Tuesday Night
Oct. 27, 1931.
Dearest Sweetheart:
Giles Rawles (Johnie’s brother) spent this evening with us. His wife and baby remained in Columbia, Mississippi while Giles and his wife’s brother are making a tour of Texas, “prospecting.” When he saw Walter White he immediately said he was just like you. Didn’t you meet him once when we were here or has he just seen your picture? I believe he and his wife were visiting here at that time. Yes, I know they were because we all went into Mexico together and took some pictures. She was the one with the babyish voice, you remember.
You would be amused to hear your son call Papa “Nickey” and “Humpkin” (Mama’s pet name for Papa). He has been in the yard almost all today. This afternoon Mr. Dougharty has been thrashing the pecans and W.W. has been helping him pick them up. Sometimes he decides to take them out of the bucket by the handful and scatter them. He fills his pockets and a little glass with them. He likes the taste of them but we do not give him many. He puts one under his little bare foot and says “onna cwack it,” or squeezes one in each fist and says the same thing.
It is lovely that you have so much enthusiastic cooperation in preparing the exhibits etc. for the meetings. I’m glad that you, Mr. Hall and Mr. Hull are going to present “The Sandfly Problem” in December. It should be of great interest to those attending the meetings because of its importance and the lack of previous work done on the problem. I’m glad you are planning to be present at the meetings although we are going to miss you. If Mr. Hall goes also perhaps Pauline and little David would stay with Walter White and me. We would enjoy having them and none of us would get so lonesome. Perhaps we could find a cot or something for David to sleep on.
I was so amused at your comments on Charleston that I read that part of your letter aloud to Mama. She said tell you that the more you disliked Charleston the better pleased she was. This speculation about Dallas is something to my wife’s ears and that about Jacksonville isn’t exactly bad. It would seem too good to be true if we could return to Dallas to live. If that cannot be, Jacksonville would be nice – certainly a great deal nicer than Charleston. Anyhow, those things are pleasant to think about. I can’t believe we are settled in Charleston for life, but I am beginning to feel that it would not be bad at all to live there for a while longer. It is a good experience. It makes us appreciate other places. By the way, yesterday a neighbor of ours remarked to Papa that they were trying to kill all the rats at Carrizo Springs because they were spreading typhus. Papa did not inquire into it but when he told Mama she was all keyed up over it, thinking that you might go down there to do some work. He will make further inquiries and I will let you know. Are you interested in getting material from there if possible, or do you think it would be worth the trip? I do not know a Carrizo Springs physician’s name to whom you could write for information. It would be lovely if you could come.
Yes, Honey, I love you too even though you live at Charleston. I’d love you if you lived at Kuippa [?].
Good-night and I hope you sleep good.
Always, your
Ina.