Letter-heads weren’t ready so you will have to wait a bit. Maybe tomorrow. I felt like clubbing the guy. He had them set up wrong and everything. I specified type about 1/16 inch high max and he had it about 3 times that size. Looked like a billboard or something.
Spent yesterday morning sleeping and read all afternoon. Put in about 400 pages of The Way Of A Transgressor, by Negley Farson. It is interesting—library book. Biography of a fellow who sold munitions during the last war—to Russia—and had a pretty good time of it. Apparently modern youth are behind the times. Some of his description made me want my darling awfully badly.
I seem to be getting more solidly established at the RCA. So far, I have heard no adverse criticism of my work. I may have to go to school out here, because the thought of going back to some of the putrid associations there (P.U.) is most repulsive to me. I knew too much about the filth and petty squabbles down there to have much respect for the place. Boy, what a way to talk about one’s alma mater. Penn State in Philly might be a good place to do it.
Keep me posted on the fronts of our various activities. I didn’t get a letter from you today, so I hope I shall get one tomorrow. I sort of live from one to the next.
Found a letter from JH and one from Willy this afternoon. I believe you know what was in both of them. Not much excitement. I am enclosing an answer to Bill’s as I am out of envelopes.
This isn’t much of a letter, honey child, but I guess it will have to do. I am tired as usual, and very lonesome. You’re being a very brave little girl, and I hope that I can someday show you how much I appreciate the way you stick things out for me. Years from now, when we have completely come out of this beautiful mess we’ve made of our lives, we shall be thankful no end that we had each other to depend on. Gotta eat, darling. Wish you were sitting across the table from me.
I am so damned mad at the printer that I could choke , but I guess it won’t do any good. I told him that I wanted the name 1/16th inch high, and it is about 20% larger than that, making the difference between a refined personal letter-head and a glaring business one. I shall be damn sick and tired of these things before I get rid of them. The envelopes are all right, except that he got them the next size larger than the ones I wanted. That’s the last time I shall go to that place for printing. It is supposed to be the best in Camden or something.
Well, enough of the griping. You might let me know what you think of the things so that I may know what to get the next time. Of course, with the page filled, it doesn’t look quite so badly. Or do you like them?
By now, you should have gotten my letters of the 20th and 18th. I’m glad that you stopped in to see the folks as they enjoy your visits so much. You fill in the hole left by both Jack and I, which is some order.
The show idea on Saturday sounds good. You’ll probably feel a whole lot better if you let down for some honest to goodness good entertainment once in a while. How do you remember the names of the song numbers? I don’t even know most of them when I hear them, much less remember them more than an hour afterwards. Honey, with your brains and my good luck, we can really go places.
It is nice to know that the dog-house fund is growing. When I get to $100 salted away here, I shall start paying back John. I shall let you know before the first installment so that you may send the smelling salts as planned.
As concerns Helen of Troy, I heard from JH that he had sent it, and asked him what he thought of the idea of letting Jimmy read it. I haven’t heard from him yet, but if he approves, I think it would do the infant a lot of good. I wish I had read it ten years ago instead of last year!
28 more days. Of course, it won’t be an abrupt change at that point, but it will at least mean that we have started our break for freedom. It is one of the few things that means so much to me that I am afraid of the outcome if not favorable. I feel that there is only one ultimate solution, even though it takes years. I don’t anticipate any opposition, but if we get it, baby, somebody else is going to wish that they had never gotten into the fight. We’ve just got to win, and that is all there is to it.
So you’ve started your Easter shopping early, have you! Good for you. Self respect can’t be bought, but it certainly can be bolstered up by attractive clothing. Someday, darling girl, you’ll have all of that that you can desire. I now know how parents feel about their kid’s baby clothes. Honestly, anything you’ve worn has a halo around it to me.
The phone call may be a little after your birthday to make it fit in with plans here, but you can be darned sure that there will be a very torrid connection between here and there sometime in the immediate vicinity of April 7. Darling, that is going to be our birthday present to each other. It will be paid for with money which is at least half yours, so don’t go straining anything about the 25th.
I once boiled for about two days because I found lipstick marks on a letter. It must be the girl involved, because not only did I not boil, but I have been kissing it at perfectly outrageous intervals ever since I got the letter open.
Just glanced at the letter-head and am boiling over again. I shall glance to the left at my darling’s lips—there, that fixes it.
