This letter from Dart is a variety pack: a pinch of pathos, a smattering of trivia, some “inside navy” chatter, a clever riff and a heavy dose of profound, intimate heart songs.

First, the pathos. Dart has been ordered back to duty. And he has been forbidden to appeal the decision to a higher authority. He has strong misgivings about his immediate fitness, but he’s putting the best face possible on it. He’s hoping this will be the change in luck he and Dot have been counting on, and he hopes that change is for the better.

The trivia is the news that his brother Burke has been inducted into the National Honor Society and his parents wrote that they miss seeing Dot.

The inside Navy chatter came in response to Dot’s question about the credentials of Navy doctors. I suspect Dot’s tone was tongue-in-cheek, but Dart chose to answer in compete and accurate detail. This “dissertation” reminded me of a line we borrowed from a Stan Freburg album when we were kids: Ask Dad a simple question, you get a pageant. I predict you’ll see that side of Dart a time or two in future letters. Maybe I’ll instigate a safe word to let readers know there’s a pageant coming on and they may choose to avert their eyes.

In this day’s letter, he saves the best parts for last. Treat yourself to a reading of his paragraph about figuring out Dot’s birthday. Such a fun and snappy writing style.

And finally, some endearing lines about how he came to be in this relationship with the perfect girl. Here’s an exerpt: It seems like all my hopes and dreams and faith are coming true. … I’ve dreamed of a sweet girl who would love me as I loved her. …And now you’re making my dreams come true. You’re the justification of my faith. …I’m probably old-fashioned in believing that a kiss is something sacred, not merely to be asked or given in exchange for a pleasant evening; that endearing words were meant mainly for those who felt the same about each other and who believed in each other and the words they were using. …And now that I have met you, I feel that all the taunts of being “slow,” the seeming incompleteness of my former acquaintanceships, the occasional loneliness… — all these are justified. I love you, my dearest Dot.

A scant page and a half is all Dot could muster today. She’s back at Pecsok’s – her favorite home-away-from home. Today when she arrived, ready to prepare the family dinner, Mr. P. had already cooked up a marvelous chicken feast. Dot explained that she had cooked a dehydrated baked bean dinner the night before and had managed to dry the beans out even more. She claims they looked exactly like fertilizer! Could she have stumbled upon the reason Mr. Pecsok did the cooking tonight?

The English sailors she’s mentioned before stopped by tonight. They are leaving town tomorrow and will be home in less than a week. “It makes England seem awfully close, doesn’t it?”