Dry Bayou Plantation

Malvina, Mississippi

May 23, 1943

Mrs Ruel Turner

Cabarrus County General Hospital

Concord, NC

This being Sunday afternoon here on Dry Bayou and nothing better to do but think of you and little Johnnie, I will write the letter I promised yesterday afternoon.

I have just come from Sunday School and I happened to be the only one in the adult class. Mrs. Moore said she thought I was the most faithful attendant that came to the center. The lesson was a temperance lesson and you can imagine how much I needed it. Brother Guin preached a short sermon, twenty minutes to be exact, on The Love of Jesus. They all asked about you and when you were coming home. They didn't know that you had an operation. I couldn't tell them how you were for I didn't know myself. Mrs. Moore gave me a little book for you so I will enclose it in this letter. She also wanted me to read it.

I suppose Ruthel will be here for a few days before she starts to work. Her school was out Friday afternoon but there was some social events that were not over and I think they expect the teachers to attend them. She is so sick of her boarding place that she can't hardly stick it out. Poor Snip is still alive but blind, I have been looking for him to die for the longest but he keeps hanging on. He will be better off when he dies, but we will have to keep on tending to him.

For an "escape" I think I will go to the show tonight. I don't even know what is on at the show but anything will be better than going to bed so early. We had supper early Friday night and I went to bed before dark and didn't wake up until after daylight. Last night I didn't do so good for I was worried sick about you. I dreamed of trying to get you on the phone and couldn't. I think I must have had you on my mind. I suppose no news is good news ina case like this anyway. I imagine they brought little Johnnie to see you today if you were feeling alright. I couldn't begin to write or tell anyone how I feel. Maybe there will be a letter in the morning but that will be old news, for as you know it takes three days for a letter to come from there, but there is nothing we can do about it.

I think I have just about run out of anything to write so I will start to doing something else, milking is my job now but will let you have it when you come home. What about it?

I see a few mistakes but not many for as I said yesterday it has been many years since I have tried to write on a typewriter. With a little practice my fingers might limber up a little. You know I might quit farming and get me a job doing office work. What about it?

I forgot to mention the weather; it is cloudy and cool and everything looks as if it is growing as fast as it can. The cotton is really growing now. If the seasons continue to be good you won't know the Delta when you get back.

Love,

Ruel

[handwritten addendum-jlt]

It looks as if I always have to write a little on the back of each letter, doesn't it? I am going to mail this when I go to town tonight. I am sending most of the letters air mail for I would give several times the extra 3 cents it takes to get a letter a day earlier from you, so I won't let the 3 cents stand in my way.