7 JANUARY 1944 [probable error - should be 1945]
U S S PRAIRIE
DEAREST FAMILY,
ALL YOUR LETTERS WRITTEN CHRISTMAS NIGHT ARRIVED TODAY AND I WAS CERTAINLY GLAD TO HEAR THAT YOU ALL HAD A REAL MERRY CHRISTMAS... WITH SNOW- LOTS OF IT. WITH THE McCLINTOKS MAKING THEIR USUAL CALL AND WITH THE UNEXPECTED ARRIVAL OF HELEN AND MER PLUS THE REGULARS I DON'T SEEHOW IT COULD HAVE MISSED BEING ANYTHING BUT HAPPY.
HELEN, IN HER LETTER, REFERED TO THE MEMORIES SHE HAS OF THE OLD PLACE WHEN MARY AND I WERE KIDS AND SHE WAS MY FAVORITE GIRL. SHE RECALLED MANY THINGS WHICH WERE ALIVE TO HER BUT I COULD JUST FAINTLY OUTLINE. IT'S BEEN TEN YEARS SINCE SHE LEFT. MY MOST VIVID REDOLECTION IS WHEN I MISTOOK HER FOR MARY AND SLAPPED HER IN THE FACE ONE NIGHT WHEN SHE TRESPASSED ON MY SIDE OF THE BED. THEN I REMEMBER SLIGHTLY THE FOLDING BED INCIDENT!! (SHE TOLD ME SHE LET A FEW OF OUR SECRETS OUT OF THE BAG- AFTER TEN YEARS I GUESS IT'S SAFE). MAN, THE DAYS OF YOUTH ARE PRICELESS, EVERY MOMENT MOVING SO SWIFTLY YET SO PRECIOUSLY INTO U[N]FORGETTABLE MEMORIES. HOW WE CAREFULLY OUTLINED STEP BY STEP, BEST SUITED WAYS OF PLYING OUR CUNNING MACHINATIONS ON USUSPECITING BUT, HOWEVER, NOT SO DUMB PARENTS. BUT WOULD GOD LET US LIVE AGAIN THE HAPPY CAREFREE DAYS, YET, WE MUST GROW OLDER, CONTENT TO SIT AND AND USE THE ONLY MEANS WITH WHICH HE GAVE US TO RELIVE LOST YOUTH, MEMORIES, AND BLESS HIM, HAPPY ONES.
I COULD RAMBLE ENDLESSLY ON THOUGHT'S OF NANNY, SMART OLD BROWNIE BECAUSE I SOMETIMES SPEND A GREAT DEAL OF TIME TRYING TO RECALL THOSE OCCASIONS- IT RELEIVED A LOT OF TENSION AND DOES AWAY WITH LONG MONOTONOUS HOURS.
THE FELLOWS GOT QUITE A KICK OUT OF LOMMYS OPINIONOF THE PRAIRIE... SHE HAS CHANGED A LOT SINCE 1940 ACCORDING TO SOME OF THE OLD TIMERS- NONE DENYING THAT SHE IS STILL AF FINE SHIP BUT JUST SIMPLY STATING SHE AIN'T WHAT SHE USED TO BE. AT PRESENT SHE IS OVER CROWDED BUT THAT CAN'T LAST FOREVER.
IS THERE A POSSIBLE RECONCILIATION BETWEEN MARY AND GAINES, OR WAS HIS VISIT JUST A WHIM OF YULETIDE SPIRIT. WHEN I TOLD ONE OF MY CHUMS ABOUT MARY'S LOVE TROUBLE-AS MUCH OF IT AS I KNEW, THAT IS, HE IMMEDIATELY ASKED FOR HER ADDRESS. NUTS TO HIM, I POLITELY SAID, SHE IS STRICTLY FOR MEN OVER SIX FEET AND A REPUBLICAN TO BOOT. HE GAVE UP, BUT STILL WANTS TO SEE HER PICTURE - I HAVE JUST A COUPLE SNAPS BUT NOTHING THAT REALLY BRINGS OUT THE OOMF OR CHARM OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
LILLIAN STRANG WROTE ME A SPECIAL LETTER REMINDING ME NOT TO FORGET OUR STANDING DATE MADE WHEN I WAS HOME LAST OVER A YEAR AGO. I AM GOING TO ANSWER8 AND TELL HER THAT I'LL REMAINING TRUE. SHE INFORMED ME EDDY HAD A PAIR OF MY PANTS ZOOTED. Y MY-
RECENTLY SAW SOME PICTURES IN LIFE MAGAZINE OF THE NEW STYLED BATHING SUITS FOR THE AMERICAN BEAUTIES. MY ONLY COMMENT IS THAT IF THAT'S THE EXTENT OF THE BATHING SUITS SOME OF THESE RETURNING SOLDIERS AND SAILORS ARE GOING TO BE A LOT BETTER OFF IF KEPT OUT HERE.
THE BEST MOVIE I'VE SEEN DEALING WITH THE WAR STATESIDE WAS SHOWN ABOARD THE OTHER NIGHT. IF YOU'VE SEEN 'THE VERY THOUGHT OF YOU' YOU HAVE THEN PROBABLY SEEN THE UNANIMOUS CHOICE OF MOST OF US THAT IT WAS THE BEST PICTURE YET. I THOUGHT IT A LOT BETTER THAN 'SINCE U WENT AWAY'- THAT WAS TOO CORNY- BETTER IT SHOULD BE SHOWN TEN YEARS FROM NOW WHEN MOST PEOPLE WILL HAVE FORGOTTEN THE REALX ISSUES OF THIS WAR, BUT THE FORMER IS FAIRLY ACCURATE AND THE FLAG WAVING IS PASSED OVER LIGHTLY, AND SOMEHOW IT IS MORE APPEALING. I'D EVEN PAY TO SEE IT- CONSIDERING SOME OF THE MANGLED WAR STORIES WE GET.
GOSH, I'D BETTER STOP THIS THING NOW AND STOP THIS RAVING--
LOTS OF LOVE,
[Signature: Bud]
P.S. I found Aunt Gertie Pen- fell off stenciling desk- Some wise guy thought I'd rather keep it than return it.
[Small decorative flourish]