Letter to Paul B,

[Received April 19, 1919]

Danville Ills

Mch-30-1919-

Dear old Pal:-

How is the world treating you by now? As I told you in my last letter I received yours of Feb. 24. The one where you were in the hospital. So you enjoyed your little stay there. Well thats good as I can imagine any one getting well much quicker in a place where there is what you called solid comfort, than in some other places. Did you have a nice nurse?

Well this is Sunday afternoon again. Seems like thats the only time I get a chance to write letters. I owe three or four, but won't write them all today.

I am still in school. Getting along some better now. Work seems a little easier. We have only a little over a month more to go now, and then we will be on a vacation all summer. I sure have studied hard all winter. Begin to feel the need of rest. I am going to work on my music as soon as school is over. I play my "Hawaain Moonlight Waltz" about every day and like it more every time.

I am anxious to hear from you since your trip to Southern France. I bet you had a good time.

One of my girl friends' had the pleasure of welcoming home her sweetheart from France Thursday evening. I met him last evening and he has taken off his uniform, and donned his civilian clothes. Said he was going to leave army life all behind. I see where they are planning to have a volunteer army to go overseas and relieve the boys to come home. I doubt very much if they can get enough volunteers to make up an army. But I hope they can as it is the only fair way to those who have been overseas so long.

I am getting along very nicely with my new job. I like it fine, but it sure keeps me busy. Had to work last night until about nine-fifteen, and met some girl friends and then we met some boys after we got to Germantown and we stood on the corner so long that it was ten thirty when I got home. And to add to the awful lateness of the hour, dad had turned the clock up before we went to bed and it was eleven-thirty. We are to have our time turned up one hour ahead all summer like we did last summer which means that I will be at the store at fifteen minutes until seven. That sure seems early but I guess we will survive.

My cousin Charley Hendrix has bought him a fine new car. "Oldsmobile." It sure is a dandy. Had two rides yesterday evening. The first he has had it out. I am expecting to get to drive around quite a lot. Said he would teach me to run it.

Our new room is almost finished. They had to cut the doors yet and put in the window casings and base boards. And then of course he have to varnish and paper it. Dad is going to paint the whole house. Oh, we will be all fixed up when you get home. You won't know us.

Speaking of dreams, I think I entertain a great many more than are good for me, so I can heartily sympathize with you. But I don't think it is exactly weakness, but more just a natural human act. Life would be very dull if there were nothing to look forward to, nothing to dream of that might be some day. My dreams, no doubt are on the same or some of the same foundations as yours, although I have my home and you haven't. But there is the dream of some day having more knowledge, and a better position, and more money perhaps. Then there are dreams of good times you expect to have some day. A loved friend perhaps you expect to see in the future and many things like that. And then the one dream that I believe every young person has altho' they often times will not admit it, that of having a home of your very own and all that may include. Now these are some of my dreams and if yours are any thing like them why I understand you perfectly.

So you think you can guess what the Jew got peeved at. Well that is more than I can do. He still talks to me, but never offers to go with me, and I am really glad of it because Jews are very queer people anyway. Never know how to take them, whether they mean what they say or not.

As the gum got thru all right I am going to try some candy in this letter. The whole cake makes a letter too heavy so will just try a half a cake. That will be a taste at least. I am rather afraid it will get soft. But I'll take a chance.

I don't know much to write and I really must study some more.

Write when you can as every letter is appreciated to the fullest. And the cards too. I almost forgot to mention the last one you sent. A very good view, And I saw the last bunch you sent your mother and the sketch you drew of the old monastery hall. How could you do it? It was wonderful.

As Ever Cecil