Ruth tells stories about her patients as she continues night duty. She is also relieved to hear from her mother, who seems to have recovered from the mumps.
Return address on envelope:
L. Sosville
560 Delaware Avenue
Albany, N.Y.
June 23, 1935
Sunday 10 p.m.
349-A Madison Avenue
Albany, N.Y.
Dear Dave,
Here I is with my Pal feeling sorry for myself. We have come to the conclusion that there ain’t no justice. Miss Harrington said after you were gone that we could have had our friends in for a while, but she made sure there wasn’t any chance of you coming in before she said it.
This sure is a dead darn place tonight. However, I’m glad there isn’t much doing because I don’t feel so lively. I guess it must be old age sneaking up on me. I have been taking aspirin and soda bicarb and if that terrible stuff doesn’t cure me, nothing will.
Loretta seems interested in the spot we found today. I told her she could use it, but it will be just too bad if we ever catch her there.
I have just 129½ more hours to put in and it seems like they will never go by. The nearer I get to the end, the more impatient I feel. The day I get out of this place will be a happy one for me (if my mother is alright).
Miss Van Deusen just came in and suggested that one of us sleep in the delivery room and one on the carrier where we can hear the telephone. How is that for supervision? I only wish they had suggested we go to my room and they could have called us if it had been necessary.
There was no reason why I couldn’t have spent the evening with you, but I never know about such things until it is too late.
Monday 5:10p.m.
Do I feel good, I just received a letter from my Mom and she wrote it herself. Mrs. Mack said it got sent to 349-C. Mom says she feels better, but I guess she isn’t very strong yet.
I managed to get about four hours sleep on the delivery table, but the darned thing is so hard it near broke my back. Now I know why people dislike that room so. However, it is easier than sleeping in a chair.
Loretta seems to think she wants to go to Preston Hollow with us next Sunday. However, she will probably change her mind a dozen times between now and then. She wants to know when you are taking us fishing. Our tackle will consist of willow sticks, string and bent pins. We want you to go along to put the squirmy worms on the pins.
My mother said to give you her best regards. I don’t know where she thinks I’ll see you.
I guess the soda bicarb and aspirin helped me a little. I feel some better than I did last night. When I got off the delivery table, I looked like the morning after the night before or sompin’. My eyes were nearly swollen shut. Loretta spent a good night on the carrier.
My Mom sent me some stamps, but I guess they forgot the license.
There goes Johnny Fink again, is he your Fink guy?
I have 10 days, 120 hours 7,200 minutes or 432,000 seconds and then I’ll have my diploma and white uniform.
I just wrote to Lydia and sent her my mother’s letter.
Famous last words, “Write soon, often and much.”
Ruth
Special Notice
If you find a stray button in your car, will you kindly save it for me. When I took off my coat last night I missed the button that you were supposed to have sewed on.
I also forgot my block and I even went so far as to look on the steps for it but couldn’t trace it no how. I bet you think I left it purposely , but I didn’t. Woe unto me if “Lyd” gets a look at it hanging in your car. It would be just like you to call her attention to it. If you didn’t, I’ll let you play with Pete some time.
“Me”
June ____, 1935
Middleburg, N.Y.
Dear Ruth,
There I go back to the time-honored form again. I think I said in my last letter I would dig up a new one but habit got the best of me before I thought. If you want to have the heading of this letter complete, you will have to fill in the date yourself because I don’t know it and I can’t be bothered getting up and looking for a calendar. Dates don’t mean a thing to me anymore anyway. Except when they are with you. Boy, it’s a good thing I thought in time and added that last bit or you would have picked it up and I never would have heard the last of it. Just like having five hours to waste.
I wish you would swat some of these mosquitoes that are buzzing around my head. No doubt you would be glad to do it if they were sitting on my head. I should congratulate you though. You haven’t slapped me in so long I’ve almost forgotten how it feels. I’d like to let your Mother know how well her suggestion worked.
I got fooled last night. I intended stopping at the Sprague homestead and chiseling a bite to eat, but when I got there not a soul was home. I didn’t take the time to go around and look them up so I got home at 8:10, grabbed myself some bread and milk and strawberries, a piece of chocolate pie and went to bed. How’s that for good behavior? Mother got home about 8:30. She yelled up the stairs at me and said, “Wouldn’t she have anything to do with you tonight?” I sez, “Nope” and turned over on the other side.
We had our daily shower as usual today. I got in a full day though. I’d like to get in four more just like it so I don’t have to work down there Saturday. I must be getting used to the work down there because I felt real ambitious tonight and worked around home here until seven o’clock. It started raining hard then so I came in and had strawberry shortcake for supper. No doubt you have gathered by this time that I like strawberries.
