 Letter to Paul B, April 20, 1918 1211 Dakota St. Danville Ill. April 20, 1918
My own dear Boy:- Well I am wondering where you are and what you
are doing. I know now that it is only a matter of time till you
start for France from what the papers state. It spoke of the Camp
Logan Division being in long training and sure drilled &
toughened for any place in the fighting lines. So that means you
will be soon trid along the lines in which you have been
receiving you various instructions and drillings. I am going to
try and be brave and be as optimistic in the matter as I can. I
know you want to go and that makes it easier to bear, both for
you and me. We will trust that nothing shall come to you except
for your good and mine. Well I felt that this April was going to
have some new trials and I am not surprised ad what is coming to
me. Guy is called will leave next Friday from Georgetown. He will
go to Camp Dodge in Iowa. O what the Mothers hearts must bear and
the wives & sweet hearts. Guy is just simply tickled never saw
him better pleased over any thing. They found it out Thur. eve.
that he was to go. Sr Rife saw it in the paper and spoke to papa
about it. so that eve I went to Kings and called them up. So last
evening they came and stayed all night & this Morning they went
to Crawford for a few days visit. will come back here Tues. eve
and stay all night then down home wed. and wed night a lot of
their friends are coming in to have a little visit with Guy
before he goes then they will come up here Thur. evening again
and be here the last night. And I think I I will have Arthurs
here that last eve. It seems my children are well thought of.
They all hate to see Guy go. and may be you dont think we are sad
to have him go. It seemed when he was around there was one we
could lean on - and how in a freer condition to help us in case
we needed some one. But now that prop is gone too
This is an awful bad day. so bad for them to start out it
began raining last night a cold rain from the East. and it is now
about eleven and hasn't ceased one bit yet. But seems to be
getting a little lighter. I hope it warms up a little. We have
our room stove in the closet so it is sit by the kitchen stove
Well daddy sent for a rug and Japanese Matting (green) for the
kitchen and an oil cloth rug 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 for under the stove in
the room this winter. O how I am in hopes you will get to spend
the winter at home this coming winter. From the way the papers
state the Germans are surely getting the worst of it and one cant
see how they can hold out much longer against such an army as the
U.S. can gather up. And it does look like they will soon see that
when they run up against the "Sammies" it is no set of school
boys as they might have thought. Did I tell you that we were
making our bedstead to look like a brass bed and I took all the
pictures of yours that have the gilt frames and put a new coat on
them & they look even better than when first framed. and took all
the penants and brushed them hard with clothes brush and then
hung them on the clothes line nearly all day in hot sun and wind
and they look real nice. But I will not put up more than two or
three, one on the north wall by your desk and one small one to
the west, then one between the picture and commode. O I might put
4 up but hardly think I will. I will get moth balls and put the
others away so they will be nice for you when you come home. Say!
I put some of that binder under the picture moulding in your
room, and with the ceiling with all new paper and the picture
frames made new looking and every thing cleaned up curtains and
all it looks so neat and nice, and if only the boy was here to
use it. the carpet not being used much the last year looks much
better than the one in our room. That old cow horn and rabbit
ears & tail and the brown ribbon you had, I washed the ribbon and
cleaned it all up again and it is back where it was. so you can
just about know how your room looks. and the nice scarfs that
Della made for dresser and commode help out too. Sr Rife and
Cecil were up last night till bed time. it was the first for
Cecil for a long long time. She was so glad to get to see the
enlarged picture of yours they both think it just fine. Cecil
certainly is getting so nice and ladified. is wearing nose
glasses and does odd to her appearance. Well I thought sure old
Trix would be dead by this morning as he acted yesterday like he
could not put through the day. one time he straightened out and
his head jerked, I thot sure he was dying but rallied from that.
but he lay all day and could scarcely move. But this morning he
was over in the box between cupboard and stair door. and later
walked back to stove & then on out doors and under the porch. So
he came back and I gave him milk and little ground beef. and he
ate it all yesterday was not able to get only a little milk down.
They say cats have nine lives and it sure looks it. Yesterday,
before Guys came out here they went to the Red Cross room and
they furnished him with two good prs wool sox, a pr long
wristlets, a sort of helmet, long scarf, and a good sweater. Then
he bought an army blanket I believe he said it cost 9 dols. he
also bought a Gillett razor outfit, costing the same as yours. he
was told to get it. Say! he was sure proud of his outfit. he wore
his sweater down there this morning as it was so cold. got his
hair cut short excepting on top Now if he only dont get the
rheumatism he may get along fine. He is going to try to get into
the Aviation work Shepard who had been at Camp Logan told him how
to do, to get transfered into other parts of the work, so he is
going to do his best. He has a camera and has taken a picture of
the airplane he made. Shephered told him to take that and also
get a let. of recomendation from the contractor he worked under
in carpentering. and something else I forget, I havnt seen Maude
for so long. I guess her brother has had to to the Army too. I
guess from what I heard the R.R. co., are not going to grant
"passes" except in severe sickness or death. So our fun is done.
I dont know who will put the shingles on the shop now that Guy is
going away. Della had sewing to do for herself last night, as she
had such short notice of this trip so Guy went up and got your
reading lamp and we hooked it to the sink room light and we did
fine. Another hen is hatching has 13 so that does better. Now I
hope you get this letter and the other one I started off wed. and
also the roll of wallpaper yet before you go away when you write
please mention the letters so I know. Some of the Texas Soldiers
that have been passing thru here have dropped off a card here in
town and those that find them put them in the Post office so
their folks gets them. I dont know as that is against rules or
not - if it is I wouldn't want you to do it but if not I wish you
would. How nice if they would only let you stop off for a day or
two. But "nixie" I guess. well may God bless you my dear Boy and
care for you is my daily prayer.
[upside down and top of last page]
Your Loving Mother. who longs to fold you in her arms again.
[sideways at top of first page]
I am wondering if you are back from your long hike and how you
stood it. if you started about the time you said you were going
to you havent time to be back yet. If you find out for sure that
you are going to be rushed across the waters you might just as
well send your trunk home. I dont believe they will hold you at
another camp but for a very short time with all the drilling
youve been thru. They are rushing them over fast now. I did want
to get you a better picture of myself and one of daddy sent
before you left. Has stopped raining but cloudy & cold yet wind
is blowing
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