Today’s offering is a long and poignant letter from a homesick sailor to his best girl. He’s feeling a little sorry for himself because no mail has been forwarded from the barracks since he was transferred to the hospital. He even goes into an uncharacteristic complaint about the visitors on the ward.  “As often as not the visitors are discussing with their grave faces or their too-bright chatter. Too often they want to make with the breeze about their own operation.”

Another veiled complaint turns out to be a really sweet admission of how much he misses Dot.  “For a thrill, and in place of reading new letters, I’ve been reading old ones from you, looking at your picture and dreaming…I was dreaming of you and our few precious dates together.”

He mentions that his mother, who once taught sewing at Andrews School, has nothing but nice things to say about Dot’s teacher Mrs. Wall and the whole school.  He also talks about the music he’s been listening to on the ward radio and lists the songs that agree with him.  They are all rather wistful, melancholy tunes, which gives a hint into his frame of mind.

Finally, Dart launches into a passionate crescendo – a proclamation about a future day when he’ll see Dot again. “When I get out of this place someday in the dim, distant future, you can raise the banners high and let the drums and trumpets resound in the streets of a thousand cities, proclaim the joyous tidings from the housetops, ‘Peterson’s coming home to see his girl!’ I don’t know how or when;  but be it by plane, train, trackless trolley or reindeer-drawn sleigh; whether I come next month or next year, I’ll be there! How’s that for determination? Anyhow, I’m an optimistic cuss, ain’t I?”

As if there were any doubt, his signature makes his feelings for Dot crystal clear.  “Yours, as ever, and forever, if you want it that way.”

The pen seems mightier than Cupid’s arrow – or perhaps the arrow struck first and the “pen” sealed the deal.