April 16, 1942

Dear John,

Well here it is Thursday morning and I don’t have any work to do. Ain’t that wonderful? I think so anyway.

I am sorry to hear that your mother has been sick. As for my folks, they are all well and I think they will let you in when you come to see us.

Jean is still going with Carlton. He wants to get married, the next. But I think Jean has better sense than to get married at a time like this. Do you remember Peaky? She is going to marry Carlton Fink this summer, so I’ve heard from the Bradleys. You would be surprised what I hear through the Bradleys, or would you?

I am sitting here looking at Georgie Pargie and I can’t stop looking at him and I can’t concentrate while I am looking at him. He is a very amusing character. He starts his day off by putting drops in his eyes to make them sparkle, then he puts lotion on his hands to make them smell sweet, and then he gets out his Esquire magazines to dream for awhile. I think his is as cute as he is quaint even though he is bull-headed and has an English accent.

Now I will tell you about my little boy friend named “Otto”. He fits the description of your granddad perfectly. Nobody else can wait on him but me. He just stands at my window and waits for me if I’m busy. Now ain’t that sweet. I offered him some First Federal matches yesterday but he refused them. He said, “No thank you lady, I neither smoke nor cheer”. But you can’t fully appreciate him until you know him.

[Drawing of a pin] The Pin

It doesn’t really look that bad and it really isn’t a pin at all, it’s a clasp. Do you feel better now?

So the Army is treating you boys a little rough, well it won’t hurt you; in fact, it will probably do all of you a lot of good don’t you think. At least the Navy did Bubbie a lot of good. He weighs 165 lbs now. Oh he is quite a husky little fellow alright. We haven’t heard from him for about two weeks now. He is on a cruiser. Guess I had better not tell the name of it but I can assure you he has had plenty of excitement since he left home, too much I think.

Well I’m at the end of the page so I’ll just stop now. Write me soon and behave yourself.

Love,

Bessie

P.S. Tell your friends hello for me and don’t put any bad ideas in their sweet little heads or vice versa. Think of me once in a while.