Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind.
Dec. 9 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

Yours of Dec. 1 & 2 came today. Thanks for the check. Our bank acc’t is low ($49.00) so that will boost it somewhat. When I can find the time will send you a complete financial statement for 1943. I have the checks listed under their respective distributions (to Dec. 1) but haven’t added the long columns yet. I put a few figures in a letter last week, about Ins., Bonds, etc., but those didn’t take much adding. It doesn’t seem possible I wrote checks to cover all the money I put in the bank in ’43 but I have the checks and they all were essential – with the exceptions of a piano, fur coat, etc. However a goodly amt. went into Ins., the house & bonds.

David is still coughing a little, but hasn’t any temp. I am still giving him sulfadiazine. I haven’t had him anyplace where he could get such a cold but he has one. 37 were out of school today (high). Irene, Mrs. J. & Jimmy are all down with flu. I called Link and talked to him. I told him David was under the weather.

[page 2] and I can’t leave him now but could come over after school if I could do anything to help. He said he had gotten them all fed and they were pretty well taken care of then. They had Dr. M. yesterday and today. I didn’t call the Dr. to come I just asked him about giving sulfa & he told me what dosage to give and how often. David is asleep now. Hope he takes a nice long nap. I try to keep him in his bed but he gets tired of being kept up, so have to turn him loose when he gets to dissatisfied. He takes his stuffed toys and loves then, then throws them down. He pulls the lovey stuff on me too when he wants something very much. He certainly understands things we say to him. I told him he couldn’t crawl around the floor. He got down and began to crawl. I said “do you want me to put you back in your bed,” and he quit crawling. I put him on the toidey seat just as soon as he finishes his breakfast and he usually has his first B.M. I am not always lucky enough to get the next, but if I put him on the toidey after his nap he usually saves a diaper. He tries to feed himself, but to keep from wasting Pablum I give him a spoon to work with and at the same time feed him with another spoon.

[page 3] He won’t allow me to help him guide the spoon he holds and doesn’t seem to notice I am feeding him at the same time he is trying to feed himself. He can hold his cup to drink from but is a little awkward so I usually hold the cup.

John was relating some school happenings yesterday. He sounded so much like you in his tone and mannerism I told him you couldn’t have sounded more like yourself. They had to give reports on certain animals and the Dean Davis boy in John’s class gave a report on monkeys. You recall Davises used to have a pet monkey. John doesn’t care for the D. boy and ended the discussion with this observation, I wonder if the Davises were trying to find a twin for Dwane when they got that monkey. He was so droll about it – Just like his Dad.

I see in the paper that Ira Dixon is going to engage in the practice of law. He was admitted to the bar in 1913, according to the paper. As has been the custom the Dem. comes on Thurs. and the Newton Co. usually tags in on Fri.

I told J. & M. their Christmas money would come in a day or two – I also told them they could buy themselves a fresh supply of cod liver oil out of their own money. I don’t know how they could get more benefit from spending on themselves, do you?

[page 4] Mark has been playing football all fall. He came in at noon with a bad thumb. Thought he couldn’t cut his meat and when I pointed out it was hamburger, got along with his fork. He takes the prize about so many things. I tell him he gold bricks. Sometimes he will say, “Now Mother don’t think I am trying to ‘gold brick.’” He was done all his Christmas shopping and has his gifts wrapped and under the tree. He is so full of anticipation for Christmas. It’s good to have someone in the house like that. John is rather matter-of-fact about things. I told both boys our bank acc’t is low right now, so John said, to cut down on Christmas spending (now who is that like?). Not that I was throwing money around on elaborate gifts. I have a few things I think Mark will enjoy, some toys for D. and want to get a record or two for John. He will probably get himself some records with the money you send.

Dot Salter Huffman sent me a roll of film and Lucile sold me one so now I have two rolls and can get some more snaps of D. and the rest of us. Dot works for Easley and knew I wanted film, hence the roll from her. Katie Fletcher works at the NuJoy and gets film for Lucile – You really have to be on the inside track to get film not.

Love Mother

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
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