Thursday night (5/31/34)
Dear Mary:
Well, this is your absolutely last letter, to be tucked in with the tickets.
Now that I’ve sent out so many hundreds of words about how to get here in comfort, I come to a funny little thought. Here I’ve been so anxious about getting you here that I haven’t said a word about what we’ll do when you do come.
Mother and I live in a little apartment that isn’t so terribly big, but it’s just the right size for the two of us. In this town of ours, most of the people don’t live as you do: that is, they have but few things, and they move around a lot. We might be here till October, then find that there’s an apartment down the street that we like better. So we put our stuff together and off we go. It’s just like that.
So don’t look for us in a big house, or anything quite as big as all that. We did have one not too long ago, and if things get better, we’ll have another one. But we’re just “camping out” this year.
For the first week that you’re here, I’ll be going down to my office about eight thirty or nine in the morning, and then you’ll see me back about five or five thirty in the afternoon. While I’m gone, you and Mother will have time to do some exploring by yourselves. You’ll go shopping out on Hyde Park Boulevard or maybe go down town and see the big stores. Or — well, you never can tell what two women will do with some spare time.
When I get home, we’ll have dinner along about six, and then figure out what to do with an evening. If it’s not too warm, we’ll go to the Fair and just wander around looking for something to happen. Or if it’s too warm, maybe we’ll go to the movies, where they always have it nice and cool inside.
After you are here a week, I’ll take a vacation for two whole weeks. Then we’ll have days and everything in which to explore. Those two weeks we’ll send the rain out to Dakota, and push the hot weather out into the ocean, and we’ll have just plain nice weather in which to travel around.
When you come, you’ll simply be expected to enjoy yourself. Mother and I will spend all the time we can to show you a real good time, and I think you’ll have it.
I wouldn’t bring much more than was in the suitcase. If you have a light spring coat that’s just enough to take the edge off a sharp cool breeze, carry it with you. With our lake so near, we often have cool nights in summer.
Well, I think that you’ll like our town. It’s big and it’s beautiful. Some places are very fine, and some parts are just the other way. You’ll have a hard time getting to sleep the first night or two. It isn’t as quiet as it is in White River, you know. But after you get acquainted, you’ll have just lots of fun, I’m sure.
There’s only one rule we are going to make for you: and that is that you’re to ask all the questions you want about the things that interest you. We don’t know all the answers, but we’ll try to find them.
I’ll be there when you pull in.
Glen
