Although Dart dates the letter December 24, it’s technically written as Christmas morning is born. He and Burke just returned from a beautiful midnight services at church. Mr. Kershner delivered an inspired meditation that Dart would love to hear again.
“I don’t think that Mr. Kershner could have chosen an occupation more suited to his talents. No matter who the person is who hears him, that person always feels that Mr. Kershner is a personal and very old friend. I’ve never heard a man who had that spirit, that ability to put us sinners at our ease as much as Mr. K.
How fortunate we are to have a religion in which our leaders are more like us; men who live the same sort of lives we do (or would like to); men who can think as they see fit and speak as they desire and who are not bound to an unchangeable routine by a hierarchy of dogma.”
I can’t help but observe that Dart’s previous sentiments hold strictly true for only about of his religion’s followers. He comments about how their leaders are ‘more like us; live the same sort of lives we do.’ I suspect that in 1946 nearly all ministers in the Congregational Church – a progressive and open-minded denomination – were male. I wonder how many of the female members of the congregation felt as strongly that Mr. Kershner represented their lives. Perhaps in those times, women had not really awakened to all the ways they were different and apart from their male counterparts. They’d been conditioned to play a particular role and perhaps never imagined that there were professions that remained closed to them. In the case of a religious calling, they would probably been steered to teach Sunday school, rather than study at seminary.
He tells Dot that he mailed her a small special delivery packet very early this morning. It’s a little booklet that he hopes will arrive in time to make her Christmas a little merrier.
He and Burke sprung for a tree today and decorated it themselves. They both think it is one of the best trees they’ve ever had – well worth the $3.00 price tag.
The big news of the day is that an angel provided the family with enough money to get caught up on their bills. It was not, however enough to have the kind of Christmas his Mom and Pop had hoped for their sons’ first post-Navy Christmas. They’re eating very well, but there will be very few presents under the pretty little tree. They plan a nice turkey dinner for the four of them, followed by another one at the spinster aunts’ house later in the day. He thinks it will be a merry Christmas, albeit meager. After all, they’re all well and safe at home.
“There isn’t much more to say, Darling. Do I need to say how much I missed you today and will miss you tomorrow? I want to take you to candle-light service next year. Good night, my lovely fiance’. You’re wonderful, and you’re all I live for.”