(seq. 122)

Dr. Miriam Van Waters
Box 99
Framingham Mass.
December 3, 1939

Dear Doctor;

My last letter to you was shamefully delayed, and I was to blame. I addressed it to
Framingham, Illinois, and it came back one week later, "no such post office."
The letter wasn't very good anyway. My brain simply wouldn't work when I wanted it to.

Your check arrived at a good time as the treasury had 0ct left. I know you have many
places for your money, Doctor, so I try to make it go as far as possible. There will be no need
for your sending me more for Christmas, as the remainder of the check will more than take care of it.

Your old "Lady," the horse, will have to be pensioned out on Hill Top for the rest of her days.
I think it's dangerous to ride if she strumbles. The young horse is dangerous for other reasons.

There is a lot of work to be done on Hill Top. The trees, shrubs, fruit, vegetables, not to mention
tbe tiny greenhouse for starting plants in the spring and fresh flowers all winter. I have a very practicle
idea for the house for the brook a small rustic dam which would provide a first rate swiming pool and add
much to the beauty of the place. We would naturally talk it over first. I can visualize the entire thing
without having seen it. We'll talk about everything on your next "vacation." It might not be a bad
idea to build a house first though. I just remembered you wrote that your mother bought Hill Top. What
does she think of our ideas? You never told me what she thinks about me.

The engineer may be a little late now and again, but the mail aways gets here. The cake
tastes better if a person is hungry. Then, it is so easy to forgive this particular engineer anything.

This is Friday night as I will not get another letter from you this week I can afford to
begin early. Perhaps Miss Binford will come tomorrow? I hope she gives you all the answers
to your questions. I do wish she would pitch in and help us. Wouldn't be so hard for you.

I have had a very good letter from "Lois." She will come again one week from today. She
is my regular visitor now and comes every three weeks. She has me in a hole, by that
I mean she sent me your picutre from the Christian Science Monitor, requesting that I
return it later. Well, I can't return the picture becuase of rules, and she values it
very highly as it is the only one she has of your The question is what to do about it.