other wall in the furnace room was cracked right in two. Clapp. Rose and Vaughan - sent a man right over - but each man tells a different story. This man put in a new coil - and said things were O.K. There was no heat in the Church so we didn't have the Moving Pictures. Mr. Shaver was going to show Moving pictures of the Roumanian [sic] Oil Fields. I have been busy all day - What I left yesterday - doubled up to-day. Papa is going to post this letter in Waterbury and we will send Sally's card regular mail so it will arrive on Monday. It snowed a little to-day. Just a few flakes. Hope you received Papa's check to-day.
Will close now. Papa is ready to go. It won't be long now before Friday. The quartette sends its love.
Mamma.
Sat. Feb. 24, 1940.
[Handwriting change from Mamma to Pop.]
It is funny how one-time pacifists are repudiating pacifism and the pinks are expressing scorn of communism - and men who a little while ago were denouncing the Dies Comm. are admitting that it has done some pretty good work. Et Pater inquit "I told you so." Dear Little Girl, we look forward to seeing you.
Papa.