October 5, 1944
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310.18.1-4.2016 Transcription
5 Oct 44 Thurs
[A.S I hope the 10¢ specialing makes this arrive on Sun.][1]
My dearest,
I feel sorta “sheepish” (ashamed)
for having written such a glum
letter last night—but I
guess one glum day out of all these
could-be-glum-days isn’t too bad.
I slept like a log for 8 hours +
Dad’s $75 (wired) + (bestest) 2 letters
from you (pardon me, (one from you & one
from that swell little guy)—all
add up to my feeling just swell
again. It was kinda depressin’
to see all the other docs grabbing
last minute bargains & I
wasn’t able to touch them. [yup!
imagine Wilitzski[2] not being able to get in
on bargains!?!][3]. Thanks 10 million for the $10 that
Terry[4] enclosed in his letter. Boy am I rich, $75 + $10 = $85!
I just don’t believe I can
express all the things Mrs Gillespie
& I talked about at supper. Anyhoo
as times goes on the points will
dribble out. For now let me help
you get ready for something (POSSIBLE—
NOT CERTAIN) that Mrs Gillespie went
[2]
through. (she asked me to tell you). Guess one
could call it a feeling of “embarrassment”
in front of certain types of [P.S. “cat”, “hen”,
“snot”][5] women—who say (QUOTE)
“why! hasn’t he walked yet. hasn’t
he this or that yet?” It seems,
according to Mrs Gillespie (& from my
own observations too) that certain “small” women like to “Lord-it” over or
“grovel” other women about stuff ‘n
things WHETHER OR NOT it has
a perfectly logical scientific
background. Sooo, dearest, just
give them a quick brush off c̅[6]
terse, curt, scientific statements—
so there! Oh yes, Mrs Gillespie
offered very nicely & thought fully
to have you write her just any
ol’ time you cared to—since
she did the kindly offering, I
imagine she would never write
first. It is Mrs Chas Gillespie
5345 East. Washington St c/o Apt #22
Indianapolis, Ind. P.S. You & she might
criss-cross husband-information & gain much “dope” besides!
[3]
P.S. Gee, I surely do like my little
just-right address book you sent. Golly! how
did I ever get along s̅[7] one.
Oh, yes, I am enclosing a letter
from the blonde Kathryn Stahl in
our office. Please drop her just a
note.
Yup! I believe everything you
(or Dad) has sent has come through
fine—pictures (I’ll enclose the the [sic]
registered receipt & also the one for Terry’s Pistol Expert);
address book; your first cash-in-an
airmail (I believe it was $10); your second-
cash-in-an-airmail; Dad’s $75
telegraph money order; & so far a
“letter-a-day-keeps-the-psychiatrist-
away” in these potential “Gang-plank-
Fever” epidemic zones. (P.S. I HAVE HAD
NOT ONE SINGLE BIT OF “FEVER”). My only
[my one & only][8] feeling is concerning
you & Terry—no “fear,” no
lack of courage, & the such that
“infect” so many. I am just
positive God has given it to me
this Peace to me via the Epis[copal] Church!
[4]
No! dearest, I absoloutely do
NOT think it “queer” (UNQUOTE) what
you say about envying pregnant
women—& I believe I
understand many (or most) of the
reasons s̅ you writing them down.
(P.S. I didn’t have the nerve to ask, but I think
Mrs. Gillespie is 3½ to 4½ PG.). Don’t you
worry for one minute dearest
that we wont have 2 (or 3) rip
roarin’ athletes & maybe Terry
will be one too, instead of a
literary/musical/scientific GENIUS.
Infact, maybe it might [re: Terry][9] turn out
that God has it all fixed that
Terry {should [or] would}[10] “shame” his brothers
&/or sisters into getting good
grades instead of wasting all
their time becoming Olympic Champ-
ions—so there, darlin’!
Gee! golly! dearest, I am not a
bit glum or disheartened at all!
AND, don’t you ever dare think for
a minute that my postpartum
statement is one iota changed
[5]
which I said/say—DEAREST,
YOU MAKE SUCH WONDERFUL
BABIES INSIDE YOU!
Terry’s letter to me was so
sweet—so wonderful—so
cute! Geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
If I were to answer his letter directly to him, you would
probably snoop your darned nose into his envelope,
so I may as well write things out on this paper so
you can outright see things s̅ snoopin’. Ho! Ho! Ha!
Terry, my dear, I could write
volumes about those precious &
stimulating things you told me
in your printed letter—words
almost fail me—yet I
think I can put EVERYTHING into
one sentence———
I too, Terry, hope and pray you too
will someday find so unbelievably
fine and loving and God-sent
a girl as your Mother.
All of my love & my living to you both,
Pop Dave
[1] Bracketed text written along the uppermost edge of the page.
[2] His nickname for himself.
[3] Bracketed text is part of original.
[4] Their infant son.
[5] Bracketed text is part of original.
[6] Medical abbreviation meaning “with.”
[7] Medical abbreviation meaning “without.”
[8] Bracketed text is part of original.
[9] Bracketed text inserted into original with a caret.
[10] “Should” is written above “would” in original.