[This is another letter written to Mavis during her extended stay in North Carolina - not sure about the exact date-jlt]

Malvina, Mississippi

Thursday noon

[May 27, 1943-jlt]

Dear Mavis,

After receiving no letter yesterday I had about decided to lay off writing for a few days, for as you were getting them up your way pretty fast over the past weekend and I couldn't hear from anyone about how you were. I received two this morning, so here I am at it again. I am glad you are doing so well, and am sorry that Dulcie had to have an operation. It is really a coincident that two sisters would have to have the same thing wrong with them at the same time. I wonder when you can leave the hospital; suppose you will mention it in a letter before you get this one and then have time to reply to it.

I often wonder if Johnnie's tooth has come through yet, and the proud papa also wonders how anyone could stay around the little fellow for any length of time without getting attached to him. I suppose it will be hard for Mr. and Mrs. Shinn to let him leave after being around him for so long.

Little Tommie Harris was stricken sick with cholelitis, (wonder how you spell it) Tuesday night and they carried him up to the hospital yesterday afternoon. They haven't come home this morning so I don't know how he is today.

Ruthel came home Tuesday night and she brought Johnnie a little bathing suit, I think she said she sent it on to you. I would like to see him with it on. When he comes home I am going to fill the bath tub full of water and learn him to swim, how about it?

You asked me if I was beginning to feel like a bachelor; yes it is a grand life, for as you know when you go somewhere and don't get back when you should, there is no one wanting to know where you have been and what was wrong that you didn't come home earlier. You can also drink all the Coco Cola's you want (if you can find them). Another feature I like about being a bachelor is that you don't have a baby to entertain and play with all the time. I get the best night's sleep, nothing to bother me from going to bed early if I want to. Oh, what a grand life it is!

About three weeks ago I got a letter from Noel Turner, he is now in Johnston, Florida [Ruel's first cousin who must have been in the Army-jlt] I got another one from him this morning. I wrote Little Wash a short letter last week. [Little Wash is Wash Williams, a black neighbor and landowner who lived nearby (and as of 2001 was still alive- he was also in the army, apparently-jlt]

It is still too wet to plow from the rain we had Monday afternoon, but started to chopping yesterday afternoon. The garden certainly looks good. It is threatening rain here now, certainly hope it doesn't. Oh, it has started raining now but we are never satisfied. Monday afternoon we had a few drops of hail, and Alexander said when it started to hailing he dropped down on his knees and asked the Lord to spare his cotton. I had to straighten Lou Ella out yesterday morning. She was washing the sheets and pillow cases and my few pieces of clothes and I overheard her talking to Carrie about what big washings we were putting on her.

If I get a letter in the morning will write again tomorrow. Between Ruthel and myself we are keeping your typewriter pretty busy, she cleaned the keys but I can't keep the ribbon tight on it.

Love,

Ruel