Dart characterizes this one-page letter as a “token of my everlasting love and devotion,” because he hasn’t much time to write any more.
There’s not much news from his world today, other than the fact that he went “look-shopping” for some clothes today, but all he found were high prices.
He’s glad she was able to find a source for white Bibles, he sends Pegasus best wishes for a full recovery, and his constant sense of missing her has become a lonely, lingering longing.
He’d love to know what he wrote in all those “super” letters she claims to have received from him, because he has no recall of anything close to super of late.
# # #
Dot’s letter opens with a confession: The day was so cold, wet and blustery today, that she called off work at 11:00 in the morning. She wonders what will happen when she shows up for work tomorrow. Will she still have a job?
Her Aunt Edna stopped by today with a wedding present for Dot and Dart. They now have six sheets and six pillowcases to add to their hope chest, bringing their total to 11 sheets and 10 cases! At that rate, they’ll only have to do laundry a couple of times a year! “According to a book I read about households and how to take care of them properly, six sheets for every bed in the house is a good number to aim for.”
She tells Dart a story of another visitor. “Mrs. McCully and her husband stopped by yesterday afternoon to see when we could get together on church decoration ideas. They drove up in a new cream color Chrysler convertible. I remarked on the beauty of it, and Mr. McCully remarked quite casually, ‘Oh, it’s not ours. It’s a graduation present for Martha.’ Martha is their 17-year-old daughter who is graduating from boarding school in June. The amazing thing about their family is that neither of their kids is spoiled. They have to work for what they get. Martha kept an A average for four years to get the car. There was a time when the McCullys didn’t know where the next meal was coming from, believe it or not.”
She needs to spend some time ironing, so this will be all for tonight. She tells Dart that she loves him and all of the heart-warming letters he writes.
Later that night, Dot writes an uncharacteristically sad letter. She’s been crying all night about a situation that developed at home. She doesn’t feel like writing about the specifics, but promises they’ll talk about it when he’s there in June.
Whatever the situation is, it has made her feel extra blue. “The longing, empty feeling I used to have when we were separated has developed into an actual hurt. My desire to see you and to hold you close and never let you go has become so strong that it’s almost unbearable. Nothing else holds any significance. I feel cheated because we’ve had to be apart most of the time since we met.
I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, Dart, but this is one of the times when my misfortune almost outweighs the abundant good fortune I have had. And yet the ironic part of it all is that I wouldn’t change places with anyone in the world. ”
She hints that there have been some things happening in the family that have made her feel “more useless and stupid than ever.”
There follows a hint at what’s happening for her at home. “I suppose that as long as I have a ‘baby face’ and act so darned happy and excited all the time, no one will believe me capable of having a serious thought or of having any depth of feeling. I used to be able to laugh it off, but now I resent it.” She tells Dart she wants to leave home and stay away for such a long time that no one would recognize her when she returns. “Maybe I’d grow up a great deal faster if every thought or idea I have on any serious subject weren’t squelched before I had a chance to develop it.”
She asks Dart’s forgiveness for unburdening herself on him and she promises that someday she will be worth his love and trust, and that she’ll be able to return the strength that he gives to her.