In an 8-page letter, Dart is able to cover a lot of topics. He sure takes advantage of that here!
He and Pop did more work around the house; laundry, painting the kitchen ceiling and washing the one in the dining room. Then Al Frobush stopped by for a visit. He’d had a tire blowout, replaced it with the spare, and then the spare went flat. He was walking home past Dart’s apartment so he decided to drop by a rest his weary feet. (There’s an epidemic of bad tires in the neighborhood! I wonder if it’s a sign of hard economic times or a shortage of tires as the nation recovers from the war effort.)
While he was there, Al and Dart discussed the date at Kent. Not only did Al enjoy meeting Phyll t the weenie roast, but he’d like to go back for a dance. He suggests they might go down early on a Saturday or Sunday so they and the girls could spend a whole day together. Dart’s job is to coordinate the plans around Dot’ and Phyll’s work schedule sometime before school is out for the summer.
The next topic is Dart’s purchase of a couple of basic tools. He got a great deal on a decent drill, and managed to find a so-so deal on a hacksaw. Both tools will come in handy when he builds his railroad, remodels an attic apartment, or repairs a home of their own.
He also made a rough guess of how much lumber he’ll need to build his railroad. If he gets to it soon, he’ll be content with used lumber, since new lumber cannot be found at any price. (Another shortage!) Now that he’s dreamed up his train layout, he suspects he’ll need to suspend the dream until they’re in their dream house.
Next he launches into a dissertation about fraternities and sororities. He has much to say on the subject, but the upshot is he’s not a fan.
He’s happy she took the time to explain to him in greater detail why she’s so intent on spending more of her weekends in Kent than in Cleveland. When she told him in person that the decision was really about making more money at the restaurant, he sensed that she was hiding the real reason. Now he understands that she also feels she must impose some self-discipline. “I’m proud of you, and I have even greater faith in you for telling me about, and using, that self-discipline. One of us needs to keep us both straighter, and you’re the one who’s started. I admire and respect you for it, and I thank you for explaining it to me.”
He’s glad she told him to keep her plans for bringing her mother out in June a secret from her mother. He also agrees with her that it’s easier to accomplish things when one keeps extra busy. He’s relieved that she’s interested in his hobby of model railroading, and he wishes he could become a better swimmer so he could share in her love of water activities.
In response to her thoughts on trying to be more of a Christian and less of a hypocrite, he has some interesting comments. “One thing about the adulterated Christianity I seem to practice is my smugness and narrow-mindedness. All it does is prove that I’m not practicing as truly as I’d like to, nor am I as good or as intelligent as I give myself unthinking credit for being. Too many Christians are like that. But there I go, criticizing when there’s room for so much improvement in myself. In other words, I’m a 60-year old hypocrite in a 22-year old body. That ain’t so good.”
Aunt Jo and a nurse from next door went out to Ashtabula to help his mother with Aunt Flora. Aunt Mary and Uncle Tom came back today with news that Aunt Flora is resting more comfortably, but it’s taking more opiates to keep her comfortable.
“Good night, Dot. I love you always. It seems that my last paragraphs of soft words have nearly disappeared, but I try to make each and every whole letter evidence of my continuous, far-reaching, and all-inclusive love for you. Thank you for being my Darling.”
# # #
Much of Dot’s letter is spent in answering Dart’s recent ones. She’s still awaiting Al’s assessment of Phyll so she can tell Phyll whether she’s “in” or “out.”
He shouldn’t worry that he has lost Miss Olin’s favor. It’s her job to make sure all the boys are gone and the girls are home by the appointed hour. Since she is the most liberal housemother on campus, they should try harder not to take advantage of her good nature.
She writes that she never knows what to say when someone is dying. She doesn’t know his Aunt Flora well, except that she is a gracious and likable person. She feels a little guilty about only writing to her once since she became so ill. His mother has certainly been an angel of mercy, and Dot hopes she’ll soon have a well-earned rest. Is he certain Dot won’t be a bother this weekend in Cleveland?
“Strange that you should have felt so strange about me Saturday night. As a matter of fact, I was upset. But how did you know? Must be that you possess the same kind of spiritual body that Miss Olin says I have. That’s what makes it possible for you to know things are happening without being able to actually see them.”
As it turns out, she was upset about the very topic Dart addressed in his letter – namely the difficulties they face in getting married when they want to. From where she sits, 14 months seems an eternity, but she half expects that next June will get here before they’ve resolved any of their issues.
She decides to be quite frank about his idea of living in the Burkes’ attic. She recalls that when he and his family were living with them during the Depression, the Burkes had plenty of suggestions in how Dart’s parents should raise their children and live their lives. Dot’s concern is that they would feel equally entitled to give her and Dart ideas about how they lived their lives if the newlyweds were occupying the third floor of their house.
“True, I don’t think it’s a good policy for a newly married couple to start out living with their parents. On the other hand, it depends a great deal on the parents. Both Harriet and George and Gordon and Betty started out in one of our spare rooms at home and neither couple seems to have any regrets. Naturally, you know your parents better than I, but from what I do know of them, I don’t think they’d interfere in any way with our ideas of how we want to live. Of course, we must consider what they want. It may not appeal to them to have us living in the third floor.”
Now she regrets writing her ideas until they’d had a chance to discuss them face to face. She understands that being married takes a lot of money, and she has no idea what kind of a job she’ll be able to get. She doesn’t care a bit what kind of job she has, as long as she makes enough money for them to live on while he finishes school.
“Did you happen to notice the moon tonight? While I was walking home from work everything seemed so quiet and peaceful it was impossible to think that there were so many unsolved problems with which we must cope. Everything was so completely serene. I am aware that the problems do exist, however, and will try to keep from being swept away by the beauty of God’s handiwork.”
A letter from her mother brought the news that Ruth is once again sick in bed. Dot is concerned that scarcely a week passed this winter without someone in the house being confined to bed.
She has three more nights in her big, comfortable bed before she is once again sleeping in a smaller, but equally comfortable one in Dart’s room. She misses him so much that it’s all she can do to wait until Friday.