572 3/28/1944 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson 1414 Cole St., Lake Charles, Louisiana Tuesday, March 28, 1944

Sadie Erwin Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks, I had a letter from you both yesterday and today. I mailed one to you Sunday night but it came back Monday because I had forgotten to put the extra 2 cents on it. Mom, I’m so glad you are coming down. I have been worried about leaving Jimmie and it will be swell seeing you. But you must not come unless you come by Pullman. By our putting a hundred dollars toward your ticket will cut it down a little. If you traveled by bus it would take you ages because half the time you probably wouldn’t even be able to get on and if you did you couldn’t plan on a seat. Besides it is awfully hot in May. You and Mrs. Martel talked most of one night and you were plenty tired so you never could stand the bus trip or day coach. I would have to stay home from the hospital and take care of you. I would worry more about you coming down on the bus than I would leaving Jimmie with a stranger. I’m going to find out about the price of tickets today. I forgot to send the gas coupons in my last letter so will now. We don’t need them so I hope Ernie can accept them. The ration boards down here are much more generous with gas than up there. I guess they can afford to be. The duplicate book they gave us when I lost ours had more coupons than we will need. My watch is still at the jewelers and has been there about four months and every week he promises to have it ready. I’ll send yours to you before you leave anyway. Also your glass case. I’m so glad to have Jimmie’s birth certificate. Now I have all of ours with us. I had a letter from Jim after he got back to Lakeland and he expects to be shipped out any day. I hope to get him some cookies baked today and mail a T-shirt he forgot. I haven’t heard from Glad either so am wondering if Cully passed his physical or not. Did I bring down any diapers from the cabin. Glad said if I didn’t they were still up there. I have three dozen but may need four, I did with Jimmie, however while the baby is tiny I’m planning on using disposable diapers. Jim saw Maxine just once I believe while he was here but he didn’t like her. He said in his letter he was going to stop spending so much money. He said even “darling little Stella” bawled him out. Summer is just around the corner now. The weather is real warm and muggy and we don’t need anything over us at night, until toward morning and then a sheet is enough. I’m glad the Schweigle’s will be able to go to California. I hope you can see Jim before he leaves. I thought I read in the paper one day about a sugar stamp that would be good for 20 lbs. of canning sugar. No one else seems to have read it so I must be mistaken. Mr. Gillard, our landlord, works for the railroad and he said by coming the way I did was the most direct. I guess the main objection is all the changes. I still can’t believe Speck is gone. Too bad she didn’t stay with Science. Did her tumors turn out to be cancer? I hate to think of your spending so much money just to help me out and Elmer said to be sure and tell you if you felt like changing your mind, not to hesitate to do so. I want you to come in the worst way but wish I were able to buy your whole ticket. I better stop for now and make some cookies and write to Jim and Glad. I owe Stella a letter too. She must have been in an unusual mood one day because all three of us were given the surprise of our lives by hearing from her. More later. Love, Helen