Category: Letter

In an earlier letter, Cynthia told her mother of a plan to go to Detroit, Michigan and Windsor Ontario, over the border in Canada, with a more congenial companion, Pam, another English exchange teacher, than the older Tyneside couple, the Atkinsons.  They would have taken a weekend, involving trains and buses, and late November is not the ideal time to be exploring like tourists, but the details emerge in a further letter.  This is just a note to her mother to show her pretty writing paper and enclose a few oddments. It’s interesting showing trains in the pre-Amtrak days with a nod to a very successful advertising campaign!

26 November 1946

My dearest Mummy,

I got these darling bits of paper and envelopes in Canada, and I didn’t have to pay duty when I bought them back to America. They were so sweet though, that I thought I must write on one for you to see, and I’m enclosing some things that might amuse you.

1. A letter from my faithful admirer, Ivy, in Cambridge. She has written quite a few times, and I write once in a while & send P.C.s and movie mags. but her letters tickle me to bits, & I know they’ll amuse you too. They remind me a bit of my “girlish” letters from York!
2. A little map of a few of the states to show you where various places are. I feel quite superior now, as I know where these states are round about, but I’m always getting floored over ones like Nevada!
3. A picture of a little kitten! There’s a story attached to that- coming home from Detroit Pam & I set out for the Station to catch the 5.40 train. We finally got a bus & the driver said “Which station – Union?” So we said yes, having no idea, & got dumped off at a dark dingy place we’d never seen before! However, we trotted in & found it was the wrong station, but that there was a 5.40 train we could catch on the C&O line (Chesapeake and Ohio) instead of the one we intended to take on the B&O (Baltimore & Ohio)! It was a nice comfortable train & not crowded & when we went for dinner, we had the place nearly to ourselves, & a very nice attentive middle-age coloured waiter looked after us. We had a lovely dinner, & he kept asking us if we enjoyed it, & at the end he brought us little finger bowls with water in paper cups with this kitten at the bottom. Of course we were intrigued & he gave us each one & apparently they’re a family of cats in the C&O advertising- this is the mother Chessie & the father is Peak & there are twin kittens. Father was away in the Army & is just back with all his medals & Mother is sleeping soundly in a berth again! He was such a nice waiter & seemed well educated & so interested in England that we had a nice time! I am sending you Chessie to keep for me as a souvenir! Bon souvenir as Ludwik says!

      Lots of love from 

        Cyn

4229 Berwick Avenue

6th November 1946

Dearest Mummy,

This is my letter to give you details of all my doings, that you heard of in passing in my a.m. letters. Since I wrote my last letter to you at the weekend answering your letters I’ve had another one from you posted on ? But I’m not going to answer that now.  ^By now I’ve had lots! 17th Nov.

I’m going ‘way ‘way back to 11th Oct. which was Til’s birthday. I had arranged with Vida and Fraser McCartney, who have the flower shop, to send some flowers to Til on her birthday, and I paid them for them. Unfortunately they came on the evening before- 10th- but it didn’t really matter as I was in & when Til came in later I gave them to her. They were in a great big box (not cellophane, I was sorry to see) and tied with ribbon & inside a sheet of red roses & little button chrysanthemums – they call him just “mums” here which tickles me! Til was delighted with them and we arranged them in two vases, and they lasted quite a nice long time. On her birthday I gave her a card & Lois gave her a very smart black suit, & Bill sent an electric blanket. We couldn’t celebrate that day because Til was rehearsing every night for a concert, so Lois & I went to see Ginger Rogers in “Heartbeat” while Til was rehearsing. 12th Oct. was Saturday so I slept quite late & then went into town to shop. I know I must have bought something but I don’t remember what, so I don’t think it can have been very important! One thing was a pink cotton blouse, I remember now – it was very cheap and plain with an ordinary shirt neck, but I can wear it with my navy suit and with my brown pinafore for work. I had lunch in town & then went to the pictures by myself to see Lauren Bacall & Humphrey Bogart in “The Long Sleep” which was quite a good murder-mystery type.

