Dave continues his job on the ice, and Ruth finally has a case to work on. They talk about collecting and saving up dimes and, of course, trying to collect payment from the ever-tight Dr. Lally. There is also a letter from Eva.
February 17, 1936
464 First Street
Albany, N.Y.
Hello Honey,
I have spent the day, since I got up (1:00), writing letters. I’ll bet you will be plenty glad when today is over. I hope you didn’t have to work too hard.
I went to the store before I ate and got me some milk and fruit. I am going to drink milk instead of coffee from now on.
I went to sleep a little while after you left last night and slept until Loretta got up this morning. After she left I went back to sleep. I still feel sleepy.
I’ll go out and get some air while they are eating supper.
Loretta hasn’t called me yet today. She is probably busy.
Did you by chance put my key in your coat pocket? I don’t find it around anywhere. Maybe Loretta took it thinking it was hers.
I can’t think of much to write but after making you wait so long for a letter last week, I decided I had better do a little better this week.
This pen gives me a pain in the neck. It either gives down too much ink or not enough.
Hewitt’s are eating supper so I guess I had better make it snappy and go out. I can’t depend on Clifford staying around to answer the telephone.
When I get back I am going to heat water for a bath. I’ll probably embroider for a while and go to bed.
I hate to send you such a short letter, but since my time and information are limited I think I’ll call it a day. Maybe I can do better next time.
Lots of love,
Ruth
February 17, 1936
Middleburg, N.Y.
Dearest Girl,
I guess I have a few minutes before supper is ready so I’ll start this letter. All that I can get done now will mean getting to bed that much sooner. Isn’t that rather cute?
You haven’t been out of my thoughts very much today, hon. I’ve been wondering how you are feeling now. Whether you went to bed and slept or laid and worried or cried some more. I wish I could say something to comfort you, dear, but I’m not much good at that sort of thing. I hated to leave you last night, hon. It is always hard to go but much more so when you are not feeling just right. I know it is useless for me to tell you not to worry but I do think you should do a lot less of it now and don’t let your imagination run away with you as it nearly did.
I don’t know what time it was when I got home but it must have been pretty close to 5 o’clock because it was five after three when I finished my coffee and started. There was a light in Mike’s house so he was getting up to do chores already. Mom was awake when I got in and she told me not to try and get in my own bed because LaVere and one of his boy friends were in it. I slept in his cot.
We worked on the ice today but only six hours so I survived very well. Not much to do as it is about the end and we do plenty of standing around.
Mom pulled a surprise today and didn’t go to the funeral. She was tired from the washing and inasmuch as she had been to the house she thought that was enough. I took my father down this noon but I came back and went to work.
I left the magazine and letters in Fran’s back door last night. I hope the wind didn’t play any tricks before they found them. I probably won’t go down there before Wednesday night.
I suppose you are still awaiting a call. I hope you get something this week, also some money from Lally. I have your dimes here at the house. I’ll take them down to Lydia when I go.
Well, my dear, it is now 6:30 and I’m hoping you will excuse me if I sign off and go to bed.
Remember, I love you, honey, and don’t forget to practice your smile every day. Some day you will have plenty of use for it and I don’t want you to forget how.
Lots of love,
“Me”
February 18, 1935 [should be 1936]
464 First Street
Albany, N.Y.
Hello Darling,
Guess what? Yeah, I’m doing night duty so here goes a letter to my “Sugar Plum” just to pass the time away.
Loretta told Dr. McGrail about me so tonight she called and told me she had a case for me. My patient is a lady of middle age. She has two daughters and a son as far as I can find out so far. She isn’t very sick but I guess the family got alarmed because she had a temp of 101 degrees. She has the grippe1 and a slight miocardiac [sic] condition. Her temp is down to 100 degrees already. Probably it won’t last more than one night but even one night of work gives you a different outlook on life.
Gee, it sure is cold out today. The case is at 112 Manning so I had to take a taxi.
I have tried all over to get that magazine you wanted. They tell me the new ones will be in Wednesday. What the heck is it, a weekly or monthly magazine? If it a weekly, do you want last weeks or this weeks.
Gee, Honey, I have eleven dimes in my dime saver already. Three more and I will have my dime a day for this week and next. At that rate we will soon have enough money to buy and furnish our house. Don’t you think that sounds rather cute? Just think we have $4.10 toward it already. Not to mention a cedar chest, radio, sewing machine and cat. No doubt it will be cats by the time we decide to settle down.
These people seem real nice. There is a davenport here in the room where they told me I could lie down. They gave me a pillow, quilt and a whole mess of magazines. My patient was perspiring so I didn’t dare give her a bath so there wasn’t much to do but take T.P.R. and tuck her in for the night.
I had planned to visit Dr. Lally again tomorrow, but if I am working tomorrow night, I will postpone it until a future date. I would sort of like to get two visits in this week. You can come after me early Saturday night and I can call on him then. Unless of course I go on register and the unheard of happens and I get a case.
