Jan. 10, 1944

 

Dearest Hal,

            When I was in town yesterday Saturday, I saw Marshall B.  He seemed awfully glad to see me and anxious to hear some news of you.  He will be having a change shortly.  All he knew was that this was his last furlough home.  He was looking fine but I imagine he was really a bundle of nerves.  You know how Marshall can get.  We both agreed it would be something if you two should ever run across one another.  I will send you his A.P.O. no. if and when he gets one. 

            We still have had no word from Bob.  The waiting makes us all anxious. 

            Mother is feeling some better but still coughs some and doesn’t sleep well yet.  I am desperately worried about Daddy.  His rheumatism is as bad as I have ever seen it.  We have to help him up out of his chair.  I am so afraid he will get helpless.  I have never seen anyone in my life who had such a horror of it.  The flu left him awfully weak, no appetite, and a bad cough.   He has not been outside the house since Christmas day.  It worries him very much because he cannot look after things.  I do the chores and fire the furnace.  I get it real warm before I go to school and then bank it until I get home again.  So far it has worked very well. 

            School is as usual, nothing very interesting happens there.  This is by far the hardest room to teach I have ever had.  They were poorly prepared but they are doing better now and I have certainly had to work.  Sam got a letter from you today and he was so thrilled to hear from you.  He tries to write you but it is such an awful effort to keep still, much less to write, that I guess I’ll have to write for both of us for awhile.

            Darling, I miss you so dreadfully.  I do hope you are coming home some time soon.  Don’t you think there is a possibility of a furlough?

            It seems wonderful to be addressing your letters to Major ____ ____ _____.  We certainly were thrilled over that.  I can hardly believe it.  Marshall sent you his congratulations and said he wouldn’t be surprised if you caught up with him. 

                                                                                    All my love,

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