Letter #10

October 21, 1942.

Wednesday Evening.

Carlton darling,

Yesterday I received letters 4 and 5 for October, written Oct. 9 and Oct. 11. I am now missing only numbers 2 and 3 for October. I thought they might come today, but they didn’t. However, I undoubtedly will receive them in a few more days.

I’ll answer your letters first. Yes, dear, I received the cable and the beautiful flowers you sent for out anniversary as you surely must know by now, since I have written you all about it, and also told you in a cable that I received them. The gift you mention[ed] sending by airmail has not yet arrived, so maybe it is coming by boat instead, or else got held up somewhere---possibly it takes a while to come through the customs. But I don’t know. Anyway, it will get here before much longer, probably, and I am most anxious to get it, and am wondering what it is.

You mention[ed] that your cold is better. Evidently you must have told me in one or the other of the missing letters that you had a cold. I’m glad it is about gone. You will have to be careful. Do the army doctors give you “cold inoculations” if you want them? I know you had them once, and thought they didn’t prevent your colds, but I should think you would inquire about it if you get another cold. I believe you are supposed to wait until a cold is over before taking the inoculations. They don’t work if you take them while you have a cold.

As to the guild house---the Sunday School classes and the various guilds will meet in the parish house the way they always did until they rectory was moved and that house turned into a guild house. I’m not worried about where meetings, etc., will be held. What is worrying me is how terrible the guild house looks. And it will continue to look worse and worse as time goes on, and they finally decide to take it down or it falls down.

You know by now that I received the check all right, and the pound note, and all of the handkies except 4 of no. 10, which will probably be in the next letter, and of course the handkies that were in letters 2 and 3 and have not come yet. As I said, I’m not worried, as those letters will probably get here before long. And I’ve also written you about the work done in the house and the yard.

I hope you get the missing letter #11. I am sure, in fact I am certain, that I sent you Stanley’s address, so if you don’t have it, I must have put it in that letter that is missing. Here it is again, anyway---

Pvt. Stanley H. Hill

583 Technical Training Squadron, T.S.No. V

A.A.F.T.T.C.

Basic Training Center No. 4

Miami Beach, Fla.

I had lunch downtown with Kathleen today. She says that Stanley will finish his basic training about the 24 or 25 of this month. And, unless things are changed, Stanley hopes and expects to stay there. He expects to be made a “classifier,” that is, he interviews the rookies when they are sent there, and assigns them to different schools to learn whatever branch of the air force they prefer, as far as possible. Then also, where they are assigned depends on their I.Q., and where they are most needed. Of course, he is not sure yet whether he will receive that assignment or not, but he thinks it would be interesting.

10-21-42

Today I added another art to my long list of accomplishments! (NO, dearest, I’m not crazy, and I’ll explain.) There at the office, Miss Fuller and Mrs. McLaughlin always speck about what a wonderful memory I have, although I never thought it was especially outstanding. But I will admit, I can remember names and addresses and cases better than they can, and I can usually tell where we have sent telegrams several days after we have sent them. And today, Miss Fuller told me I would also be famous around there as a detective, if I repeated what I did this afternoon. A soldier came in my office who wanted to locate his sister. He thought she was in Scranton, and he came up from Florida where he was stationed to surprise her. He went to Scranton, and found she had recently moved out of town, but a friend told him that the sister had moved to Rochester. He couldn’t find a trace of her there, and thought that she might have come to Binghamton, as her husband had once talked of trying to find work in Binghamton. So he came to our office. Well, Mrs. McLaughlin was out, and I didn’t know how to go about it, but I asked him some questions about his brother-in-law, and what work he did, and after about 3 phone calls and 10 minutes work, I found out the store where the brother-in-law worked, and the home address. The poor boy, the soldier, was so pleased and surprised. His face got all red, and I thought he was going to burst into tears. But instead he burst into smiles, much to my relief. And he left the office very happy. After he had left, one of the girls in the outer office came to me and said, “That soldier told me his story while he was waiting to see you. How were you able to find his sister so quickly for him, when he has been looking all over for her?” I said that it was more good luck on my part than good brains. However, I was glad that I could help him, because he was all ready to give up the rest of his furlough and return to Florida.

Today turned out to be a nasty, rainy day. It looked grand this morning, although my father’s barometer said it would storm. Then this noon it sprinkled a little, and by afternoon was raining quite hard. Tonight it is still going strong. I presume it will get colder after this rain. It seems now that after every rain it gets a little bit cooler.

I meant to tell you in my last letter that I am glad you got the curl all right, and like it.

The thoughts that you mentioned passed through your mind on our anniversary were practically the same as mine. And not only on our anniversary, but all the time, I find myself thinking of something we used to do, and thinking how much fun it will be to do whatever it may be again, when you get back again. Yes, those five and a half years were wonderful, but I know that we will have many more wonderful years ahead of us when you return.

I am anxious to know how you are situated now since your change of address. Do you have a nice place to live, and are your meals as good as before? I presume you have no idea how long it will be before your address will be changed again.

Give my regards to Col. Woodbury, Col. Caldwell, and Lt. Teague, and to any other officers I know there, when you see them. Oh yes, Col. Kidd too, if you ever happen to see him anywhere. Also, give my love to Mrs. McDowell, the next time you are there.

I’m glad you bought yourself a good warm coat. (Sometimes more for the bedding roll.) And you really needed the extra field jacket, too. I hope the old blouse reaches you soon, too.

In the last wire I sent you, I said everyone was well, and I thought I was being a truthful girl. Grandma’s cold seemed to be getting better, and Dr. Woodburn had told her she need not stay in bed any longer. But she said she didn’t feel like getting up that afternoon, and she wouldn’t get up Sunday, either. So Monday, we sent for the Dr. again. He also came yesterday, and told her to stay in bed until Friday, when he would come again. I guess she will be able to get up then, as she appears to be much improved now. He gave her a couple kinds of medicine, and also some cough syrup. She herself says she feels quite like getting up, but will obey the doctor’s orders and stay in bed until he says she can get up. She likes Dr. Woodburn, and Aunt Sadie thinks he is excellent.

Tomorrow night, Hope, Laura, and I are planning to go out somewhere to dinner. I’ll write you about it if we do. And Friday, I have an appointment at the Beauty Shop at 5:30. I’ll probably write Friday night after I get back home.

My sweetheart, I can’t tell you how much I miss you, and how I long for the time we will be together once more; and I am looking forward to the many happy years I know we will have together when you return. I wish you were here to hold me tight in your arms, dear. Everyday, I wish for you so many times for so many different reasons. I love you dearly, my precious.

All my love and kisses to you, darling.

Your devoted and loving wife,

Jeanette.