Did you miss the button off from your coat? I found it on the seat after you left. The only reason I’m sending it is I’m afraid you might make me sew it on if I waited and gave it to you Sunday.
By the time you get this letter you will only have eight more nights to go. That sounds a lot better than twenty some. Is the hospital still crowded with emptiness or have you drummed up some patients?
All thru the day I thought of a dozen or more things I would say in this letter but now when I want to write them, I can’t think of a thing. Anyway, I’ve nearly filled this sheet with a great bunch of nonsense and what have you so I’ll sign off till next time.
Dave
P.S. Sorry I didn’t carry out my threat and bring that block back and deposit it on the steps. You had better make up your mind to fix that next Sunday while you are sleeping.
June 25, 1935
Tuesday 10:35 p.m.
349-A Madison Avenue
Albany, N.Y.
Dear Dave,
I am on duty alone tonight for a few hours. Ed is in town so I told Sosville I didn’t mind staying alone a little while. She also had last evening off. I have had about forty fits that I didn’t ask for Sunday evening off, but it’s over now so I should worry. If there aren’t more than a couple patients in over the weekend, I’ll see if I can’t have all of Sunday night off and then you could bring me back Monday night in time for duty. Sosville says it will be o.k. with her. However, I’m not planning on it too much because if I do something is sure to come up so I’ll be disappointed.
I just had to go up and see what was the matter with my boyfriend. I got up there and he said he couldn’t sleep and his throat hurt.
They had two tonsillectomies today and are having one in the morning. One of the victims went home tonight. The other one is a frail little fellow, about 10 or 11, and he couldn’t go home because his mother was afraid his stepfather would beat him up. Talk about your sweet little kids, Sosville and I both fell for him in a big way. His stepfather told us how mean he was and we came nearly throwing him out of the place. One look at those big blue eyes gets you. I guess the old sap had been drinking and the kid’s mother isn’t much better. Sosville told them if they didn’t want him, we would keep him, and then they tell about the hard-hearted nurses. Gee, when I see a case like that, I realize how lucky I was. I guess I feel about Joe the same as I do stray cats, I’d like to adopt him.
Ruth Williams said that Phyllis was over an hour late for work yesterday, and when she went Julius handed her a dirty look.1 I can imagine what kind of a reception she got. Gee, I thought it was bad if I was five minutes late. I think Ruth is commencing to realize what she is letting herself in for when she starts living with those girls. She says she intends to go to Troy as soon as she is finished anyway. I wonder how those girls expect to pay $48 a month for rent and live. Neither one of them is anywhere near through, so all they are earning is $8 a week.
One of the graduates just came down and wanted me to go out and buy a watermelon for them. I don’t know who the deuce they think I am. I hope I don’t look as dumb as that. I would be quite apt to go out when I’m the only nurse on duty. The nurses that live here think all we have to do is tag them up. Miss Van Deusen says you would think that was all we had to do.
Ed came and woke me up today. He couldn’t find Loretta so he thought she must be sleeping with me. I told him what I’d do to him if I ever catch up with him. It was five o’clock when he came so I didn’t lose so much sleep. We can’t rest much at night. All we do is succeed in spoiling our daytime sleep.
I guess Loretta thinks she will take Friday evening off, too. If she does and I don’t get Sunday night off, I’ll be mad enough to kill somebody.
How is everything going with you this week? I hope you don’t develop any more blisters ‘cause they’re bad. I know ‘cause I have a lot of big blisters on my hands from hard work. (Now laugh.)
I suggest you go to bed early every night (only my letter nights) this week so you can get up early Sunday morning and not even yawn once.
From the front page of The Knickerbocker News, August 18, 1937
I suppose you called on the Spragues Sunday night, and every time I think I could have gone with you, I break out in a rash.
I suppose our girlfriend is out exploring all the back roads just about now. I hope she doesn’t forget to come back as I am waiting to eat until she comes, and as it approaches midnight I commence to feel hungry. She will probably march in with Ed just about the time Miss Van Deusen comes in. Woe be unto someone if she does. It will be under the table for Collins, Inc.
Do you work when it rains, or do you have the same difficulty working as you do sleeping?
The new class graduates tomorrow night. Maybe you could come to graduation without freezing.
Friday 4:20 p.m.
I have had this written all week but I would be darned if I would send it until I heard from you. Imagine waiting until Friday for a letter. That’s terrible. I can hear you telling me now that the other letter must have gotten lost. That excuse isn’t going over so big this week. My intentions were not to write only once if I got six letters from you.
