Monthly Archives: September 2016

Monday, September 2, 1946

36. September 1946, Dart's Letters

Another uneventful day leaves Dart with little to write about. He’s decided that having spent the day in bed must have had some slight benefit because he actually got up to shave a short while ago. Still, with his exams and a trip to see the girl that he loves, he’s not sure this is the best time to have caught a summer cold.

So far, he’s written three book reports for psychology class. He hopes he’s not called upon to deliver any of them orally because he didn’t read any of them thoroughly enough to give any greater details than the sketchy ones he wrote in his reports.

Due to the new city regulations about no kitchen facilities in third floor attics, he and his dad had to remove their roomer’s stove and refrigerator today. While they were up there, they were both thinking about what a cozy little space it could make. “It can be a mighty cheerful place, with the right furnishings and the right people in it.” I’m a little surprised that Dot has not reacted yet to his suggestion that the two of them live on his parents’ third floor after the wedding. Cheerful and cozy it may be, but how will Dot feel about sharing a kitchen and a bath with her in-laws? When I talked to Mom about it, she says all she can remember is that their squeaky bed was directly over her in-laws’ bedroom and she was very nervous about doing anything that would cause that old bed to groan!

He’s feeling better about his thoughts and attitudes during the past couple of days. Before, he’d fallen into the habit of lustful fantasies about the intimacy they’d share after they were married, and such thoughts made him anxious and unsettled. Lately, he’s been thinking more of companionship. “I long for the cheer you bring, and for my chances to cheer you. I want merely to hold you, to have you in the same room, the same house with me.  I want to be coming home to you or going out with you. I want to see you across the dining table. I want us to finally be together, Darling, and the lust for other things takes second place to the desire for companionship.”

His brother and a friend are on a double date tonight. They headed out to Guy’s farm for a picnic. “We’ll have to make a pilgrimage there ourselves someday. Build a fire, toast something, watch the sun set, and just sit and talk.”

“I hope I get a letter from you tomorrow.”

Tuesday, September 3, 1946

36. September 1946, Dart's Letters, Dot's Letters

Dart is mildly miffed at his poli sci professor. More than two weeks after their last test, and the day before the final exam, Dr. Heckman will finally reveal the scores from the previous test. Today, he also told the class that he was moving the final exam from Friday to Thursday! That blows Dart’s study schedule to smithereens, but he must grudgingly muddle through.

He got his terminal leave check for $45 dollars today. Twenty of it went into the bank. Then a dental appointment (two fillings and a teeth-cleaning) set him back $6.00. His insurance premium of $6.50 is due, and he must pay his fare to Greenwich out of the rest. “Golly – what’ll I have left to live on?”

Finally, a letter from Dot came today. He wonders what folks have been saying about the perils of being a telephone operator. “It’s a common shortcoming of us earthly mortals that we can offer bushels and bushels of negative advice, but fall far short of our quota in the positive stuff.” He tells her that people in Cleveland are screaming, pleading for typists, “but they pay so little, expect so much, and are so prosaic, that I can’t see much future in that.”

He’s certainly looking forward to a preview of those ways she’ll show him how much she loves him! With that thought, he wishes her good night.

But wait! There’s another letter, written just after he sealed this one. He suggests that when Dot comes to meet him at Grand Central Station, she bring enough money to pay for her fare to Ohio. That way, they can be assured of seats on the Empire State Express for September 19th. He also reminds her that his inbound train will reach NYC at 8:50 a.m. “Railroad” time, which is 9:50 a.m. New York time. Hmmmmm – I’d never heard of “railroad” time before.

#          #          #

Dot thinks this may be the last time she writes to him before he leaves to come east. If she has time tomorrow, she’ll dash off a quick one and send it air mail so he’ll have something to console  him after his exams. She knows him well enough to understand that he’s always a little glum after big tests – that is, until his score is revealed.

Her family came back from Sunapee late last night, bringing with them big plans for  how she, Dart and El will spend their vacation. They also brought big news: the owner of the neighboring cottage has decided to sell – and the Chamberlains have decided they’ll try to buy it. That means that among the 33 adult family members having an interest in Bonnie Neuk, they must, by October 1, raise $18,000 in cash! That’s a princely sum for a bit of rocky land with a tiny, one-room cabin sitting on it. But, in order to preserve some control over who their neighbors are, and in an effort to accommodate a growing family, it is a wise decision for the Chamberlains. Dot’s only hope is that the rest of the family is not as strapped for cash as she is!

