Dart has spent his evening in the basement working on his little engine. Now it “runs like a 17-jewel Bulova, only a little faster.”
The other day he bought 100 three-cent stamps and today he used one to pay a hospital insurance bill. Unfortunately he didn’t realize until after he’d mailed it that the bill was his father’s.
No political science test today after all. Dr. Heckman is holding out.
He certainly hopes little Danny Pendergast doesn’t get teased by the other kids at Dot’s playground for being the teacher’s pet. It is clear to Dart that Dot has a soft spot for cute little boys.
Now that she’s decided not to go back to college, he’ll reveal what his mother said on the subject, if it won’t make Dot change her mind. His mother said it would be a shame if Dart got so far ahead of Dot educationally that they no longer had anything in common. Frankly, he doesn’t know what to say. He’d like to see her get another year of college. He also wants to get married according to plan. “If your returning to Kent, or to any college, would delay or make difficult our plans and hopes, then I’d say don’t go. …I can’t see trying to satisfy everyone. How ’bout letting some of the suggestions and the urgings go right by, without even taking a trip through the ears? You never can satisfy everyone, nor should you try.”
Having just finished that pretty speech about not trying to please everyone, he writes, “We’ll have to work awfully hard to make a show of success of our marriage. Otherwise, there’ll be some ‘I-told-you-so’s’.”
He asks, rather oddly, I think, if Dot is “changeable enough to read books” after they’re married. It might be helpful if she did so she can help him formulate some new ideas. He knows they’ll want “a bit of a social life, and he acknowledges he’ll have to do make some changes there. He avers that she’s domestic enough to make a nice, neat job of keeping house and, in fact, he looks forward to coming home to her in their tidy little nest – wherever that may be. It may be my 21st century feminist ear, but this all sounds just a wee bit paternalistic to me.
For good measure, he tells her that if she can use the year to make and save lots of money, he won’t be the least bit apprehensive about her plans. But while he’s on the subject of money, he cautions her not to let the Millers take advantage of her. The service she provides them is valuable, and she should be paid accordingly.
After last night’s picnic at Uncle Guy’s house, Guy and Jean received a call from their daughter Lolly in Ann Arbor; she had gone into labor. Although her parents left Cleveland immediately to drive to the hospital, the baby boy was born before they got there. That’s all the news Dart has for now on the subject of Uncle Guy’s newest grandson.
And that’s all Dart’s news on any topic. He’s going to bed.
# # #
Dot’s letter is so choke full of reports of her various activities that it leaves me winded! She apologizes for neglecting Dart, but her work day was extended due to a meeting of playground supervisors.
On Wednesday, she got up extra early so she could complete her morning chores in time to take the first boat to Island Beach. She managed to get in three hours of glorious sunshine before heading back to report for work. Wednesday night brought a visit from Betty and Gordon and a belated celebration of his birthday. Also, her cousin Dot and family came into town again and had supper at Harriet’s. Included in the festivities at Harriet and George’s house were Dot’s cousin Waddy (Dart’s “twin”) and his wife and daughter. It was great to see Dart’s double again. She hopes that she and Dart will be able to go through Hindsdale on their way to Sunapee so Dart can meet another 10 or 20 of her relatives.
Yesterday, she took care of Chris, Eric, and Cameron Miller. “They’re a mighty active gang, and I had to do some tall stepping to keep up with them. Tomorrow we’re all going out on the boat for a few hours. It’s going to be some job to keep those kids from going in the water.”
Sunday, she’s accepted a different kind of job. She’s going to stay with an 86-year old woman with heart problems who can’t be left alone. In fact, she may end up working there full time the first week of September when her playground job is over for the summer and the lady’s housekeeper is on vacation. Phew!
As it is now Saturday morning, Mr. Miller will be picking her up shortly for her regular weekend gig. “Wish I could get on the ball in letter-writing, but my days are all filled and fouled up. I love you heaps.”