Dot begins by telling Dart that her birthday was almost a complete success. Just as the family was preparing for the celebration that afternoon, El received a letter from Don. She hadn’t heard from him in quite a while, which was understandable because he’d warned her two weeks ago that he was going to be studying too much to be able to write letters. Still, El kept up her daily correspondence with her fiance. Today’s note from him was brief. It informed her that he had gotten married last Saturday and she could tell her friends whatever she wanted to!
“Less than a week ago he sent her a beautiful lapel pin for her birthday. He has never made any mention of a change in his feelings toward her. How could he have done such a yellow, cowardly trick? You met him, Dart. Did you think he was that type? Oh, why did he do it? There isn’t a girl on this Earth who derserved such a blow less than Eleanor. Is this God’s way of sparing her a life of unhappiness? True, they would have had the religious problem to cope with right from the start, but couldn’t that have been worked out sensibly between them? Of course it’s better for her to find out now what Don’s really made of before it was too late, but why did it have to be in such a cruel way?”
Dot goes on to describe how El sat by her hope chest last night, crying herself sick. There lay the bed linens that she had just finished monogramming. Little items they had bought together for their home, and things his mother had made for them. Arthur Chamberlain said it would have been easier for El if he had died, because now she will always blame herself for saying or doing something wrong. As it turned out, El eventually learned that Don had gotten a nurse he worked with pregnant and had married her. He never finished medical school, and El never saw him again, but the wound lasted a long time.
Dot gets quite deep and philosophical in the next part of the letter. She says she’d marry Dart tonight if it were possible, but she knows that wouldn’t be prudent. Because they’ve spent so little time in each other’s company, she’d like to wait until they’ve had more time together before they announce their intentions to the world. She doesn’t believe in long (over a year) engagements, nor does she think a couple should become engaged until they know an approximate time when they’ll marry. Also, she wants them to have an understanding that if either of them has a change of feelings, they will be open and direct with the other. No one will marry the other out of a sense of obligation, honor or habit – only if they both truly feel that the love is real and permanent. “I’m sure I’ll lose all sense of practicalities when I see you, so you must remind me of all I’m writing now. I love you more than anything in the world, and God willing, our feelings for each other will remain the same always.”
Having unburdened herself about the shock and pain of Eleanor’s heartbreak, she turns to telling Dart about her birthday celebration. The picnic supper was all packed for their trip to Playland, when it started to rain. So, they unpacked the food and had their picnic in the dining room, buffet style. Afterwards, they played “the game,” which is apparently the Chamberlain family version of Charades.
She made quite a haul on the gifts, too. The girls at the store gave her all sorts of things, from stationery to earrings, and a large stuffed Dumbo from the baby department st Franklin Simons. Her family continued the gift parade with driving lessons, lingerie, a bike tire, gloves, and the promise of trips to Playland and NYC for dinner and a show. Best of all, a beautiful, pre-war leather manicure set from the best pre-war man she’s ever laid eyes on. She gushes over that last one – perhaps because of the giver, as much as because of the gift.
She goes on to answer specific items in Dart’s most recent letter – about Burke’s scholarship, Easter photos, etc. But there was one interesting paragraph worth repeating here. “The reason I’m glad you’re not smart about something is not what you think it is. I’m not sure I know what you think it is, but I can tell by the way you said it, it’s not the same thing I was refering to. What I meant was, you’re smart in everything but the ‘thing’ you picked as a lifetime companion – me. What did you think I meant? Very confusing, indeed.” Well, I guess Dart and I were on the same page with that one – the wrong page! I thought for sure she was elluding to the fact that Dart was as “uninformed” about sex as she was, which made her happy. As it turns out, she may be even more naive than he, or I suspected.
Then, sticking with the subject I thought she was on, but she claims she wasn’t, she says, “What’s this about ‘real’ love-making can go on without any lights at all? It not only can, but from what I’ve heard, it’s much better with no lights what-so-ever!” Well, I’m relieved to know this young about-to-be-engaged lady at least knows that much!
She’s surprised to see that she’s nearing the end of page six and it’s nearly 1:30 in the morning. She asks Dart to think seriously about what she wrote at the beginning of this letter. “Just because we’re both young and very much in love doesn’t mean we can’t be level-headed about this thing.”
To me, this letter is a perfect representation of Dot. What comes through is her youthful enthusiasm for birtday gifts and family games, her clever wit and gentle teasing, and her starry-eyed love. But more than that, she demonstrates that at the tender age of 19, she is also mature, practical, and has a steady eye on the future she wants for herself. She’s not one to get easily swept away, regardless of how fast and deep she fell in love. Anyone who says she was too young to be engaged just didn’t see the whole picture.
Nobody wrote on the 21st, but Dot will be back the day after tomorrow with more wit and wisdom.