“Now, here’s where you come in. There’s a crude cottage on the property that we hope, someday, to make into a livable dwelling at a comparatively low cost. Dad thought you would be a good one to give some ideas about possible additions that could be made. He’s looked over the sketches you made of our ‘dream house’ and likes your ideas a great deal. He doesn’t expect anything elaborate, but if you’d like to look it over, he’d like to have your opinion.”

He must tell Burke that it’s nearly imperative that he come, too. While Dart is designing the new cottage, Burke can chop a cord or two of wood, varnish the canoe, build a stone dock… why, there are so many projects he could choose from!

Now comes the bad news – She will be unable to meet his train at Grand Central Station Saturday morning. Her mother made an appointment for her with Dr. Howgate at 9:00 a.m. It’s the only time he could fit her in before she goes to Ohio, and she really needs to see him. If Dart calls collect when he arrives in NYC to let the family know what train he’s taking to Greenwich, she hopes she’ll be able to meet him there. If not her, then some other Chamberlain will serve as the welcoming party. “I’m so mad about the situation I could spit.”

She loves him and can’t wait to see him soon!

Wednesday, September 4, 1946

36. September 1946, Dart's Letters

Dart has much to write, but not much time. He spoke with his friend Al tonight. Just a reminder, Al was a friend who would go to Kent with Dart last school year and had several dates with Dot’s roommate Phyll. He just got back from a trip out west; he and a buddy were heading to Yellowstone, but Al’s car opted not to go along, so they came home. He’s heard from Phyll, who is planning to return to Kent this month, so he’ll probably go out and see her.

Burke must decline Dot’s invitation to Sunapee because he has set plans with his friend Roger in NYC. Plus, Burke has to get back to Cleveland in time to prepare to go to Chicago to start school there.

Dart discussed with Burke Dot’s plan for bringing their parents east, but that plan also looks like it’s DOA. “First, it’s awfully short notice for them to shake off years of going nowhere and pack and be ready in two days. In the second place, we don’t have enough luggage in the whole fam-damily to carry enough clothes for us all. In the third place, Mom and Pop don’t have enough ‘going away’ clothing and it would embarrass them terribly if they either had to give that as a reason, or suppress it. Finally. money doesn’t grow on trees, even in Ohio where we have enough rain to make anything grow. There doesn’t seem to be any way for there to be much money before next year, so we’ll need every cent we can scrape together to get them ready and able to go to our wedding next June.”

He sounds hurt and exasperated when he tells Dot how hard it is for him to see his folks have to dip into their meager savings just to buy food. Just thinking about it makes him so angry that he fears he can’t write a decent letter.  “If you were here, you’d see me having the kind of mood that I get so perturbed at Pop for having.”

Next, he confesses a big anxiety he has that gnaws away at him: he fears that his folks won’t come to the wedding. “I know they say now that they’re planning it, but I know how they think, that they’ll come forth with some perfectly normal rationalization which will prevent them from it. Their way of solving problems seems to be finding an acceptable reason for not solving them.

He continues to stew about his father. The other day, his mom mentioned that she was going to look for a job, and Pop had a fit! He was in bed for two days. Then he looked for a job over a two-day period, gave up, and got sick again. “When Mom tries to find work herself, Pop storms off and gets very angry. He’s just so tense and nervous that I’m afraid for him.”

Dart tells Dot that the two most stubborn men he’s ever known are his father, and his Uncle Guy. When Guy doesn’t get his way, he turns his wrath outward, bellowing and belittling everyone around him. It has cost him his friends and his business. Dart, Sr., on the other hand, turns his anger at being thwarted inward. He makes himself sick. Dart believes his father’s troubles are more mental than physical, but the results are the same. He’s barely able to function.

Dart feels guilty at times that he doesn’t quit school and take care of his parents. “Normal people don’t feel that way. Most people don’t have any need to.”

He knows that he shouldn’t dump all of this on Dot; that’s it none of her concern, but he feels he must confide in someone. Since he is closer to her than to anyone on earth, he can think of no one else. Even though they are not married, that’s a technicality in his mind, and he thinks of her as his wife. When he vents like this, he doesn’t expect advice – he just wants someone else to know what he’s going through.

Above all, he hopes that by hearing these stories, she will not change her mind about coming to Cleveland. The entire family is eager for her visit – indeed, Dart thinks they need the joy and positiveness that she’ll being into the house.

Because this is the last time either of them writes until September 25, there is no record of Dot’s reaction to this dark and depressing letter. I suspect that being together, at a tranquil setting like Sunapee, all the cares and worries that either of them has will fade into a distant memory.