I really must stop, honey bunch. I haven’t taken my laundry out for over a week, and I have a pair of shoes to take out to be half-soled. I have about four letters to write when I get back from supper, as well as 300 pages to read, and a problem to work on.
The waitress, the one engaged to the young doc, had a good laugh over me last evening. She said that I looked so used to receiving special attention that everyone gave it to me without a thought. I told her that between my Mother, two big sisters, and the girl I was engaged to, that I was probably the most perfectly spoiled man in the world. It’s mostly your fault, though, darling. Because no one has ever treated me more nicely.
Whoops! Tempus fugit*—20 minutes to get laundry together and down town.
Boy, I’m glad to hear that. Between not hearing from you about that business, as well as being concerned over the positive reaction on the scratch*, your little boy hasn’t slept a full night in over a week. Well, let me know how the other business turns out. Listen, little girl, will you promise to have the x-rays taken within a couple of days after payday? Please answer this in your next letter, because if you won’t promise or if you don’t answer, I shall send the money to you. If you want me to do this, if things are squeezed, just let me know and I shall gladly oblige. That’s the least a husband can do.
Mother seems to be quite happy about her birthday. Every time she writes she says that you are coming in the next evening or something and that makes everything fine. I wouldn’t be too surprised if she liked you a little bit, like I do.
OK on the hairdo. Experiment with it until you feel satisfied and then shoot me
Illustration from original letter
some pictures. OK on a small one of me, after things have cleared up. I wouldn’t want that around that section of the US for a while at least. I feel flattered, nevertheless.
When things clear up, perhaps I could call on the Brows even though you aren’t out here. Of course, it will be sort of nip and tuck as to whether or not you are out here after things clear. That’s going to be an awful hard decision for us to make when the time comes, but I’m not afraid of it.
I shall look at the local edition of Moody’s if I ever get over there and know my way around well enough.
Glad to hear that the other part of the exam wasn’t as bad as you expected it to be.
I went out to see Pygmalion last night. Darling, you must see it. It is one of the most touching, most amusing, most sincere, and best acted pictures I have ever seen. I thought I would split laughing at it, and probably most of the people around me wished that I would split and get it over with. After I got home—now don’t faint—I finished retyping that story over which we worked so long, the one about the concrete slab. After rereading it, I don’t like it. I suppose I should submit it, but I’m a little afraid of a kick back from Bendix or PU or RCA. I don’t know about what they could kick, but I shall consider it a bit before submitting the thing. Of course, it probably wouldn’t be published and therefore would make little difference. But since I don’t like it, perhaps it would be published! My taste is not always the same as that of the average American, whoever that may be.
I got quite a compliment this afternoon, and I am muchly happy as a result. In fact, I shall probably do much better work this coming week than the last, although I wasn’t sleeping at the switch even then. The boss, Gunther, wanted me to do some other work for about a week, but Selby told him that I was indispensible to the Coast Guard job at present! (Tsk tsk—I let it out again). I have carried out a lot of investigation of parts and materials which might be construed to be boondoggling, but apparently Selby sees their value. Generally, when this happens, I get kicked in the face the following day, so I shan’t be surprised if someone tells me my work is lousy tomorrow. Neither today’s or tomorrows treatment will make me lose sleep, so I guess it doesn’t make much difference.
It is lucky for my vanity that your picture can’t talk. I ask it millions of times per week why you aren’t out here living with me, working with me, reading and arguing with me, and not losing sleep with me. If it could answer, I should probably be told that it is because I was once too selfish to include you in my life until I was sure that I should have everything I wanted first. I don’t feel that way now.
Can you imagine it. I have been home for some time, and you yet have an hour and a few minutes until quitting time. Further, I have been home for a half hour or more! If these hours continue, I shall be a very spoiled brat.
The Way of a Transgressor is an excellent book. The author does just about what I have done so far, only he continues it for the rest of his life. We might read it over sometime together as a possible guide to our future conduct. But your little boy has to get on his horse and become a lot better educated than he is now before we can have as much fun as this fellow did. We’ll get there someday, precious.
It is nearly supper time and I must write Mother. Let me know if I should give you a lift on the x-rays. It would be a cash set-up to avoid records.
I just got your letter this morning. Even though my heart is yet pumping away like I had seen a ghost, I am glad you sent it anyhow. It was awfully sweet.
I shall go through your letter of yesterday and answer it first.
