Dave drives everyone around in the Essex and gets a flat tire. His mother is away for the week, leaving him to cook and clean for the rest of the Coffin clan. He has to cash in on some insurance due to losses. Both Dave and Ruth share thoughts on the topic of divorce. Ruth says she hasn’t been paid, and catches up with one of her classmates.
CCC stationary. The original letter is 14 pages (7 sheets, front and back)!
February 25, 1935
Middleburg, N.Y.
Dear Ruth,
How do you like my stationery? Just discovered I was out of writing paper and looked the house thru with no results. LaVere didn’t even bring a tablet home from school. I was just about ready to go out and peel off a few sheets of birch bark when I happened to think of this. So as Jack Little says, “Here ‘tis.”1
Gee, oh gosh, is this going to be a long week. I’m already counting the hours before Sunday. Now wait a minute, don’t let that superiority complex get the best of you. I was thinking of getting Mother back here although I will have to admit that the thought of having to wait until Sunday before I see you again helps to make it just that much longer. I have just finished my housewifely duties for the day and I can’t say that I am crazy about keeping it up for another five days. Guess I wouldn’t make a very good wife.
We went window shopping last night after we left you, furniture being the main object of observation. We then took a short ride down the N.Y. road and then back to Nellie’s at about ten thirty. Fran managed to keep out of the cat hair last night. I also managed to win the confidence of Beauty the dog. She is very shy of strangers and they were quite surprised that I was able to pet her after seeing her only twice. She didn’t like Lydia at all. She would stand and look at her and growl and if Lydia made a move toward her, she would back right out in the kitchen.
No wine was in sight last night but Fran insisted on having Nellie make him some coffee. He sure likes his java. We left there shortly after twelve so I guess Lydia is making something of a record for herself. I had already taken her home when I went by your place. I didn’t blow the horn for the simple reason it wouldn’t work. I guess it wasn’t necessary anyway. You probably could hear us three blocks away.
In spite of the fact that I got Lydia home so early, I didn’t do so well for myself. Where was I? Well maybe I went to the same place you did after the banquet. Anyway it was 3:45 when I got in. We went down on South Pearl Street to get Claude and when we got in the restaurant where he was Fran just had to have more coffee. Then on the way home the road was quite icy so we had to drive slow. It must have been about 2:45 when I let Fran and his aunt out in Middleburg. I proceeded to take Claude home and about half a mile past my house I had a flat tire. (No, I didn’t swear.) Claude went on home afoot and I started to drive home without changing the tire, but I didn’t get quite there before the tire started coming off. I didn’t want to cut it all up so I just shut off the motor and let it stand in the road ‘til this morning when I went down and changed it.
Well, here comes my favorite radio programs: Buck Rogers followed by Bobby Benson. Pardon me while I retire to a more quiet part of the house.
If I get that picture back this week, I’ll bring it with me Sunday and let you look it over again. Maybe you will decide it isn’t quite so bad as you thought, but if it is still so hideous to you, it can be disposed of the way I told you or better yet I’ll give it to you and you can save it to remind you of another victory over me. You see even though you did have to give in last night it was really to your own advantage because you win in the end. I wouldn’t want you to have any more bad dreams about that.
David Coffin served in the Civilian Conservation Corps from 1933 to 1934
The fellow I was supposed to take to Albany last Friday came down again this morning and wants me to take him this Saturday. I told him the same as I did last week, that if I didn’t have to work, I would. If I do come, I’ll call you but don’t plan on it because I’m more apt not to be there than to be. If it happens to be Fran that stops me again this time, I think I’ll sock him one, just for good luck. I’ll have to go down some day this week and help him finish that roof.
Gee, Stubby, I guess I’m not in the writing mood tonight. I’ve been more than an hour writing this much and I can’t seem to go any further. It would be just like me to write you a short letter when you have asked for a long one. Will you be a sweet girl and forgive me? Maybe I’ll have an inspiration or two later in the week and write you another. If I do, you can put the two together and make one long one.
So now to bed and dream land.
Good night,
Dave
………..
Tuesday, 10:00 A.M.
Dear Ruth,
It rained all night and now it is snowing and so since I can’t do any work outdoors I might as well improve my time and add a few lines to this letter.
I guess Francis is taking a vacation today also. At least he hasn’t come down yet this morning. You needn’t worry about any of the remarks you made about his gas station. He knows it was only in fun and didn’t take any of it seriously. That makes me think, I hope you didn’t let any of the remarks I made about your uniform and hair bother you. Possibly you do get tired of wearing the uniform so much but it really doesn’t look as bad as you think and as for the hair, well I couldn’t see a thing wrong with it.