Check back here on the 9th when I will share the letter that Ruth Chamberlain sent to Dart while he was at the lake. It was a kind of tradition among the Chamberlain clan that nobody ever spent more than a day or so in the cottage without getting a “letter from home.”

Monday, September 9, 1946

36. September 1946

As promised, I have a letter written by Ruth Chamberlain, Dot’s mother. I’m sure she wrote to both Dot and El during their week at the lake, but the letter that has survived the decades is the one she wrote to Dart.  She’s using the typewriter in the office of the Fix-it Shop while she’s there to do some bookkeeping and other clerical duties.

Dear Dart – It’s about time that the man in the family had some attention. I hope you’re having no difficulty in keeping the harem straight! But I can picture you as having your hands full some of the time.

This morning it was so wet and humid here that I felt as tho I’d been in the Lake by the time I’d hung up a line full of clothes – But the sun was victorious and now it is a lovely afternoon which lures me and leaves me indifferent to all the things I should be doing here in the office. I picture you doing a mountain today; Sunapee, Kearsarge, or at least Sunset Hill, which, after all, has as satisfying a view as any of the three.

Have you met my friends Gordon and Margaret yet? Any questions you may have about the fauna and flora of the region, they will probably be able to answer for you. Margaret knows most of the birds by their first names and a good deal about the habits of other wood neighbors. Give them my best, please, and tell them I’m trying not to envy them having these days at the Lake.

Have you been able to get in touch with the Martins yet, or do they close camp by Labor Day? I think the Edgemont exchange might have their number.

There has been such a steady stream of people coming in with things to be fixed that I have had to hop up about every other word – which hardly makes for continuity of thought – but at least it will be your inning at the post office.

Give the Chippy an extra crust from me, and don’t let Dot appropriate the tube too much.

Best wishes, always – Ruth P Chamberlain

PS – Tell Dot that Mrs. Stoddard has just been in and asked for her, and also for you, by name. It seems she worked at Franklin-Simons for awhile while Dot was there. She sent you both her best wishes.

Check back in in a few days.  During this extended time while our two young lovers are basking in each others affection, I’ll post some other samples of the correspondence between Dart and Ruth, plus perhaps a couple of other surprises.

September 23, 2016

Uncategorized

Well, many days have passed since the last entry on this blog. During this lapsed time 70 years ago, our young lovers were enjoying a long-awaited and much needed vacation together. First, Dart went to Greenwich where he, Dot, El and El’s friend Nancy packed a car and headed for Sunapee, NH for Dart’s introduction to lake living – Chamberlain style. After a week in this idyllic spot, they returned to Greenwich for a brief interlude before Dot joined Dart for his return trip to Cleveland.

The lovebirds’ letters to one another resume in a couple of days, but I thought it would be fun to ponder some of the burning questions that go unanswered in the letters. I can supply the answers to some, but for the others, I’ll need to rely on Dot’s memory as I query her later today.

Let’s begin. Were Eleanor and her friend effective chaperones? Well, I’ve been hearing the answer to that question for most of my life. Let’s just say that El took her responsibility so seriously that Dot and Dart were scarcely able to hold hands. She was so intent on keeping these kids out of trouble, that she nearly squelched all their fun. When Dot spoke with her about perhaps relaxing her grip just a tad, El responded with , “But what would I ever say to Mother and Dad if I failed in my duties?” Consequently, the young couple was never alone for a single moment! The “trauma” of such close monitoring may explain why Mom was always fairly liberal about allowing me private time with my would-be husband when we vacationed with Mom and Dad at Sunapee prior to our marriage. After all, how much trouble can two people get in to while swimming in a frigid lake together or tramping through mosquito-infested woods?

That brings us to the next question: Did Dart actually get in to that lake? When I asked Mom that recently, she recalled that he did put a toe in the water, but he mostly admired the wonders of Sunapee from dry land. Remember, Dart was not, by any stretch, an accomplished swimmer. In his defense, the underwater boulders at the end of our dock have been intimidating the uninitiated for generations. The clarity of the lake and the magnifying effect of the water make them seem much closer to the surface and a bit larger than they actually are. In truth, some of those rocks are the size of a Volkswagen! It took me years of swimming in the lake with Mom at my side before I finally trusted that they were not actually sleeping monsters who would awaken and pull me under. As for the water itself, one can charitably call it “brisk,” even in the heat of high summer. After Labor Day, when the New England autumn nights bring temperatures in the 30s, the lake temperature drops to downright bone-chilling.