13th Oct. Til had a Children’s Concert to play in, in the afternoon, but straight afterwards she & Lois & I drove to Lois’s sister Ruth’s. Ruth was going giving a birthday party for Til, & besides us there was Ruth & her husband Ernie (a lawyer) the two children David & Mary L. (short for Lois) and Lois’ other sister Mary with her husband Bob. They live in Indianapolis & were with Ruth for a little vacation, so it was the first time I’d met them, but I’d heard a lot about them. Apparently about 12 years ago Lois’ father was alive & Mary had been going about with Bob & they wanted to get married, but the father objected because he was about 15 years older than her, was divorced & drank. So Mary quarrelled with her Father & left home & Lois went with her & they went to live with Til. After a while Mary & Bob got married & they are a very devoted pair (no children). Bob joined “Alcoholics Anonymous” & gave up drinking, & now helps other people to do the same. Last spring they went down to Florida for a vacation, & while they were there Mary was filling Bob’s cigarette lighter with lighter fuel in the bedroom & somehow the fluid got alight & exploded the bottle & her legs got most terribly badly burned. She was very seriously ill, & Lois went down to Florida & stayed there for a month while she was in the hospital when Bob had to go back to work, & then Lois brought Mary up to Ohio on a stretcher by train to a hospital up here, & she was in the hospital from March to August before she could go home. They thought she wouldn’t be able to walk again, but she is fine, although not very strong & her legs are like the worst “fire-burnt” parts of yours all over. She is a dark, slim pretty girl – not like Lois yes blonde – & I liked her, but Bob is a big handsome man over 6 ft., a bit conceited and facetious and jokey for my taste! Ruth is tiny & dark – even smaller than me – & I like her very much & her husband seems nice too. The dinner was lovely – roast chicken & all sorts of things to go with it, and afterwards “Angel Food Cake” with ice cream. We all washed up the dishes, & Til had a great pile of presents from all the others- soap, a compact, a blouse, pyjamas etc.!

14th Oct. Til was rehearsing again, so as Lois was working at the Airport by herself during the evening, I went with her & she taught me to work the adding machine & I had great fun punching figures for her.

15th Oct. was the day of Til’s concert. She belongs to a Society called the Friends of Music which give concerts during the winter. They have a conductor from Chicago to train them etc. & they are all chosen musicians, but have other jobs too. Til is the 1st violin & everyone says she is very good. There are about 50 people in the orchestra, half women, & all the women had just had dresses made alike- fine black stuff – long, gathered skirts, bishop sleeves, and peter pan collars- Til hated hers & it did make them all look sort of fat, & very plain & black. I tried to console her by telling her that all the others looked just as bad! With Lois & I at the concert, were Elsie (the girl with the paralyzed face) & her Mother, & it was held in the concert hall of a convent- (a big hall too) & up in one corner were a few nuns sitting listening to the music & enjoying themselves! The concert was very good, but the music was a bit deep for me – however I enjoyed it.

16th Oct. I stayed after school & talked to the Senior Friendship Club about England! They were quite sweet & interested & I stayed about an hour.

17th Oct. I had a nice, quiet night at home. I forgot to tell you, that on the 16th I had a date for dinner & a movie with Joyce Cole – the girl from Texas. Then I got a letter from a teacher on the faculty (staff) of a Teacher’s College in Bowling Green- a place outside Toledo – asking me to go & speak at a faculty meeting. So I wrote & said I couldn’t go & then Joyce rang up & asked if I would mind cancelling the date!! That wasn’t all though – since then, the same Bowling Green woman has written & asked me to speak at their Annual Banquet – the most important function of the year she says!- on 15th Jan. & I’ve had to refuse again as I have that date booked too! The funny thing is I have just have “Talk” written down for the date & I have no idea to whom or where, but I know it’s something!