The doctor just called. The patient was asleep and of course he woke her up. Feature a Dr. making calls this time of night. Sounds like another Dr. Hannon.
I stayed in bed until twelve o’clock today and I guess it is a good thing I did. Of course Cliff has a lot to say about the amount of sleep we get when we aren’t working.
You remember the wine they were going to charge Ed four dollars for the other night? Well last night he went to a regular liquor store and got a full quart for $.55. How is that for making money?
Last night Loretta asked Ed for some dimes and he asked her if she knew that every dime he gave her was taking away from a little boy. She says O.K. from now on she won’t ask for dimes, she will ask for dollars. Ed says financially Loretta knows nothing about him. If she knew how much he was getting it would be just too bad for him. He certainly has her number. Gee, if you talked to me the way he does to her, I would never ask you for anything, but she doesn’t seem to mind. In fact I think she likes it.
Wednesday night.
I just got up from my snooze. I guess I’m not going to work tonight. They said if she ran a temp again they would call me. I wouldn’t have minded working there. She was about the nicest patient I ever had. Besides the four dollars, they paid for the taxi both ways. Of course I wish the case could have lasted longer but even one night now and then helps out a lot.
I don’t know if Loretta will work tomorrow or not. Her patient is trying to find a domestic nurse who will come in and do all of the work. If Loretta isn’t working, I think she plans to go to Scotia over the weekend.
It seems like there is something else I was supposed to tell you but I can’t remember what it was. I commence to feel hungry so I’ll see what luck I will have finding a place to eat.
I’ll mail this early so you will get it Thursday. You can answer it Thursday night and I will get it Saturday.
You had better let me know what time you expect to be up Saturday night so I will be sure and be in. How are the roads? The streets are awfully slippery.
Be good, Honey, and take care of you for me.
Oodles of love,
Ruth
February 19, 1936
Middleburg, N.Y.
My Dear Ruthie,
Received your letter yesterday but I went to P.H. last night so I didn’t get a chance to answer. I was glad to get it, hon, and you don’t ever need to apologize for the shortness of any of your letters. All of them are longer and worth more than mine.
I have just returned from the garage. More money to keep Lizzie running. My lights went out. I guess they couldn’t stand the shock of a full charged battery.
I’m trying to write this and listen to Gracie Allen at the same time so if it gets foolish, don’t blame me.
I gave your dimes to Lydia last night, also all the dirt as you call it. She says to tell you she has put all your junk in your cedar chest. We played cards for a while and I got home about 12 o’clock. Boy was it cold. Ten degrees below when I got home, and it looks like another blinger tonight.
I found your key in my overcoat pocket, hon. I’m sorry I didn’t leave it. There is no use sending it now so I’ll keep it and bring it with me Saturday night.
It is nearing ten o’clock so I guess I’ll call it enough and go to bed. Be good, my sweet, and don’t forget—I love you.
Yours always,
Dave
Thursday noon.
Here is where I pull a fast one. I was cute last night and didn’t seal this letter so I’ll save myself three cents. Anyway it wouldn’t do for you to get a letter Saturday and see me the same night. You might run a temp.
I’m glad you got one night’s work anyway. It all helps keep the wolf from the door. I’m afraid I will have to put up a double door though pretty soon.
I’m over running a little in this letter so I’ll have to use two different kinds of paper or my stationery and envelopes won’t come out even.
I expected your letter today and when I came in at noon it wasn’t on the stand. Right away I started feeling sorry for myself and for a half hour while I was eating my morale (whatever that is) was way below par. After dinner I found your letter in a chair on the other side of the stand and everything was rosy again.
Fran and Lydia stayed in M. all night. They went back a little while ago. Pete was locked in the kitchen all the while. I’ll try and get in Albany as early as possible Saturday night. If I don’t work, I can probably get there quite early.
You are going good with the dimes. Who do you get them from? Here is one more for the collection. You are probably right about its being cats instead of cat that we have unless I can get up nerve enough to dispose of the young offspring. But who knows, maybe she will be a modern cat and practice birth control.
I told you not to run all over looking for that Radio Guide. It is a weekly and it is last weeks that I wanted, so don’t bother anymore.
It is 1:30 now and I’m afraid the mailman will be here so I’ll have to stop. Does this sound like the closing of one of your Mother’s letters?
Bye, bye, sweetheart.
Love,
Me
February 19, 1936
185 West Main Street
Gouverneur, N.Y.
Dear Ruth,
Don’t know as this will ever reach you at least not until spring, but my intentions are good. The roads are bad and getting worse, or at least it has started to snow some more. I really thought before I got your letter that you and Lydia were in cahoots. Of course I know her “pet” and don’t blame her much but we can’t do anything about it this winter. Well, there’s no use in filing a letter about it.
Have you any work and did you collect any more from your dentist’s wife?
