Sunday Feb. 3

(Postmarked February 4th, 1918)

My dear Myron:-

Why don’t you call me up once in a while and tell me how you are? You weren’t surprised to hear John the other night were you? I could hardly believe him when he told me had had been talking with you. Believe me! John was pretty well worked up over those silences – the rest of us took it a little cooler I think for we couldn’t see how it COULD be true after what you had written and we certainly knew you had told us the truth as far as you could – some people intimated that perhaps you were not allowed to tell everything – that isn’t so though is it? Well I, for one, am going to forget the gas business.

Bessie called me last night to tell me about your letter that came yesterday. I am more than sorry that you had to have another attack of indigestion – it must have been pretty severe. However, it is more suitable when you do get out. Don’t you suppose they would give you a furlough of a week or two to come home and get well in? You must be a bother to them and I’m sure that what you need is Wash. Co. air and home folks to look after you – it surely would for US good any way.

Bessie said she was going to write you today, for Ed, so she will probably tell you what Ed has gone and done. It really seems as though he was old enough to know better than get measles but I suppose he hated to have you get the start of him in any thing. Guess he is getting along nicely any way. Hope Bessie and Lois don’t have it hard either.

Had you heard that Ed Hall, the one that married Gerty Gibbs, has a son? Another soldier for Uncle Sam – some time.

Henry Marshall, you know, has sold out and bought a place in Hudson Falls. He had an auction last week but bid the place in for himself and Cyrus – according to report. I don’t know what he will do with it but probably rent it if he can. Faming is going to be quite a proposition this year. We haven’t a man hired yet although Ransom has gone to meet a man today to talk of hiring. He offered Charley Colvy $50 per month, house, wood, milk, garden and some potatoes – but he couldn’t get him. The man we have now has hired to John Tilford for $10 per week, house rent, wood in summer, coal in winter, milk, garden and potatoes – and he knows as LITTLE about farming as a man can after living on a farm for a year.

I guess the house wife’s problem is going to be pretty tough soon. We can get wheat flower only by getting 1 lb. of other cereals with 3 lbs wheat until Feb. 14. From Feb 14 until Mar 1 we have to buy other cereals with 2 lbs wheat and after Mar 1 we can only buy it in equal quantities. For instance if we buy 50 lbs wheat flour (and that’s all we CAN buy at a time), we must buy 50 lbs corn meal, oat meal, buckwheat, rye flour or some other flour substitute. Well we can do it – it’s not like what other have had to do for a long time and if you boys can fight we surely can do this much.

Well guess I’ll try and write a little to Bob Taylor tonight – so must discontinue this. Hope the next time we hear from you you’ll be better, but remember we want the truth about you. I’ll give you a long credit mark for keeping us well informed. It scares us worrying so much.

Lovingly
Min

Ransom hired the man he went to see this afternoon so we’ll be all right that way for another year – maybe.