Sept 1-7, 1936

Dave and Ruth are eager for their next visit. Grace remains very ill, so Ruth plans to visit her with Dave while he is up in Adams.


September 1, 1936

Adams Center, N.Y.

Hello My Darling,

Well, Honey, this is Tuesday night and just three nights to go and I can cuddle down in my hubby’s arms again.  Gee, it is going to be nice.

I sort of knew you would make out Saturday o.k.  I only hope they don’t decide they have too much help.  Even one whole week of work would be a help.  Wouldn’t it?

We received another card from Grace today and Janie received a letter from Mrs. Rogers.  She says that they are all pretty discouraged about Grace’s condition.  They say she is still running a temp of 106 degrees every night but feels better during the day.  They say she is getting weaker all of the time.  It seems as though if she is really that sick there isn’t much of a chance for her with a temp like that.  It doesn’t seem like she could possibly carry a 10 degree temp for so long and still live.  We thought she was getting better and then to hear she is the same as she was two weeks ago.  Mom feels bad because more of the family haven’t been to see her.  Glenn and I are the only ones who have been.  If you get here Friday night, I told Mom you and I would try and go to see her Saturday providing I can get someone to stay with her.  I refuse to leave her alone as I know she will overdo.  If I go to Syracuse, I will make an attempt to see Grace’s Dr.  Maybe I can find out what it is all about.  Nobody seems to know as yet.  I would suggest asking Lydia to come up over the weekend to stay with Mom, but the other time when Grace asked her to come home she didn’t seem very pleased.  No doubt they have plans for a picnic or something Sunday which they wouldn’t care to change.  I’ll try my luck at getting someone else before I will ask her.

Mrs. Rogers wants the girls back by Saturday so she can get them ready for school.  I don’t know what they are ever going to do.  I wish I could help out somehow but I’m doing all I can now.  Guess I should have been quintuplets or sompin’.

Oh yes, speaking of quints, don’t worry anymore, hon.  Leslie’s arrival has been postponed for another month.  I expect to have a sleepless night tonight.  I neglected to get me any aspirin.  They do help a little bit.1

We did the washing this forenoon and I did all the ironing this afternoon so I don’t have that yet to do.

Mom was feeling better but when she heard about Grace again she doesn’t feel so good.  It doesn’t take much worry to get her.

Well, sweetheart, I don’t feel too good so I guess I’ll fix the hot water bottle and go to bed.  Maybe I can get a few winks.

Good night, sweetness.

Yours always,

Ruth


September 2, 1936

Middleburg, N.Y.

Hello Hon,

Just a few lines to let you know how glad I was to receive your letter and to let you know I still love you.

We worked until 5:45 tonight making up time we lost in rain this morning and I didn’t get home until 7 o’clock.  Tomorrow morning we have to be at work at 6 o’clock and that means leave here at 4:30.  Don’t you wish you were here to get my breakfast?  I would be so glad if you were, I would let you stay in bed and get it myself.  That is what I am going to do anyway.

I see from your letter you may be expecting me Friday night, so let me caution you again that that is not very likely to be.  We will be quite apt to work Saturday to get ahead of the masons.  That is why we have to go so early tomorrow morning.

I also took note of the fact that you are quite confident of me holding the job.  I know you have faith in me, honey, so much so that I’m always afraid of letting you down.  I’m not kidding when I say that I think my days are numbered on this job.  Construction work of this kind is altogether different from working on a house or some small job and it is entirely new to me.  Of course I worked on the M. school but not as a carpenter.  What I saw there helps some but is a lot different from actually doing it.  It isn’t so much the amount of work done or the willingness to do it that holds this kind of job.  It is accuracy and the ability to go ahead without having to be shown that counts.  So far I have skinned by, but I have made plenty of mistakes and I know that when work gets a little slack I’ll be the first one off.  There now, does that help you to understand how I stand on this job?  I’ll talk to you for hours when I see you.  Don’t plan on any sleep after I get there Saturday night.

I was rather glad to hear that our preventative had not failed us.  I don’t know just when it should be but I had thought a lot about it the last few days.

I could write a lot more, sweetheart, but it is already nine o’clock so I think I’ll ring off and try for some rest.  I’m quite tired tonight and I’ll bet my darling wife doesn’t feel too excellent either.

I probably won’t write again, honey, so it is so long until Saturday night.  If anything turns up at the last minute making it impossible for me to come, I’ll try and call Janie so you will know about it.

Yours forever, darling.

Love and kisses,

Dave

P.S.  Have your back good and warm.  My feet are pretty cold these nights.


[Post Card]

September 6, 1936

Sunday, 8: p.m.

Dear Dave,

We found a few of your belongings so I am sending them to you.  Thought you might need them before you come up again.

I am wondering how you got home.  I hope o.k.  It has rained hard here ever since you left.

The cistern is full and just ran over.  So you see it has rained a little bit.

I have written a letter to Zelma tonight and started one to Florence Walker.  How’m I doing?

Love,

Ruth


September 7, 1936

Middleburg, N.Y.

Hello Darling,

Arrived here all safe and sound but not as early as expected.  The car began to give out before I reached Lowville and by the time I got to Lyons Falls I knew it would never go home so I stopped at a garage.  It cost me three dollars for a new shaft in the distributor but it runs like a scared cat now.  Had to use the brake most of the way after that.  We left L.F. at five minutes to seven and arrived M. ten-thirty.

Everything is O.K. here but I’m tired and sleepy so I’ll sign off and go me to bed.  It is after eleven now.

Take care of your cold, honey, and remember I love you.

Love and kisses,

Dave


Footnote

  1. In case readers haven’t figured it out, Ruth is telling Dave that she is not pregnant! She once told me, around 70 years later, that if she had a boy, they would have named him “Leslie.”

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