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[No date]
My dear Mrs. Bone,
We had surely missed our Christmas letter and
were overjoyed to hear. I had been at the Rustgard's just the day before
mine came and read your letter to them, but mine had quite a little additional
news. I was delighted to hear of small David - such good news. My
heartaches for the unfortunate people who are not blessed with children.
There is so much I long to tell you. Do
you know that Frances is at Eugene and covering herself with glory - not
spectacular glory -- but she is honor student both semesters and is taking both
vocal and instrumental music beside, for which she can receive no credits
as she is carrying all the subjects that they allow and this last semester she
is sitting in French class, for she could not work it in either but says if she
can pass the tests at the end of the year she can take advanced next year which
is what she wants.
I am hoping she will come to Southern
California next year. Frances has accompanied seven student recitals over
the radio, but we have not been able to get them. However the radio has
enlarged our horizon amazingly.
Have you heard that Bri's now a flying
mechanic, it is thrilling but I sometimes wish he had chozen [sic] a safer
occupation however I glory in his industry and success. He left in October
and has put in a marvelous _____ of work and study and passed his test and thru
special recommendation was awarded his lisence [sic] altho he had not had the
required years of experience. They say never was a boy so industrious and
that they feel he is fully competent and now he is entrusted with the sole care
of a marvelous Lockheed [Vega?], and the lives of his passengers to say nothing
of his Pilot and himself. He is a little awed at the responsibility but
otherwise overjoyed, and to his own surprise, yesterday, after he had gone to
the Hangar to take his bag and baggage to Ketchikan where he had been stationed
he was told that they had switched him to Juneau. So now I have him home
again and you can imagine our joy. Do you know that he is as enthusiastic
a singer as Charles, and with more power and higher range. He is only
waiting until he can have his voice trained. We do not expect to be ______
with any of the board but we surely have been made marvelously happy by each
one. Little Patricia now does very nicely with violin and I couldn't begin
to tell about Philip. Perhaps because he is the youngest, but we all think
he is the prize.
I begin to feel as you say Shirley Anne felt
about Marguerite, about my Frances - she has still to see the young man who is
worthy of a second look. She has great fun teasing me. I am so fond
of all ____ especially for tall girls. So when we read about Marguerites
young husband's tall brother, Frances said "well mother, don't you think you
should really send me to Southern California. That tall brother sounds
interesting." But I think that those things are all arranged better than
we know.
Do you recall the day just after you had spent
Christmas vacation with Marguerite at Seattle, that Mrs. Fisher and I called and
you told us of Marguerite's vocal lessons, I want to tell that day much as I
rejoiced in her progress I had great struggle with heartache, for I could not
see far enough ahead, and I did not see how Frances could have the education
that I knew she deserved. I have often smiled at my lack of trust, for
here she has had two years East, one and half at Rochester and a spring in
Boston with even a better teacher and now this wonderful year at Eugene, and
they discovered that she also has a voice, so I trust I have really learned my
lesson. I also had a struggle about Brien for he could not afford to go to
prep school altho he and the alternate appointment for the Point last year, but
he sat in his den and studied and passed his tests, surprisingly and then his
Principal got in but it didn't bother him for he preferred aviation any how and
now _____ he is in a position to some live enough to go where he chooses even
further in aviation or chose another line.
So I shall not worry about the tall young man -
and I know that when they right time comes the right man will come along.
I did so enjoy the letter about the
commencement party and the wedding which Mrs. Smith so kindly let me read.
I can just see dear Marguerite in her new role
and I can not see her fail in any role. I shall never forget her sweetness
to every one from the first day to the last of her Alaska stay and I am sure no
one whoever enters the "Governors Mansion" while it was the Bone home, can
forget its hospitality. I can hardly go there since. It seems an
empty shell.
Belated spring at last - seems about to come.
Today my darling has been uncovering his garden and the crocus are opening in
the chilly sunshine.
We had a very warm and _____ winter but our
chilly spring has been really hard on the garden.
Give our love to all who remember us. How
I should love to see Mrs. Starr and the children - and Mr. Starr too. I
can never forget the evening they spent with us just before they left. Ask
John if he recollects that he sang on that occasion. When any one sings at
our house I trust they really feel at home. We have had a marvelous _____,
two lovely girls have tried to keep us from missing Fran. and Bri. Miss
Fisher the orchestra teacher in the school and her sister, who came up just
before Christmas for a rest, and who is a beautiful violinist even an ______
student; have been with us almost every Sunday and we have reveled in the very
best. And _____ _____ have nearly all had an obligation as Miss
_____ is such a student of counterpoint that she can ______ at sight.
May the _____ of this show ____ very glad was
to _____
Love,
Dorothea Harland
Envelope: from - Mrs. C. E. Harland, Box 1193,
Juneau, Alaska; postmarked - Juneau, Alaska Apr 20, 1130AM; to - Mrs. Scott C.
Bone, 826 Coronel, Santa Barbara, Calif. |