18th Oct. Til & Lois & I drove to Ruth’s. Til had a bottle of champagne given to her for her birthday so she took it along, but besides Mary & Ruth (the husbands were away on a hunting trip) quite a few of Ruth’s friends were in, so we had to wait till some of them went before we could even share it round! Ruth’s friends belonged to a Garden Club & there was a big Flower Show in Toledo, & all the Clubs were sending in hats decorated with flowers, berries etc. so they were doing theirs & of course I had lots of fun helping. It was a plain straw hat with a brim & we covered the brim with waxed autumn leaves & made a huge wreath to go round of corn, cranberries (red) acorns, bittersweet (orange) & all sorts of things, & put a few other leaves across the crown & it looked lovely. Lois took me in for a very rapid glimpse of the Flower show next night- it was crowded with people so we only rushed in & rushed out, but we saw the hats & ours was definitely the 2nd best. The very best was cut out of a dark & pale green melon & was a sort of toque with cascades of green & purple grapes! After we had finished the hat we all sat around the kitchen table & drank champagne & were quite hilarious on about 1/2 a glass! When we came away Til said I’d been a great hit with the Club ladies & that it didn’t do any harm to use my charm once in a while! That charm again!

19th Oct. I shopped at our local stores in the morning & in the afternoon Til & Lois decided that we would have a little party to ourselves that evening. So we dressed up & they took me out to dinner at a very nice place in town that I hadn’t been to before & then we went to a movie “Rage in Heaven”. Afterwards both Til & I confessed that we’d seen it before, but it was ages ago & neither of us realized until we saw the beginning. However we didn’t mind & we had quite a lot of fun.

I forgot to tell you when I was talking about Til’s dress for the concert, she took me with her to when she went to have it tried on one day, & the dressmaker’s name was Mrs. Niggermeyer!! I met Mr. N. & Mrs. N. & Son N. & they were all fat & Pop & Momma very talkative & intrigued with me as they’d never seen my ilk before! Son was fat & podgy & 28 & had been in the Navy & had been to College before & was an engineer. When Til went back later to get her dress Mrs N. asked her whether I would go out with her son, as he’d been so taken with me & wanted to call me up & have a date with me! Til nearly exploded as we’d both said how dull & awful he looked & said I how busy I was etc. & I’ve never heard anymore of it!

20th Oct. was the day I went to Church with Mr. & Mrs. Hawkins, & in the afternoon I finally met Joyce Cole & we went around the Museum together & had tea afterwards. She is a nice girl but I never seem to get any further with her – she is sort of calm & placid & she doesn’t laugh heartily at my wisecracks, but smiles politely instead, so I don’t feel that we’ll ever get to be more than passing acquaintances! Anyway it is her turn to call me, if we were to go out together again, so I’ll just leave it at that.

21st Oct. was the night of the P.T.A. at school. Mr. Nauts asked me in the afternoon if I’d “say a few words” at the meeting, so I didn’t bother to think of a thing, but when Lois & I went into the auditorium that evening & I saw all 1500 people sitting there, I nearly had a fit! I told you about speaking & dodging the mike, but I felt pleased because I made them laugh at least twice! I quite enjoyed meeting the parents afterwards but I went on too long!

22nd Oct. I went to see “Caesar and Cleopatra” by myself. The local cinema is just at the bottom of our street, & opens at 7 p.m. & you get in for 35¢. Everyone eats popcorn (except me) & the smell of it is awful!

23rd Oct. Til & I went to the Tea where the man talked about the New York theatres & then later I went to the “Rollercade” where the Home Ec Club was having a skating party. It was very boring really as it was a public rink & the kids just went in & skated round & round. I helped collect the money & pay the affair’s debts at the rink & then was glad to come home.

24th Oct. I went to town after school & bought a new hat & new shoes that I think I told you about – I like them both – especially the shoes. They’re dark brown- high heeled – with a bit across the front & just a heel strap – you can hardly buy a shoe here that has a filled-in heel!

25th Oct. was the day off for the North-Western Teacher’s Convention. It amused me to bits to see notices in all the shops, buses etc. “Welcome Teachers of Ohio “! I didn’t go to any of the big meetings but just to the Home Ec one where I spoke. I was quite scared about it, but when I was there & heard the other speakers, I thought, gosh, if I can’t do better than that I should be shot! In fact the more I hear of other speakers, the less ashamed I am of my own efforts! They were talking on “Home Problems” – one was a buyer in House things in a store – she wasn’t bad; – a housewife, who was ghastly; – a high school girl – the best of the bunch; & a health worker – boring! Then I came on!

