Wausau, Wis.
Dearest Sweetheart Wallie:
I received your letter of Saturday this morning — it surely was a nice long one. You are a nice housekeeper. Dear, keep it up then you won’t mind it at all. Saturday I didn’t hardly do a thing — just sat around and sewed a little.
Don’t try to save on the coal pile too much Sweetheart, so that you catch a cold. I must have caught mine when we went to Dr. Reist that day. He won’t charge more than $25.00 if it’s an ordinary case. Any doctor would charge more if there was something else that had to be done, such as using instruments, taking stitches, etc. But Mother never had any trouble like that, so I’m hoping I won’t either. Time will tell.
Dear Wallie, it wouldn’t pay to get those things at Walgreen’s because by the time postage is paid on them they would cost more than here. Sweet oil we need and Dad has it in the store. You’re sending Listerine & toothpaste & my brush so I guess that’s all besides the soap (for the baby), and that we can get here too. Mother has some for me.
My sore throat is better Dear. I gargled with baking soda and salt which seemed to help most. Then Mother made me take medicine. My cold is much better now so don’t worry about me, just keep yourself in good condition.
I haven’t received the package yet but suppose I will today sometime. You sent everything I wanted, but Wallie, that candy you could have kept there.
I hope you did forget to pack it. Have you any cigars left, Dear? I can imagine how long it takes for one person to eat a cake, especially if you don’t like it so much. We’ll send you something this week, about Thursday so you’ll have it fresh for Sunday. Have you very much left?
That’s fine if you can use a car from the garage to come up with next week — the time from now until then will go so fast — it will be here before you realize it. There isn’t much snow up here at all. The concrete I imagine is bare but I’ll make sure a little later in the week and let you know. How is it that they said they might let you use a car?
You worked this last Saturday, didn’t you Sweetheart? But next Saturday you don’t expect to, is that it? It will give you a chance to pay the milkman and paperboy. The gas bill must be paid by the 10th of February. It is coming down a little, every penny helps, doesn’t it?
Wallie, you won’t forget to send me $12.50 for our loan as soon as you have payday. It’s due the 10th, so if you mail it Saturday, I’ll get it in time. Then there’s a small balance at the Boston Store — a little over $2.00 I believe. I suppose it could be left for a while, we wouldn’t lose many stamps. You can do as you wish about that. For your insurance, $25.00 must be put aside this next payday. I guess we’ll make it by the width of a hair or just about make it anyhow.
I would like to give the folks some by March 1st as that is when taxes must be paid, and by that time I will have been here five weeks. I asked Dad how much board he wanted me to pay and he didn’t give me any answer. I don’t think I’ll have to pay $5.00 now, but when I’m sick it would be worth more than that. I don’t know what it will be, but I think if we paid $5.00 through, you and I should be satisfied. We’d have to pay at least $10.00 a week if we had a girl, so we’d still be saving some. We would have to board a girl besides. I guess we won’t be short any after all’s said and done. We’ll get back on our feet again I hope, only it’s hard now at first.
Don’t worry about me working too hard — I need some exercise anyway & won’t do too much, there’s Marie here besides Mother. But it will be nice to be back with you Sweetheart. You won’t mind if meals aren’t always ready then, will you? You can play with “Owen Duright” always.
It’s very nice that you washed the stove, I’m so glad because from the heat it would burn in so badly, we’d have an awful time getting it off later. But I know you’ll take good care of it, Dear.
I believe it’s time for me to have this letter ready for the mailman — it’s almost three o’clock. Goodbye Sweetheart.
With all my love,
Mabel.
With a Carload of Love... 