Dot’s response to the news that Dart is sick again is to tease him, flatter him, and finally distract him by telling him the news from Andrews School for Girls. Throughout, she chides heself for being a) too well “insulated” to get sick, b) a lousy typing student, c) terrible at French, d) not very good at chemistry, e) fearful of her upcoming report card.
She tells Dart that “This month I’m on display at the retail store…” I take that to mean that she as been assigned to the display tasks in the school store and must come up with ideas for Valentine’s Day displays. She’s asking for any ideas he may come up with.
I think she is unaware that he has been diagnosed with measles because she makes no mention of his delayed leave.
I smile each time I read the use of “feudal” when I think Dot meant “futile”. I often fall into the trap of using a word that sounds sorta like the one I meant to use.
I smiled at that one too, Nancy. I’ve always suspected Mom’s brain was firing on multiple cylinders when she wrote to Dad and she was focused more on the message than the “delivery.” In spite of the fact that he was a “word-person” and a natural-born editor, I think he wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. And in fairness, I often cringe when I re-read letters I wrote at 17. I’m a better speller now than I was back then, I hope!