Tuesday Night 7/27*

My Dear Sweetheart,

It is a mighty good feeling to find a letter from you in the box every noon and I have been reading them just as I finish eating dinner. Dr. White eats slower than I, and I find that they are just right at that time. They say a man feels better after a meal, so I should say that they are read when I am in a mood to enjoy them most.

Was interested to know of your visit with Mrs. Parman. I shall always feel very grateful to her for her part. I think lots of both Mr. and Mrs. Parman. I had a letter from Mr. Parman a few days ago telling of the work and Mervin’s continued activity with the rope.

July 28, 1925

It rained most all the afternoon, so we did not have our usual evening visit at the plaza when we had finished dinner. The seats were too wet to sit down, so we went to a stock company show. It was only fair, but was a variety and for that reason both of us enjoyed it. I could not help but think of you and to wish for you, Dear, and I guess I didn’t pay much attention to the show.

We are yet in the city but I hope we will get to the beach in two more days. The manuscript as worked over has required more time than Dr. K.S. & I anticipated, and at times we get out of patience with Dr. White. We cannot see that he has improved it any, or at least not enough to justify the time spent on it. It has always been his custom to spend so much time on a manuscript, and we cannot fully appreciate him. From this standpoint he is careful enough, but I want to get him started on this year’s work. I am afraid he will not materially assist, but will offer good suggestions on what to do. The difficulty with our men and other research men in Washington is that they have no regard for time. Please don’t think that I am mean about it or that I mean to be critical, but I feel that I can talk to you pretty freely on my work or anything else. I am glad that I am having this experience if it has to come, and maybe if I live long enough I will think that he is OK. I was told last winter that he was very slow, and I realize his speed now. But all of this may be OK and I will accomplish the work by myself after he returns. I would rather do this, but if such is the case I won’t propose a joint authorship on the next paper. We will work up our own portions and publish separately. This can be done as we are interested in different phases of the problem. I get along with him OK but I do not disagree unless I have good reasons and then we argue it out. Kirby-Smith says that the paper is mine and that I shouldn’t let him have a d_m thing to do with it. This wouldn’t be a very good policy, but sometimes I feel that it would be OK. I have managed to take the reviewed sections to a steno, and when we have finished tomorrow the copying will be complete. Then it will be rushed in. Sometimes I think that Dr. White had an idea of holding up the long paper until after the end of this summer, and was in hopes that his name would then appear second, but I have insisted on the complete report and when this is finished I am going to suggest that each of us work up individual reports next time. This will solve the question and will cause an understanding.

Pardon all this, Sweetheart, but I felt I should tell you. I have kept quiet intentionally, but thought I should tell you. If I could talk with you I could tell you more. But everything will be OK and I am living in hopes of having you with me before an awful long time.

With all my love, Honey Bunch.

Your
Walter.

500 Prof. Bldg.
c/o Dr. K.S.

*The 27th was a Monday, so this must be the letter from the 28th.

Sunday Night.
9 PM.

My Dear Sweetheart,

It was a lucky thing that I gave you the hotel address, as I received your letter this morning. Otherwise I would not have received it until tomorrow morning. Believe me I wanted to get it as soon as possible. It was a mighty sweet one too, Dear, and I enjoyed every word. I guess I have been so interested in you and in telling you that I loved you that I have not told you much of my work.

While the clinic is new to Dr. White it is not new to me as it is largely a repetition of last summer. I believe that Dr. White had an idea that I wrote too much on last year’s work and it seems to be a check on what I have done. However, he agrees with me most every night on points mentioned in the paper. I do not believe that anyone requested him to check on me, but he wants to feel sure as he is one of the authors.

July 19, 1925 (Walter)

The paper will be published in full, but at Dr. White’s suggestion we are re-arranging the data to some extent. The subject matter remains the same but the re-arrangement will improve it. Dr. White has a set form in his writing and sticks to it rather closely and if he likes it better we won’t argue it. I’ll see that the data is given in full. He has one idea that we should discuss it from a point of transmission of the disease and as we can more easily claim the field from this standpoint, I agree with him. I hope to keep the problem on this ground, and with possession of the problem I believe I can invite co-operation and go as far as necessary without getting on the toes of some other Bureau. There are definite studies made by the different Bureaus but some of the problems overlap and creeping eruption happens to be one of those problems. This summer’s work may open up a considerable field in transmission of the disease which we may easily claim and get some money to do the work. I am going down the state just the same and lay claim to the work which naturally belongs to our division. I cannot say whether I’ll get to go down there when Dr. White is here as we are apt to have quite a bit of experimental work going on about the time he returns to Wash & I doubt if both of us can leave at one time. I’ll probably go down there after this work is in shape. If you were here we would go down there together and when you did not care to spend the day outside with me, you could stay at the hotel or do shopping or whatever you wanted to do. I am glad that you do like to get outside some, for we can have some mighty good times this way, when I have some scouting to do. I’ll want to be with you most all the time, for I love you so much.

I guess Dr. White is about asleep. We will have a big crowd tomorrow.

I love you, Dear, with all my heart, and I certainly wish I were with you right now.

With a sweet goodnight,

Your,
Walter.