Tell Bill* that if OQ5AE** is going to be out in this section with nothing to do, that I should like to meet him and take him out to dinner. I doubt if there is much chance of this, but it should be interesting if I could work it in. He is the man who sent me those pictures of the blacks and the buffalo in my photograph album.
Bill must have been sick, riding all the way out without talking a leg off of you. He used to do that with me quite frequently, but that was because he was working on something that he wanted to finish while I was around so that he could ask questions about it. I am beginning to miss his lawn and Jimmy and our wonderful week-ends together now that spring has arrived. The thermometer hit about 75 here yesterday and then we had a regular summer thunder-shower.
Darling, I’ve been neglecting you! I find that there’s a letter from the 24th under one of the 25th which I haven’t yet answered! Gee, that’s terrible of me.
The letter-heads which I shall probably settle on the next time will be exactly like these, except that the name will be in the same weight of type as the address is. It may also be desirable to make the name slightly smaller type size, although I don’t know yet. Does that sound better? For personal stationery I shall use the stuff I already have, which is approximately as you described.
I wonder if Don ever did anything about snagging my job at Scott’s. If he could get it at a reasonable price, I imagine it would be just the thing for him.
OK on the phone call doing for our birthdays. There is the only present I want, and that is my baby’s love for another year. That is all that really counts between us. I shall be most proud when I can have that love and let the whole damn world know about it.
Now for today’s letter.
Your answer to Bill’s questions about my work was most satisfactory. I don’t know how much of it I am supposed to keep quiet, but if no one knows that I am working on restricted designs, my chances of being asked embarrassing questions about them will be negligible. Speaking of which, precious, I heard what may be some good news yesterday. When we get the first model complete, someone is going to have to go down in the dunes of Virginia and supervise the Coast Guard’s installation and acceptance tests. I was told Friday that I would probably get this job. Gee, I’m trying not to count on it, but the idea of three or four weeks on the seashore, mostly cruising around in a CG cutter, appeals to me immensely. One point in my favor is that I seem to get along with the local CG inspector better than most of the men on the job.
OK on the x-rays. I want to get things cleared all around as soon as possible. When you ask for the extra hour, don’t under any circumstances say what you want it for, other than to go see a doc. There is no point in Moody’s knowing that you may have a tb bug floating about. You probably won’t have to tell them anything, but if you do, say that the x-rays are to locate your misplaced gimmick or something.
Sorry to hear that your Dad is under the weather.
Friday night, I played bridge with the folks here until the wee small hours. Grandmas Brooks and Hannah played against Margaret Hannah (school-teach) and I. We always tell the ol’ gals that we’re giving them points to keep their interest and they about pop. They’re both better players than we are, and usually beat the pants off of us. But Friday, I got one beautiful no-trump support hand after another, so we came out ahead. Spent most of yesterday razzing Grandma Brooks about being down in the dumps because she lost. During the evening, we dispensed with a quart of beer and a pint of Black and White via Scotch and soda.
A 1930’s era photo of Sears in Camden, NJ
Yesterday, I went over to Sears and bought a bookcase about 2 feet by 10 inches by four feet high. It is unfinished, and I shall finish it in the natural color like I did that book-case I made. Then we—you and I in our home—can paint over it any color we want to after we find out what color scheme will work out best. The natural will go well in the room I have, as it will match the wood-work and go reasonably well with the apple green furniture. Total cost of paint and everything is about $5. I certainly do need the thing now. Books all over.
In addition to that, I wrote letters to Duffys, Kinsmans, Jorgensons, the gang at Fast’s, and the folks.
I also sent that manuscript to the Post. I should get the rejection slip about the end of the week, hi. I let the school teacher read it and she could find only two errors in it, which amazed me. I imagine you would like her a lot. I haven’t the damnedest idea how old she is. I would guess around 30. She is a great deal like my kid sister, Jack***, even to having red hair and bossing the whole damn house. She razzes hell out of me about everything I do, chiefly because Grandma Brooks gets so embarrassed about it. You’ll have to meet the gang here, because they have certainly heard enough about you. I was awfully lucky to stumble into such a congenial outfit on the first look.
Hold your shirt, precious. I finally worked on my business correspondence file. The “personal” is also cleaned up a lot. The following list of files is probably the best way of telling you what I did to it.