Ever Dart’s champion, however, Dot is quick to point out that Dart always loved his time at the lake. Eventually – and by that I mean when he was in his early 70s – Dart learned to swim well enough that he willingly got into the water, sans flotation devices. Just this month, Dot was reminded that he actually came to love swimming at Sunapee. While she was at the cottage, Dot completed her yearly ritual of reading through all the old guest books that have been signed by all who have visited there over the decades. Sometime in the 1990s, Dart wrote that he had finally come to appreciate what Dot had been saying for years about the glory of a pre-breakfast dip in the lake.

Did this hearty group do the hiking El had planned for them? Yes. They drove cross-state to Franconia Notch and did some rigorous walking through the surrounding woods there. They also visited Sunset Hill, just behind the Chamberlain cottage.

Mom told me a funny story yesterday that I don’t recall ever hearing before. On the way back to Greenwich, Dot, Dart and Eleanor stopped at a roadside hotel for the night. The hotel was actually a number of small cabins of either one, or two bedrooms. (Think of that great Hollywood classic “It Happened One Night” with Clark Gable and Collette Colbert) Since the 2-bedroom cabin was far cheaper than two 1-bedroom cabins, our little band of frugal travelers opted for the larger place. Needless to say, the sleeping arrangements were strictly on the up and up! Before leaving in the morning, the group took photos of their overnight accommodations – with one minor deception. Dot and El posed in front of the 2-bedroom cabin and Dart stood in front of a smaller single-room version. He was sure his parents would blow a stack if they thought he had stayed with the girls. How silly this seems. I mean, they all stayed under one roof while at the family cottage, but sharing a “hotel” room would have been scandalous!

My last Sunapee-related question is whether or not they were able to make contact with Hal Martin and collect on the wiener roast bet. Sadly, the Martin family had closed up their summer place by Labor Day, so the Navy buddies were unable to meet up. That eventually happened a few years later.

The remaining questions I have of this time period are: Did Dart finally meet the Pecsok family during his brief stay in Greenwich? While in Cleveland, did the two attend a high school football game? Did they go to a concert? Did Dot meet more of Dart’s hometown friends? Most importantly, were Dart and his parents able to convince Dot that the third floor of their apartment could truly be converted to a cozy newlywed nest?

I’m spending part of this weekend with Mom and will ask her to delve into her memory to see how many of these questions she can answer. In fairness, she often reminds me that 70 years is a very long time and that much has happened in her life since then. Still, I’m always gratified by how much she actually can recall from those long ago days.

Saturday, September 25, 1946

36. September 1946, Dot's Letters

Oh, how I’ve missed Dot’s cheerful, chatty letters. I’m so happy she’s back.

She tells Dart how tickled she was when she opened her lunch bag on the train and found a sweet note from him. Then, when she unpacked her suitcase at home that night, another note tumbled out. She says that’s proof that he is one of the most thoughtful men on Earth, and that’s just one of the many reasons she loves him so.

“I had a wonderful trip home, barring the fact that every moment I was moving farther away from you. I slept till we reached Buffalo and then went back to sleep almost until we reached Albany. I dreamed the most vivid dream I’ve ever had between Buffalo and Albany. I dreamed you had hopped on the train at Buffalo and were right beside me. It seemed so real I was terribly disappointed to awaken and find out it wasn’t.”

Upon arriving in Greenwich, she found Gordon working at the shop because her parents and her aunt and uncles had driven to Sunapee to sign the papers for their new property next door to Bonnie Neuk.

She writes a curious paragraph about having chicken for dinner, and hoping that news would make his mother feel better. Tomorrow they will have fish, which was a gift from a friend who caught it in Long Island Sound today. This paragraph sounded as though Helen Peterson must have apologized that she didn’t serve much meat while Dot was staying with them, due to budget constraints, perhaps. I suspect that Helen has an exaggerated idea of how the Chamberlains live. She thinks because they live in a big house in a wealthy town, they must dine on beef every night. Because they are relying on gifts of fish, Dot reckons the Chamberlains are” as bad off” as the Petersons. “Tell your mom to cheer up, though. Only 86 more meatless days until Christmas!”

As soon as she got home she called her two closest friends, Cynthia and Janie. Cynthia had gone to see Yale beat Kings College in football, 30-0, and Janie had watched Greenwich high school beat Danbury by a score of 20 to zip. Dot expressed hope that Shaw high school had either won their game in Cleveland, or learned  how to be good losers.

