Wednesday,

Dec. 23, 1942.

Dearest Hal,

Today I got a letter from you telling of getting a package from us. We are so glad you got it and hope the things were what you could use. You should get another package soon. It was mailed ten days before the one you got.

We got the ivory pins and thought they were lovely. I have sent “Nana’s,” Sara’s, and Elizabeth’s on to them. We, that is Peggy and I, have been wearing ours and have had so many nice compliments on them.

You asked in one of your recent letters if I was teaching. I sometimes teach for a day or two when one of the teachers is sick. I believe I have taught 2 days in all. I enjoy doing it. We get $2.50 per day for this work.

This is your real Christmas present. We have saved $3250. We have $3000 invested in 4 one thousand dollar bonds. This and the $250, which you sent me this week, is what we have saved. I feel we should do better or at least I should. I think your idea of a monthly statement is a very good idea. I shall send you a statement for January.

Dearest, what an awful thing you wrote me about the boy who shot himself. War marriages are surely in many cases a great mistake. I suppose there are many times when faithful wives wait at home for husbands who aren’t true to them either. There is only one way in which people can be happy when they are miles apart and that is to have absolute faith in each other. Things like this cannot touch us except to make us truly appreciate the faith we have in each other. No matter how many miles may separate us no one else can take my place in your heart and no one else can ever have that part of me that is entirely yours. You have been gone for ten months now and I’ll have to confess, even though it will make your head smell right up, that so far I haven’t seen a man, not even a general, who looks good to me. For me there is and has always been one man. God grand that that one may come safely home. There will never be any one to take your place. Better than anything else is the certain knowledge that your love for me is as lasting and unchanging as mine for you. No one could make me doubt that you have loved me more than I deserve and will continue to have me better still, now and forever.

Take good care of yourself, my dearest. We miss you more and more as Christmas draws nearer. We won’t have much fun but for Sam’s sake I shall have to try.

All my love,

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