By the way, I forgot to tell you that dog I have been trying to get rid of went away again Saturday and hasn’t been seen since. I guess he realizes he isn’t wanted here and is trying to find a new home for himself. Let’s hope he succeeds.
Has Lydia told you that she broke your bracelet Sunday night? Not only that but she tried to blame me for it. I could hardly keep from laughing when she was trying to get down before Florence saw it.
So Florence doesn’t believe in divorce. Well that is another point where she and I don’t agree. Maybe it is just as well that Lydia changed the subject or she and I might have had quite an argument going. Of course, anyone knows that the institution of divorce is greatly misused and probably more than half the divorces granted are not deserved. Nevertheless, I do believe there are some couples who find out too late that they are really not adapted to each other. In such a case, why shouldn’t they be allowed to secure a divorce and find someone else to go thru life with. In my opinion that would be much better than to continue living with someone you didn’t care for or to separate and find someone who you really could care for and be unable to marry. I probably would have told her that going with a divorced man or woman isn’t any worse than giving someone the runaround the way she is doing.
Guess I’ll have to watch my tongue when I’m around her or I’ll be saying something that might cause some unfriendliness. I usually do tell people just about what I think and sometimes it would be a lot better if I didn’t. If I ever do start, just give me a poke in the ribs and shut me up.
You were more than half right when you said some of my chicken business was still in the can. I have an insurance policy that I borrowed quite a bit of money on a couple of years ago and now I’m going to turn it in for cash surrender. It is only worth about $75 but I guess they are having trouble finding that much money. At least they are awfully slow in putting it thru and until they do I can’t do a thing. I only decided on the chicken part of it in order to tie the money up so I couldn’t have it all at once. I knew if I just kept it in my pocket it would be gone in a very short time.2
Oh yes, about that crusade to M. as you call it. Sure I’ll bring you out here as soon as you have a Sunday off so you don’t have to rush right back. There isn’t much to see but you can probably pick up plenty of material for wise cracks to throw at me. Well I think I have done fairly well in making this a long letter, if throwing ink all over a piece of paper can be called a letter. It will probably take up plenty of your time figuring it out anyway.
Dave
February 27, 1935
11:50 p.m.
70 Jay Street
Albany, N.Y.
Dear Dave,
Thanks for the long letter. I think it deserves a long credit mark. Even then it wasn’t so fat she couldn’t get in under the door.
I had a letter from Lydia tonight and she also called me up. I wonder if she is going to be sick or something. I wrote a letter to her last night and told her she hadn’t better neglect me or I would tell you.
She is going to meet Sadie tomorrow afternoon and I am supposed to meet them at the Hall about five o’clock. Gee, am I tickled, now I won’t have to eat alone tomorrow night.
How do you like the smell of my gum? If you are a very good boy and say please and thank you, I might let you have a little. I know you are crazy about it and remember you must chew it at least two minutes. You may not believe it, but up until October 2, 1934 I hardly ever chewed gum. So who got me into the terrible habit?
If you are in Albany Saturday and decide to call me, you can tell Mrs. Conlon that I said to wake me up. Otherwise, she will tell you I am asleep. If I should be very sound asleep, it will be the first time since Monday.
Gee, what a night. I almost froze my smeller and my left ear. These tropic nights get my goat. I suppose you are all set to tell me spring is just around the corner. Yeah, so is prosperity and has been for the last five years more or less.
As I was strolling up Lark Street (enjoying the balmy breezes), who should I behold but Mrs. Mahon coming out of the school. I ran like a streak and caught her so, of course, we had a visit on the corner of Lark and Madison Avenue. She says she has had steady day duty and two deaths since graduation. I says, listen lady, in a case like that you can keep your day duty, I’ll stick to the night.
I was supposed to get paid Monday night and the supervisor hasn’t been here to collect yet. I stopped at school this morning and she says she is coming in the morning before I go off duty. Believe me, she will get up before breakfast if she gets here before I get my work finished. I suppose she wants to see me in action.
Didn’t I tell you, you would be able to appreciate your mother when she gets back. I know from experience. When I was at home and my mother went any place, I always instructed her to hurry back. It got to be quite a joke with her. Somehow the house seemed awfully lonesome when she wasn’t there. I guess I got fed up the winter she was in England.3
I can imagine that the members of the Coffin family who remain at home have suffered from indigestions during the past week. I meant to tell you that since you were the chief cook, it might be good to have a large supply of soda bicarb on hand. Gee, how I would like to get a look at you performing your domestic duties. Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea if I laid off the kidding because I’m not bragging about my cooking. It has been over six months since I even made an attempt except when we had diet kitchen and the first case I was on. I took four years of Home Economics, but the more I took, the less I knew.