She sent Dart a set of photos from El’s Sunapee roll, and asked that he send copies of all but #s 5 and 6 from his roll. Dot seemed pretty impressed by the great shots of Dart. She’ll need all the photos she can lay her hands on to make it through until next June without seeing the real thing!

Tomorrow, Dot and eight of  her cousins and friends will pile into her Dad’s car and take their annual trek to the Danbury fair. She and Janie had decided not to go, but they’re both feeling so blue that they thought the trip might cheer them up.

Now, she claims to be stuck for some new way to express how wonderful she thinks Dart is. She thanks him for the long walks and wonderful talks, for the rides, the trips to the store, and for the silence while they were alone together in Cleveland. She’s grateful that he let her mess around with his trains. “The whole vacation, even down to our misunderstandings, was quite a success. Those misunderstandings were a help to us both and were much better coming now than later.”

She reports that most of the time she was at the Pecsok’s house today, she listened to them talk about what a fine young man Dart is. “See, even my friends have good taste!”

Eleanor has been named the superintendent of the primary Sunday school at First Congregational, so Dot will attend church tomorrow by herself. She’ll surely be thinking of Dart the whole time she’s there!

She has a job offer at some place called Roger’s, but she’d rather try the telephone company instead. She and Janie plan to take typing and shorthand classes at night school as soon as she has a job secured.

Apparently, daylight savings time ends tonight and Dot is looking forward to her extra hour of sleep. It’ll give her more time to dream about Dart.

It must have taken these two a couple of days to re-establishe their writing habits because we won’t hear from either of them until Dar returns on the 28th.

Tuesday, September 28, 1946

36. September 1946, Dart's Letters

From his brusk and somewhat sarcastic letter, you can tell Dart’s not in the best of moods. He awoke this morning and found that Dot was still gone. It’s a lonely place without her.

He reports that Uncle Tom stopped by Saturday night after the Shaw football game. They played much better than last week and ended up winning.

This afternoon, Dart renewed  his driver’s license and then put the numbers on the little red trolley car he’s been working on. He grudgingly states that it looks okay, he guesses.

This evening, he attended a rail-fan meeting. It was not as nice a group as the model-makers club he’s joined. He thinks he’ll stick with his own group, but keep an eye on the activities of the rail-fan group and join them occasionally, if the topic interests him.

In making out a schedule for his mother, he stumbled across an “inexcusable error” in his class schedule. He was so angry at himself that he felt like cussing – so he did. “Of all the stupid blunders! I thought sure I’d checked it out okay, but now I’m fouled up. Phooey! Maybe I can change it some way. Such colossal thickness shouldn’t happen.” (That’s another advantage of the modern way; the double-booking of classes cannot happen when computers do all the thinking.)

He thinks he’ll look for a part-time job, if his studies allow, if he finds one he likes, and if it pays enough. He feels like a bum now and he doesn’t want to become a worse kind of bum. He feels he should at least try to earn his meager meals.

He asks Dot to excuse his writing. He’s feeling like a complete mess over the blunder in his class schedule. He must get to school early and try to straighten things out. Maybe he can take a Monday evening photography class instead of Wednesday morning.

While he was driving tonight, he saw more padiddles than ever before. Darn! Such a waste, with no Dot around to take advantage of them.

He wishes her good fortune in her job hunt.

September 29, 1946

36. September 1946, Dart's Letters

Dart reports that he “got religion” today, and spoke with Mr. Kershner about joining the church next Sunday. He also volunteered to deliver some church directories to people’s homes this week. Mr Kersher asked about Dot by name and told Dart what he didn’t need to be told – that Dot is a lovely person.

He’s still stewing about the flaw in his class schedule. If he can’t take photography in the evening, he’ll have to drop it, making him a part-time student and reducing his stipend from the GI Bill.

“There was an ad in Sunday’s Press for a college student to write part-time for the Cleveland edition of a national weekly. I answered the ad, in hopes that job would be something I’d like and could handle. It’ll probably be something like reading the court records for ideas for ‘True Confessions,’ or some equally inane job for an equally obnoxious rag. No harm in trying, though.” (His cynical mood does not seem to have lifted much since his last letter.)

He and Tom Reilly went downtown tonight. They saw a cheap movie, bought some cheap milkshakes, and had a nice time.

“Half the radio programs I heard today played music which reminded me of our two weeks together. Two weeks? Gee, it seems like two days, but it was just 12 hours less than three weeks! It seems, though like ages since you met me at Grand Central in your feeble attempt at surprise. Golly, now I’m looking for the next time. All my love is yours, Dot.”