May 13th, 1944
Dearest One,
The mail this morning contained the following: a lovely Mother's Day greeting from Gloria, a v-mail Mother greeting from Jack, both of which were for Mom; two other greetings were for me—one from Jack, also a v-mail greeting and a card from Adele (sent by Goldie).
I skipped up to Broad St. this morning and bought the Moms brunch coats of the same design, but different colors, cost $4 each. Goldie and Harry bought her a slip and stockings and the Wymans and Chases both her two good dresses at my suggestion. She hasn't seen anything yet and won't til tomorrow. This afternoon a two pound box of chocolates came from Mom—from Lil. (More surprises)!
Guess who just walked in—Tant Bosch and Sylvia. They had several v-mails from Milt and he is also on New Guinea. He told a little about his trip: they left from Newport News, Va., went through the Panama Canal, stopped at New Caledonia and then off to New Guinea. I wonder if he'll meet up with Jack. Ben and Jack don't seem to be able to get together, not yet, anyway.
It was HOT today and I'm weary from a hard day's work. I took the covers off the parlor set and gave them an airing. I had a lot of washing and pressing to do. This hot weather is terrific when it comes to washing and pressing. I changed Adele twice daily, dressing her up in the afternoon.
Stuart ran a fever the other day and seems to be suffering with colds. Warm weather causes all sorts of troubles in babies.
Harry has been working seven days a week, having to make one or two special deliveries on Sunday mornings. The boss gave him a break by giving him this Sunday off. I'm surprised he's sticking to the job. It's a really tough job, and he sometimes doesn't get home til three in the afternoon, having started at three in the morning. They bought Stuart a gift and went there this evening.
I thought I would be able to obtain the finished pictures this evening, but have been notified that they won't be ready until May 18. Guess you'll have to wait, honey.
Seymour treated me to a double-decker cone of chocolate ice cream last night, and that's the first time he ever treated me. I was so pleased I gave him a kiss and was he embarrassed!
Guess you wouldn't be embarrassed if I kissed you, so pucker up, baby, ’cause here I come (as Adele would say, “num, num, num”). More, honey, I love you dearly, as if that is something new. I'm happy, though, to be
Your Eve
13 May 1944
Darling Chippie,
No mail for two days now, but when you consider that I have all your letters up to and including 4 May—it isn't anything to complain about. There was a letter today— from Phil. He tells about taking you and Adele for a ride to Reardon’s. He certainly seems to be fond of the kid. He noted and described her reactions to her first ride in a “cah,” her evident relish for “coke,” etc. His references to her are most complimentary, too. He wants me to write and tell him something about England. I'll try to oblige him tomorrow when I expect to have time for it. Tomorrow, too, I'll try to get off that long overdue letter to Mom.
Nothing out of the ordinary happened today, and I'm really at a loss. Last night I went to the early show to see Ann Southern in “Girl in Cover-alls” (one of the “swing-shift” Maisie series), and enjoyed the fresh, unaffected,“American” humor of it. Ann Southern as “Maisie” is cuter’n a bugs ear. James Craig, as the Air Force Lieutenant, is very handsome, and does yeoman's duty in handling his difficult role of appearing to be stuck on two gals. He plays it convincingly, which speaks well for his ability as an actor. I remember praising him in a previous letter. I'm satisfied now that my high opinion of him was justified. However, the star that rates the real bouquets is Jean Rogers. She plays a two-timing, scheming gal, without a scruple, and her role is contemplated to inspire contempt, but she is so beautiful that one finds it hard to reconcile her face with her assumed character. Handicapped as she is in her portrayal, though, she manages to put it over. With her face and figure, she can't miss—she is that lovely. Look to hear about her in the future.
I hit the sack early (the first time in weeks), and, I'm ashamed to say, fell asleep before 11 o'clock. I did keep our date, though, even if I was a half hour early. Tell you a little secret, Baby—don't breathe it to a soul! It seems I just can't picture us cuddled up in that chair—and still remain “respectable.” Somehow, and I blush to confess it, your shirt isn't where, in all decency, it should be. Your legs, even more delectable in retrospect, are invariably bare of shoes and stockings, and are draped most becomingly over the arm of the chair. Delicacy forbids that I go into detail as to what “measures” I adopt after that, but, if you remember how I reacted to your gorgeous gams on previous occasions, you should have a pretty good idea of the turns my fancy takes. Why can't I be a “gentleman” in this respect, Sweet? Is it because the wolf in me outweighs my finer instincts (if any?)? I know it isn't very sporting of me to take advantage of you this way, and I must ask your forgiveness, but, alas, the flesh is weak—.