The reason you had such a hard time thinking of something to write was because your mother wasn’t there to help you. How is that for a guess? For a person who had nothing to say, I must say you wrote a very good letter.
About the picture, I hope you don’t think I am unreasonable enough to expect you to destroy it after you have gone to the trouble of having it finished. If you can bear looking at it, I should worry as long as I don’t have to. There is a little consolation in thinking that the picture might not be as bad as the proof. After all, I’m not quite as bad as Florence.
Speaking of Florence reminds me let’s sort of forget about the divorce subject. Lydia said Sunday night that she thought Fran had the same ideas as Florence. As for myself, I might as well remain neutral. There are arguments both ways. So I’ll not be involved in the argument. Sometimes I think Florence is a little narrow minded, but everyone has a right to their own opinion.
I think also that when Florence acts touchy, it is because she doesn’t feel well. Don’t get the idea that I don’t like Florence, because I do. Even if she doesn’t feel well, I think at times she could act differently because, after all, other people have feelings too. ‘Nuff said about that!
By the way, last Sunday Lydia bawled me out for not asking you boys to take off your coats while we were waiting. It was only because I didn’t think, so how about forgiving me? You see, of late I travel around in a fog. Not that I haven’t always more or less, but since I am supposed to sleep daytimes, it has become more dense.
I am sorry you had the flat Monday morning. It was too bad you didn’t have it when Lydia was in as she is swell at holding the bolts. She probably would have put them in your hat.
Oh yes, did the removal of the lipstick leave a ring? I hope not. Honest, I didn’t intend to put it on anything that night. I knew I didn’t come within a mile of the tie. The hat must have gotten in the way and since it was dark, I didn’t notice it. Looks like the joke is on me again.
What a disappointment, no wine Sunday night. Julius had some beer and he asked me if I wanted some, so what was there to do but indulge. Mrs. Thorn smokes and offered me a cigarette, but I had to refuse because you didn’t smoke any while I was with you Sunday.
If Fran doesn’t ease off on the coffee, he will develop coffee nerves. If I was along, I would make him go without.
I saw you when you went by Sunday night and you only had one light. Did you see me, or wasn’t the light bright enough? We have it quite dim so it won’t annoy the Mrs.
I had a letter from Izzy today and she asks my forgiveness for not writing sooner. The funny part of it is, I have owed her since November and she didn’t know the difference. She tells me she is having a swell time so it looks like I have to snap out of it and get back to the old hometown.
Remember if you get tired of seeing that darned gray uniform, let me know. I’m going to surprise Lydia and meet her tomorrow night in a dress for a change. I bet I won’t know how to act, it has been almost four weeks since I even had a dress on. The only reason I don’t wear a dress on Sunday is because Lydia says it takes too long to change. Consequently, I go places looking like a scrub woman.
Ruth Distell isn’t working in the hospital because she is sick. I had to write and rub it in a little about not being able to take it. What a response I’ll get from that letter!
I have already spent two hours on this hooey and it is almost time for my lunch. I am about to dash downstairs and see if a little coffee will revive me.
Now U.O. me and an answer would be appreciated on Saturday, however, don’t neglect your housekeeping to write to me.
Ruth
P.S. To avoid dishpan hands, use Lux for dish washing. Ha! Ha! Ha!
(Notice: If there is more gum than you can chew at once, I don’t mind if you share with Fran.)
1937 ad for Lux dish soap
Footnotes
- David Coffin served in the Civilian Conservation Corps from 1933 to 1934. One of FDR’s first New Deal programs, it was a public works project to promote environmental conservation, and to build good citizens through disciplined, outdoor labor. It was open to young unmarried men between the ages of 18-23, and later expanded to men aged 17-28 by 1935. The first of these camps was opened on June 1933, when he was already 23. By July 1933, there were 1,463 camps nationwide with 250,000 enrollees. The goal of the camps was reforestation, prevention of soil erosion, and flood control.
- It’s possible that Dave is referring to a type of crop insurance. Crop insurance is administered by the risk management agency (RMA), part of the USDA, originally established by Abraham Lincoln in 1862. However, Congressional authorization of Federal Crop Insurance did not occur until 1938. Prior to this, crop insurance (if any) was most likely purchased through private insurance companies. For more history about the USDA and the RMA, click here and here.
- Jennie and her second husband, William Sedgemore, traveled by ship to England to visit his family. It may have been this trip that motivated him to raise children of his own. Since Jennie was in her 50’s, many years his senior, their only option was to adopt. Read here for more.