Dart writes this letter at about the same time that Dot is heading home on an eastbound train.

The only news he can come up with from his end is the preparation for the weekly inspection of the wards. He launches into great detail about the flurry of activity that has patients and corpsmen alike scrubbing, swabbing, sweeping and polishing in order to impress the admiral. Then they wait. A blur of blue and gold finally buzz through – covering eight wards in 20 minutes. “All that work, all that worry, all that time wasted in waiting…, all that for what? Not a blessed thing… a time of utter confussion, ended by a great letdown.”

The final paragraph is just about the sweetest thing I can remember reading. It’s certainly worth a glance, but here is the gist of it:  “I wish we could live a thousand years so I could love you that long.”

Dot writes from the train that’s taking her farther from Dart. She was glad he called last night while she was at his parents’ house for dinner. She thanks him for sounding so cheerful and says his mother was quite relieved to hear that lilt in his voice. Once again she tells Dart how much she likes his family and how sad she is to be leaving Ohio.

The closer she gets to Greenwich, however, the more excited she is to see her own family. She is arriving two days earlier than expected, as a surprise. She says she was caught in a downpour as she ran to catch her train so her suit is wrinkled and her hair is flat. She only hopes her family is more surprised than scared when she shows up.

Dart had asked her if he could begin to call her darling every once in awhile. She answers that he can call her whatever he’d like, but anyone can write a mushy letter. She prefers the type of letters he writes – intelligent and witty. They have plenty of time to use the more passionate language, but she’ll be happy to hear from him, no matter what he writes.

It strikes me that at this moment in time, our two young lovers are at very different places in their lives. Dart is feeling bored, lonely and sad, with no idea when anything positive will happen to change his state. Dot is starting on a new adventure of moving home, finding a job and seeing where the future leads.