The baby sits up alone and has two lower teeth and weighed 14½ lbs. at 6 months. Really our most perfect (rather guess it’s due to her name). Edward still takes all responsibilities on his own shoulders. Had his first hair cut by the barber Monday and Daddy took him. Guess H. had a treat—took two barbers and H. to accomplish it. Ha Ha. Frederick looks the best he ever has but I didn’t send him to school because there was so much around scarlet fever, measles, whooping cough, etc.2
Say, tell all of those parasites that they can have those recipes and leave a few crumbs for you to nibble on. I have intended to make you a batch of cookies but my ambition refuses to work overtime. Sometimes quite before. Tell Dave I’ll make him coffee and cake when he takes the stove down in the spring.
Ethel (Tryon) Spencer with Jeanne, 1935
Say, I don’t remember anything about saying I didn’t like pictures. Anyway, I guess Kent and Ethel must have thought so. Guess they didn’t give anyone only Aunt J. one. A cute picture but would have been cuter if it had had something besides a print dress on.3
Well I suppose Grace has gone to Syracuse. Aunt J. will surely miss her and Harold’s folks should. I know I won’t get so much sewing done free gratis. Wish Beulah would wake up. Also that I lived closer but maybe that would only increase some of Aunt J.’s troubles. The more she has around her, the more she seems to have. But I do think Harold has done his best and should be down there. In my estimation Joyce is lazy as a pet coon. Aunt J. always makes excuses but I know we did far more at her age. (Well, and that’s something more that’s none of my business.)
We were down home a couple of weeks ago for a few hours and I thought Aunt J. looked better than in the fall.
Did they write you that Art Slade was dead? Guess he suffered terrible. The paper said an abscess along the spinal column but they said down home T.B. of the spine. They are going down to live on the farm in June, also Herm P. on his estate.4
We went up to Fortune’s last nite. Had some good whipped cream cake and coffee. Can’t you taste it?
Olive sent Frederick a cute pair of pajamas for his birthday. Doesn’t know me but still acknowledges my eldest.
When do you anticipate coming home? You wouldn’t find much but snow and icy roads now. Everyone is beginning the old story of this being the hardest winter since ___________.
Frederick says to tell Ruth not to bring him a toothache. Also, can he sleep with you?
Think this is plenty of dirt.
Must close and get our supper.
Love,
Eva and all the rest
February 21, 1936
464 First Street
Albany, N.Y.
Dear Dave,
I wrote you a card last night but I didn’t get a chance to mail it. I’ll mail it when I mail this so you will know I had good intentions.
I was so tired last night, I didn’t know if I was going or coming. I did get a little sleep yesterday afternoon. When the Dr. came he wanted to know if I was unconscious. He sure knows how to hand out the sarcasm, and the only way to get along with him is just give him as good as he sends. He told Loretta that he had forgotten I was up all the night before.
I didn’t get much sleep last night. I sleep on a davenport in Mrs. Brucker’s room and she coughed all night. After the Dr. comes I’ll try and take a nap. She feels better days than she does at night.
Something tells me I will be working over the weekend so unless I am through, I don’t think I’ll try to go down to Jo’s. If I shouldn’t be working, I’ll try and call early enough to let you know. I don’t know what to say about Sunday. Unless I call I guess you had better go to Hewitt’s before seven o’clock and call me from there and I’ll try and get out by seven.
If her cough gets better, I may not be only on day duty. I think I can get more than three hours off anyway. They seem to be very nice people. Everyone works days so we are here alone, only her son’s little girl is here for a few days.
I am at 112 Manning Boulevard. The house is on the right hand side coming over from Central Avenue. Gee, am I sleepy. You should see the way I am writing. I bet you can’t even read this.
Well, sweet, there is work to be done so I’ll sign off until Sunday unless I call. If you care about going to that card party, don’t stop on my account. I might be able to make it, but I work so little I think when I do get a chance, I should make the most of it.
Oh yes, did you find my key? Last night I was locked out. For the first time in history Clifford locked the back door.
Lots of love,
Ruth
Footnotes
- Influenza
- Scarlet Fever, caused by a strain of streptococcus, was one of the deadliest childhood diseases, with up to 25% mortality in some areas by 1900. The disease is now treatable with antibiotics, which did not become available until 1945. Whooping cough, caused by Bordella pertussis, also called the “100 day cough” is also now treatable with antibiotics against pertussis. A vaccine for whooping cough was developed by pediatrician, Leila Denmark, and was not widely available until the 1940’s. Dr. Denmark retired in 2003 at age of 103! She died in Athens, Georgia in 2012, as one of the 100 oldest people ever at the age 114. A vaccine for measles did not become widely used until 1968.
- The posted photo is part of the family collection; we don’t know which one Eva may have been referring to. A photo of Jeanne taken in the 1950’s is posted here.
- Arthur Dudley Slade (b. 1891) married Claire Ellen Green in 1913. They had three sons, Howard, Kenneth and Arthur Jr. He died on Valentine’s Day in Watertown (1936) and is buried in Smithville, Jefferson County NY.