Last night was sleepless so I slept swell today. I woke up at 3:45 with the intentions of going up to Finklestien’s so I guess I’ll get dressed and go.2
Lately I sleep so fast that I get it all in in half a day and tear around the rest of the day.
I’m off duty at 7:30 Sunday morning.
Ruth
June 26, 2935
Middleburg, N.Y.
Dear Ruth,
As usual when it comes time for me to write a letter I’m tired so the letter probably won’t pan out so good. I’m here alone tonight and Fred Allen’s amateurs are on. It’s the first I’ve listened to the radio in a couple of weeks. Everyone else has gone down to Commencement, but I couldn’t work up enough interest or ambition, I don’t know which, to get ready and go along. The bed seems to hold more interest for me these days than anything else.
I’m glad you heard from your Mother and she is better. Too bad the letter went to the wrong apartment. You probably would have gotten it last week if it had not gone astray.
1935 NY state hunting and fishing license
I don’t know what kind of a comeback I should make to Loretta for addressing that letter to me and putting her return address on the envelope. Mother wanted to know who the new girlfriend was. She is a very good writer anyway, I’ll say that much. Tell her I’ll take her fishing anytime but that all I will do is bait the hook or pin as I haven’t any license. Lucky people, these women, to be able to go fishing without a license.3 There just ain’t no justice.
Yeah, Johnny Fink is the guy I used to know. I guess you asked me that in your last letter but I forgot to answer it.
Are you still having it easy at the hospital or is it a full house again by now? It sure is too bad I didn’t bring that block back to you Sunday night. Miss Harrington might have had to make good on her remark she made after she was sure I was gone. I guess I have missed plenty of times I could have been with you just because neither of us knew when you could be free. It’s been quite a while now since I have had a chance to keep you out late, so watch your step when I do get the opportunity again. I’ll probably try to keep you out all night just to make up for last time.
Haven’t been down to P.H. yet this week and probably won’t get there before Sunday. I took the generator out of my car and sent it down to be fixed so I haven’t any lights and I don’t have time to go down while it’s daylight.
Sleep is fast sneaking up on me so I’m afraid I’ll have to quit. Believe it or not, it has taken me nearly an hour to write this so you can see how fast my brain is working. Guy Lombardo is on now but even his enchanting music can’t make me look alive.
It is, or rather was, Town Hall tonight so I’ll say “Tally Ho” and see you Sunday.
Dave
June 27, 1935
Middleburg, N.Y.
Dear Ruth,
Guess I owe you a few lines of explanation or sumpin. When I got home from work tonight I looked on the table where my mail is usually laid thinking there might possibly be a letter from you, but of course there was none. However, I did see the corner of an envelope sticking out from under LaVere’s music case so I pulled it out and what should it be but the letter I had written to you Monday. Was I burned up. Of course there was nothing I could do about it but I’ll bet you are thinking all kinds of things about me. I’m awfully sorry it happened again. Guess I’ll have to stay at home and see that my mail goes out. It sure is a good thing you got that letter from your Mother to tide you over the first part of the week and this will make some heavy mail for you at the end of the week.
Be sure you get that button sewed on before Sunday so I don’t have to do it. I didn’t pull it off anyway, I’m sure.
It is 9:30 and I just got back from the garage. Once more the generator is clicking and now I am waiting for something else to go wrong.
Just think, one week from tonight you will be resting peacefully after a hard grind. I think I’ll be just as glad when you get thru as you will. You certainly have earned a rest and I don’t blame you for taking one.
Speaking of rest, I must get mine so it’s so long until Sunday morning.
“Me”
Footnotes
- This was likely a reference to Mrs. Finkelstein, who had a son named Julius (see obituary). Phyllis was one the young nurses who took over for Ruth to care for Mrs. Finkelstein.
- This is the last mention of Mrs. Finkelstein in this volume, so her obituary, which was published as front page news, is posted here. As mentioned in the obituary, Mrs. Finkelstein was a well-respected leader in her community, known for her charity work. In her letters, Ruth came across as fiercely protective of her; they also seemed to like each other’s company even though Mrs. Finkelstein often wasn’t well and was in the last years of her life. She must have made quite a strong impression on my grandmother, who kept going back to see her even though her job there was finished. Clearly she was one of her favorite patients!
- In the 19th century, attitudes toward nature and the environment began to change, and the first game officers were appointed in 1885. The NY Conservation Department, preceded by a number of game and conservation commissions, was established in 1926, when fishing licenses were first required. It was the forerunner to the current Department of Environmental Conservation, which was formed in 1970. Many thanks to the NY state DEC for looking into this! They confirmed with their Division of Law Enforcement that citizen resident women were exempt from fishing licenses until 1949.