Jack Stafford***
Marty
Family (other than Jack)
Huntoon (all)
Aiken
Conklin
Hayworth (all)
Crane and Osborne
Simrall (Josie) } Probably a dead file. I dropped them a line when I got out here and
Hill } told them if they didn’t answer I would consider them as having given
Woodson (Ted)} up under competition from you! Maybe they were serious??? So what!
JEF and BHF****
Florie Arnott, Hope and MG
General Business File (non-repetitive)
General Personal File
B.C.—Publishers and related material (QST, Radio, etc.)
B.C.—Government (Army, Navy, Civil Service etc.)
B.C. –Glasses (Leggett and Hemp—Drs.)
B.C.—Collegiate (PU, Ohio St., etc.)
B.C.—Misc. Employment Applications.
That keeps all of the files down to a reasonable size. I believe I shall buy one of these file case and break down the non-repetitive files into alphabetical files, in addition to the classified files listed. Honey bunch, I’m just hanging on until you can take over for me. You don’t know what you’re getting into by marrying me. I’ll bet your “office” hours are worse with me than they ever were with any of your employers!
I worked on a problem in radio theory this morning until your letter came. Also have been putting in a little time on my book on college life. Reading back, it yet appears to have a darned good chance of getting some place.
I shouldn’t do this, but I have just one stamp left and I’m afraid that another sheet would make it overweight.
It hardly seems possible, but it is noon, and I haven’t had breakfast yet. Neither have I shaved. I think I shall stay in all day and skip that ordeal. I would like to get that problem along a little farther. Then I would spend another week-end with the Aikens and hash it out with the Doc.
I just completed Live Alone and Like It. It is a darned clever book, and only about three hours reading time. I know you would like it, and it would be appropriate at this time. It is written for girls, but I also enjoyed it. Shall I ship it out. It might be good reading for some Sunday morning.
Well, precious baby girl, it is about time for our boy-friend to get on his horse and get some work done. Now that those first couple of awful weeks are over, I feel very happy. I do know for sure this time that you are mine, which makes it even more pleasant than that first year of college was. I don’t have that horrible question mark floating around your picture that I had then. And speaking of pictures, I slept with yours last night. Sure it’s silly, but I couldn’t help it. For some reason or other, that day after the Convention seems very real to me this morning, almost as if I could reach out and touch you, or feel your precious arms around my neck, while you looked over my shoulder and tried to get me away from the mill. I have never felt closer to anyone that I did to you then and now. Good bye for a while, darling.
Your husband, Cy.
*Bill Conklin, fellow ham radio buff from home.
**These are the radio call letters for Cy’s fellow Ham Radio friend Roy Stegall, a Presbyterian Missionary who sent him some photos from a mission trip to Africa.
**”Jack” was a family nickname for his older sister, Emma, who was also called “Sissy”.
Aw I full! I just had a swellegant steak dinner at my customary restaurant.
I didn’t get to read your letter this afternoon until about an hour after I got home, as an insurance salesman was waiting for me when I arrived. Was I peeved. I enjoyed talking with him, but I was seriously tempted to tell him to go soak his head until I had read my mail. He didn’t even try to sell me any insurance, as the blokes out there generally do on the first meeting, but is going to drop around again in a couple of months. Perhaps I can do him some good then. Company is Provident Mutual of Philly.
So the Battle-axe cornered you. It’s lucky I wasn’t along, for I would have been moved to mayhem or worse.
Ma Huntoon certainly has been nice to my baby since I left that region. I think maybe she likes you, a little. I can’t make any promises on the phone call just yet, for it may be later than the 7th. Indications are that I may go down to Aikens that week-end, leaving here on Friday night, to do a little paper research on this pet problem of mine.
Today at the office went a little better than last week. I am apparently being given a rather free hand with the remainder of the design of this present job. I guess I told you that the place was reorganized Monday afternoon, with me in the government receiver group. Please forget all of this, for although we aren’t told to suppress it, it is highly desirable to so do.
Played ping pong for an hour yesterday in the A.A. rooms (Company sponsored). Saw Fast and Loose on Sunday night with Robert Montgomery and Rosalind Russell, I think. It was quite good and hope you see it. Played cards with Grandma Brooks, Margaret, and another school teach friend of hers. Made 808 for three rubbers at auction. High was 818.
Jack sent me a couple of books, one on ethics and the other on etiquette, and also about 50 of the enclosed. Sweet of her. She always looks out for little brother, although it is sometimes amusing.
Not much more, so I shall stop before I become dull.
