Dart tells Dot about his “big thrill” today – that of getting his blood drawn for the marriage blood tests! The hospital staff also took his Connecticut marriage license forms and will send him the completed copies when the blood results come back. It feels real now! Total cost: two bucks.
He and Dr. Singer also had a conversation about contraceptives. What he writes next is so quaint and indicative of the times that I want to quote the letter exactly.
There are rubber devices called condoms available at drug stores in Ohio. I’ll have to buy a honeymoon’s supply of them here before I go there, because they are illegal in Connecticut. The things are thin – almost like a balloon before it’s blown up. Like other contraceptive devices, they are not infallible, as they occasionally break. I don’t think they can be used more than once each, and I don’t know how much they cost. They are said to be the most effective method, however. If you see Dr. Shaw, she’ll probably tell you of other things that can be used; some one or two of them in conjunction with condoms for greater surety.
Dot’s letter with three dollars enclosed arrived today. Like her, he also has a jar full of coins that he hasn’t had time to deposit. He’ll add her $3.00 to the jar and get it all deposited when he has the time.
In response to her disparaging letter about the McDonald’s dirty dishes piled in the sink, he writes, “Golly, what a letdown you’re going to get around here, if you disapprove of McDonald’s dirty dishes. Ours stand in the sink for ages before they get washed.” I must say that in all the years I spent in Dot and Dart’s home growing up, I have no memories of dishes piling up in the sink – even during the decades when there was no automatic dishwasher at home. Of course, Mom was firmly set on making the kids do kitchen clean-up every night to “learn how to do it right, and build character.”
While he was at Higbee’s to try to get his trousers from the tailor, he spoke with her old Andrews classmate, Jimmy, and got the lowdown on several other classmates. Janice Babington and Alice White are “expecting,” Eleanor Holbrook has had what will probably be a promotion. She’s in children’s shoes now, and everyone thinks she’s being broken in as assistant buyer.
Tonight’s railroad club meeting was on Cleveland’s west side tonight. He took his little engine along to the Skyline meeting and then he and John Downing went to the club meeting together. It was John’s first night at the club and his first time ever seeing an HO scale layout. I’m happy to report that John’s heart withstood all that excitement.
He tells Dot that if she wants to apply for the marriage license before he gets to Greenwich, she certainly may, but this sentimental guy rather hopes they can do it together.
Burke will not be coming out early. He’ll need to stay in Cleveland for a few days to search for a summer job.
He’s wondering about the bride’s gift proposition. He suspects that folks will be watching to see what he gets her, so he feels it needs to be more than a wedding ring. “However, whatever we spend on each other for wedding gifts will be that much less we’ll have to begin our housekeeping with. And believe me, Dot, we’ll need every cent.” He seems to forget that they’ll be getting a lot of gifts to help set them up in “housekeeping.”
He bids her good night, with lots of love.