Today was as all the others this past week, as far as the weather is concerned, the only difference being that I was sufficiently idle to allow thoughts of you and the punkin uninterrupted sway. At times like these, I find the lack of you very hard to take. My dreams and fantasies are so well rehearsed, that they come unbidden to torment me with their elusiveness. When I keep busy, and even when my mind is fully occupied with the business at hand idea, this concentration is apt to be interrupted by flashes of recurring memory that are too disturbingly “real” to be accepted with equanimity. Thus, I have felt your kiss just as surely as if you were close enough to bestow it and thrilled to it as if it were an actuality. In the same way, have your arms around me filled me with the infinitely dear sensation of peace and complete satisfaction—and in the night—those fuller excitements that are peculiar to the night, have left me vainly groping in my unconsciousness for a fuller realization of their tantalizingly desirous delights. My greatest disappointment in this respect has been that, with one or two exceptions, and in spite of my prodigious, though unconscious, strivings, I invariably fall just short of realizing complete satisfaction. Invariably, I awaken with the full consciousness that I have just missed something I would have given much to attain. The feeling of frustration is too painfully real to warrant my looking forward with any degree of anticipation to a recurrence of this particular dream. Even those “flashes” of feeling fully realized (in waking moments) are too tormenting brief to be gratifying. However, in the latter case, I can help myself by consciously remembering and prolonging the sensation of the unbidden, but most welcome, kiss or caress, whichever the case might be. My hunger for you, my darling, is so vast, and my need of you so great, that I find it necessary at times to “force” all the thoughts and recollections of you from my mind, if I am to be of any use whatever to myself and others. God grant that the time be not too long coming when I will have no need of banishing you thus from my consciousness; when the reality of you will be the reason for, and the joy of my existence. May He keep you and our sweet Adele, and all my dear ones in good health and in high spirits all the days of your lives. May He grant me the privilege of the opportunity to discharge my own responsibilities toward that end. Amen!
Lovingly, Your Phil
May 13, 1944
Dear Phil:
Please excuse the paper, but I don't think I can put all I want to say in this letter on V-Mail.
Pardon the delay in answering, but I wanted to find out what was happening with Snuff. He received notice that his appeal was rejected by a 3-0 vote and is waiting to be called. He will probably leave some time in June. Phil, what happens if he goes over his ninety days? June 17th will be 90 days since he took his physical. If he receives his notice before the 17th to leave after the 17th, is that alright? He would be awfully disappointed if he had to take another physical and didn't get the Navy.
Spoke to Evelyn a few times this week, but, as usual, we didn't talk of anything that amounts to much.
As far as refraining from writing in " that devilish vein", now that I have a better understanding of you, it will be quite alright for you to write in any manner that you wish. I want you to feel that I shall appreciate and enjoy letters from you no matter in what “vein" they are written.
I would like to clarify to you my motives for moving to my Mother's. In the first place, I was going to move to my mother's when Snuff left, so I left a few months earlier in order that we would have a chance to get around and see all our friends and relatives. My main reason for leaving, though, was because my in-laws did not want me to stay. It was just one of those things.
As you said in your letter, you would like to see the war over and all of us in a place of our own. No more than we would, my dear Phil. In the first place we have . . .
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. . .on our honeymoon we have my brother-in-law and his wife with us. After the war is over, it will be just as if Snuff and I had just gotten married. We will take a place of our own and furnish it from top to bottom and really begin to enjoy married life.
I want you to know that Evelyn let me read the letter you wrote to her on your anniversary. Really, Phil, I have never read any thing so beautiful in my life. It is wonderful to have the faculty of expressing your thoughts in such a beautiful way. I envy you in that respect. It seems so simple to write a letter when you do it, and yet when it comes time for me to write, it is really an effort. I know what I want to say, but I don't know how to say it. May be when you come back, you will give me some lessons in letter-writing.
As far as thinking of you occasionally, I think of you a great deal and can't help but wish this mess was over and you were back home. I think that we miss you almost as much as Evelyn does, but in a different way of course.
As yet we have not seen "And the Angels Sing". It will not be here until the summer.
We went to see the "Purple Heart" last night, and it unbelievable that there are such barbarians on this earth.
As far as the weather is concerned, we are having beautiful summer weather. No spring, for a change,
I received your request and am ready to mail your package. I am having difficulties, because the package weighs 9-1/2 lbs. and I don't know what to eliminate. If you would send me another request, I will mail half now and half later.
As far as asking you questions so that you will know what to write about, your letters are always interesting and very much looked forward to. You seem to be doing alright using your own imagination.
I haven't forgotten my promise to send you some-pictures. In fact, this afternoon we hope to take some, and by the time I receive your next letter, I'll probably send some to you.
Hal is quite grown up by now. He has 14 teeth and only has two more to go until his two year molars. He weighs 25-1/2 lbs. and still has blonde-hair-and-blue eyes. He picks things up very fast and is quite ahead of himself. I could go on for hours and hours about the things he does that are cute, but I guess you can imagine what they are from the things your daughter does.
I think I have rambled on quite enough for one letter, so I shall wait until I hear from you again.
As ever,
Dot
P. S. Don't forget that request.
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