Tuesday noon

[May 11, 1943-jlt]

Dear Mavis,

I have a very good excuse for writing this short letter, for I will have to mail some for Ruthel, so I might as well say "Hello" to you and Johnnie even though I haven't any news to write about.

Received a very nice letter from you this ????. I have about as much curiosity as you have. I had to read the letter that you wrote Ruthel and I think it was as good as if you had written me. The only fault I can find with any of your letters is the fact that you don't write enough about J.S.T. Wonder what he is doing this very minute, crawiling around on the floor and holding to a chair I imagine. You said his hair was growing so fast that it was needing combing. I know it will not be long before I can carry him to the barber shop to have his little hair cut (That is doing some big imagining). I dreamed about him last night, it was a long dream. Part of it was that Papa was living and he was so proud of our little boy. Wonder what makes people have such dreams?

It is really hot here in Mississippi now and we are beginning to need a shower. Cotton is growing good without rain but the garden and most everythng else would do better if we had a good shower.

Was up town this morning and went by and Mrs. Goza made my application for supplementary gas; the board will have to sign it and she will mail it to me.

Saw Clyde Aycock while I was in town, he and the Mrs were both on a furlough. They are still in Florida. She has a good job in a hospital there and she was fortunate enough to get him a job in the same hospital. Some people can have some nice "luck" sometimes. Clyde is really a nice boy and a deserving one.

I passed through our room a few minutes ago and I noticed all my pants that I have been intending to carry to the laundry for a week. I have four shirts that I carried to the laundry two weeks ago and they are still there. I memely mention this, for it seems as if I had you here to do it for me it would be much better. How about it? I wonder how I ever had anything clean to wear in "the good old days". Maybe you will take up where you left off about two months ago.

In your letter to Ruthel you mentioned that Dulcie said there would be some "boo-hooing" when you took Johnnie away. Tellher if Johnnie isn't back in Mississippi around the first of July there will be some "crying" take place here. Mama and Ruthel act as if they want wo see him as bad as I do.

This is a page I didn't intend to write when I started but maybe it will pass the censor.

Love,

Ruel