March 5, 1940

Dear Nick,

I was quite surprised to hear from you so soon for really you don’t answer so soon but I was glad to get your letter, you know to me. When I’m in among strangers, a letter means a lot. I am surprised also that you didn’t visit your uncle when you were home for two weeks. Gosh I couldn’t stay in Goodtown that long and not visit my uncle just across the fence. Only other obstacles would keep me away from their doors.

I write home most every week and boy do I get nice letters from home. They make me feel sort of homesick when I read them but you know that has to wear off in time for I am getting a lot although the people I work for thought I wasn’t more than 16. So you see I still have my girlish look even though I weigh 134. Last winter I weighed 140 so I’m going down I hope. What did your brothers think of me? I bet they were glad when I left because I teased the day lights out of them especially George about his dimples and Steve. I was quite a pest when I was in Goodtown. Gee, it must feel great to be boss in a company among grownups. Boy I would stick out my chest when I strut tee hee.

Roller skating is hard for me because I think I cracked my ankle bone because it sure gives me trouble yet still swollen and hurts like the dickens. I can’t walk down the stairs with my weak ankle very well. It’s been over 2 months. When I sprained I had to have a fellow pull my foot before I could step on it after I sprained. But I don’t say anything for fear of making my folks worry over me. You know the less your folks know the less they worry (My Creed). The last letter I wrote home I told them not to worry about me because I have an insurance now that’s me. I haven’t made friends here yet because I hate to be the first one to make advances although some fellows have tried to make advances on me but I just ignore them that’s me, but I can’t help it. I think I’ll start at the church and maybe through that I can make a lot of friends. There is a Catholic church in walking distance from here so I am going to go there maybe this Sunday. IT’s snowing now and has been for ages so I shall be glad when I can get out and walk around in the warm sun without a lot of heavy coats. The people I work for try to live like big shots so they don’t bother much with their neighbors. Think they’re better you know like eating at a big dining room table alone with three forks and a dozen spoons and only a dab of this and a dab of that enough for a good sized bite and sit on chairs with their backs so straight that you couldn’t then them with a press. But they treat me pretty good to what some girls get. I don’t do much and have it pretty easy. That’s what gets me sometimes so I try reading and when that fails me I go for a walk and sometimes end up by street cars and busses at Benny’s on some joint where they serve Italian spaghetti and plenty of it. Boy do I love them. And it’s a pleasure for me to drag the people I know somewhere where they don’t care to go but I enjoy that. I haven’t been home since January 5 so that’s something. Josephine Keller married someone down home I heard.

And Marvie Keller has to do all his cooking alone. I suppose he’ll get married soon because he hates to cook. I haven’t seen my new boyfriend from Edwardsville for ages, probably stepped out on me so when he shows up I let him know he’s not the only one leave him. You heard the song “I can get along without you very well, of course I can”, that’s me, because I don’t take anyone seriously because I don’t care to get hurt. (That’s me.) I am going to send home an Easter box in a few weeks. I hope they send me something or they’ll break my heart if they don’t. You know I appreciate any little thing I get so much that I don’t forget it ever. A weak heart can be broken or hurt in most every way but I can’t exchange it so I shall keep it. I’m told the best blizzard we had; well I was in it and sure enjoyed it. I started for Kingston from W-B in the evening 8:00 p.m. Wednesday and it had taken me till 11:00 p.m. to get there in which you can drive in 10 minutes. The bus got stuck on the Avenue and finally I had to go in a private taxi to get there. Boy I enjoy every bit of it. I think Sunday I am going to see the movie “The Grapes of Wrath”. [It’s] supposed to be good. Say you are a picture maker so tell me how to transfer from a negative after you have one on the picture paper and what do you use because I am having fun with negatives and picture paper. So tell me because I hate to go troubling any one at the studio because I might get kicked out when I monkey around someone else’s studio (a friend’s). I love to experiment for the fun of it. So tell it in simple words so I can understand. I do such crazy things when I am in that mood you see. I found a lot of negatives and picture paper and a mess of bottles with labels on them in one of the drawers in the studio while nosing about so I decided to have fun the next time I go there so please hurry and tell me. I think I’ll strap my ankle up good and tight and try to learn to roller skate in our cellar – one place I can’t be seen when I fall. That’s a point for me.

Well I guess I better stop chattering or you’ll be throwing part of my precious letter away.

So I’ll say Good Bye and I hope you have luck in answering. Write lots!

Stella