June 18 - 1918
Dear sister,
As I am through for today & see Herbert has written to Fred will also try and write a few lines, as he has forgotten to thank you for the box of cake & candy we received yesterday. Also your letter. And have the cake all eaten. It wasn't broken up bad for the journey it had and it tasted good. And am glad you thought of us.
Today is papa's birthday 69 I guess. Did they get the postals I sent them. Never heard if they did or not. Well I had strawberry shortcake for supper tonight. The rest of the household went out fishing and are having a picnic supper on the beach. They invited me along but nothing stiring [sic].
They brought their daughter home with them today for a few days stay. And well I can't complain, she shook hands with me. And that's going some for a chaplin [sic] & major's daughter & just a College graduate to [sic], and I just a Private's wife. Some of the officers salute me (that's the style in the army) when I happen to be out in front and others won't even turn their head. But I am not on the front side very much, always use the back door as it is a closer way to here and also because that's the one for me to use. Ha. Hum ja.
So you had quite a time giving the girl a name. Well I guess that's the way with most of them. Hope she keeps well and grows up to be a good woman and may the Lord keep her in the true faith.
My arm has been stinging for a few days now. Guess I'll soon be over the worst part. It's swelled quite a bit.
The Lieut. Has moved out of this Chapel and a Y.M.C.A. man and his wife have moved in. They are from Madison Co., Ia., near Des Moines. So you see I am with Iowans again. I haven't got acquainted with her though becausein the afternoon when I am up here I generaly [sic] have a little to do in the way of mending or writing and in the evening they are always at the movies as that is part of his work.
I sent an order to Sears Roebuck this morning for a pair of shoes, walked the soles through one pair already in these rocks. We girls got a catalogue (wrote for it) while at Townsend from Seattle. As I saw the building when we were pulling into the city of Seattle the morning we arrived.
Well I have not seen the ocean or don't care to. They tell me we are 100 miles from the ocean, this is Puget Sound. Well I suppose will have fresh fish again tomorrow. They go out in little motor boats and fish, but I don't want fish bad enough to get in one of those boats. Don't like water well enough for that.
Well Herb. just went on an errand for the Company and now he is turning the hose on the Mrs. E Garden. That name is to [sic] long to write. And I just came back from getting Emil's pictures. Will get them ready to mail. The first Co, are sure a noisy bunch down there, all they can do is play catch behind and in front of their barrack, and that's not a very large place, I can tell you. One guard walks in front, another behind the Barrack and no one can go in and those that are in can't come any futher [sic] than the sidewalk.
Got a letter from Tena this morning. Haven't heard from Sallie or Lena for a couple of weeks. Guess they must be getting tired of writing. If they complain to you because they don't hear, ask them when they wrote last. And a couple of days out here without getting a letter seems a mighty long time and as far as I know I've answered every letter we got. Tena or realy [sic] Marie told me they had new peas and I told the Mrs. about it this afternoon and she couldn't hardly believe it. Wanted to know what made things grow so fast out there. Her peas have been blooming for a couple of weeks and are just getting pods now. Are about 4 ft. higher but she has lovely head lettuce. Say did Bill Tibben pay the full 488 for that quilt or how was it. Sure must have had a crowd as I think that well never was pumped dry before on picnic day. Some of these days when I get time I am going to dig up some wild fern roots and so on that grow in the timber here and send them to you.
This is the first Sunday Herbert has off since I've been over here but we can't even for a walk as the clothes have not come up yet, and the soldiers must be dressed up on Sundays if they are not working. But believe me I'm thankful to stay today rather than to have Herbert shut in for 3 weeks and couldn't even see him even if we were only a stone's throw apart.
Well the 63rd regiment is gone. I saw those that went from here march to the dock and saw the boat go down the stream that carried them to Seattle. They went by rail from there. It sure looks tough but what can we do. I see by those papers that Ia. has lost quite a no. of men on the Front. Yes we can expect to hear most anything.
Well what kind of speaches [sic] did they have at the picnic? And are the danes allowed to talk their language over the phone or are they shut down to [sic].
There is a guy by name of Ray Tannet in the first Co. from Canby, Ia. He is a chum of Herbert's and knows just where we lived as he had been to A. W. Mueller's after roosters. He is coming up here to get acquainted with me but I guess it will be a couple of weeks now.
They transferred some men out of the first Co. yet last Monday into the 63rd. So you see I've been thinking all the while that they had all they wanted in that regiment. And how quick some may be on their way over there.
Well as I have not received any letter from you since I wrote last, I hardly know anything of importance to write about. Perhaps we will get some mail this evening. Thanking you for sending those papers we remain as ever,
Herb & Em
How are the girls. And what did you name the baby.
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Transcribed by Cheryl Siebrass. Contributed July, 2017
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