Afterwards I met Pam & another teacher from Fostoria & we had a nice afternoon having lunch & shopping & going to see a picture “The Killers” which was good. Then we drove to Fostoria, about 40 miles, across very flat, rather poor farming country. Fostoria is a fair – sized little town & like every little town you see in American pictures! Pam lives with an old, kindly couple, the man semi-invalid, used to be a train driver. They were very nice to me & said I could come anytime. Pam is a nice lass- very open-airish, no make up & a bit puppy-fat looking! She has straight brown hair, my colour & fresh colour – but she has the “Ince” mouth- droopy! We got along fine – she has quite a nice room – not as nice as mine! – with a double bed. I inspected all her photos & she showed me all her clothes & we talked! Then we went out to dinner & to see Walt Disney’s “Make Mine Music”. Next day we slept late, then got ready & went to see the town. We went in nearly every shop & it was great fun & I bought my nice red shoes there. After lunch we went back to the house & by then I was foot-sore & weary, but Pam dragged me out again to go & see the Dean of Girls at her school, who is sister to a teacher at DeV. It was she who was burning leaves & Pam helped but there was no rake for me & I stood & froze while they gaily chattered, & you know how unhappy I get when I’m cold! I’m sure the lady thought I was a nasty bored individual, & so I am when I’m cold!

After dinner, I was to get the Greyhound Bus back to Toledo, but it was ages late & Pam & I waited & waited outside her house for it. We tried to stop a truck once thinking it was the bus, & a man offered me a lift & when I just gawped at him, he drove around the block & came back & asked me again! I said no thank you, I was waiting for the bus! When I did get the bus, we wooshed along & it was very comfortable & but all the lights were dimmed so you couldn’t read. It was nearly 11 when I got into Toledo, so I treated myself to a taxi home, & Lois & Til were so pleased to see me, that it was lovely getting back. They admired my new red shoes & I took Til a tiny baby cactus in a wee little pot from the 5 &10¢ store & she was most tickled!

27th Oct. I had a lovely quiet day doing my washing & writing letters. 

28th Oct. was the day that Lois and I sat at home and spent the evening making pumpkin lanterns for Hallowe’en. I made mine like this – very happy & rather drunken looking with one tooth, and Lois made hers like this-very prim and disapproving looking! When Til came in we had the candles in and lit, and the lights out, & we told her to say who had made which, & she said that I must have made the prim one as she’d never seen a pumpkin looking like that before – it must be the English style! I told you that we’d made popcorn & drank cider – the cider is sort of home made, although you buy it at farm stalls & is in big jars & is non-alcoholic. But we left the jar in the little back porch & two nights later I heard a great bang & thought Lois had fallen out of bed or something. However, I didn’t hear anything else, so I went to sleep again but next morning we found the cider jar had exploded & there was a cider and glass all over the porch!

29th Oct we went to see Elsie & took her the pumpkins. Since the night she was at Til’s concert with us she had taken ill, and she has got worse if anything since then – weaker & attacks of nausea & headaches. She is convinced it is a brain tumor, and the nurse who nursed her before came to look after her & they made an appointment at the hospital in Boston where the specialist is, and just tonight they have got a compartment on the train & the nurse is taking her to the hospital. She seems to be desperately ill and Lois and she wondered if she’d ever come back.

30th Oct. I went to see Bob Hope in “Monsieur Beaucaire“.

31st Oct. was Hallowe’en and I went to the Pun’kin Prance at school & I think I told you how bored I was! How the teachers can bear to go and sit there and chaperone I don’t know – if I ever did it again I take a book, except that you’re stuck away in the darkest corner!

1st Nov. was the night Til & Lois & I were supposed to go to Bowling Green to see a “Water Pageant”, but it was pouring with rain & looked foggy too, so instead we all decided to go to the pictures & we saw Ingna Bergman in “Notorious” and it was lovely –a murder!

2nd Nov. I Christmas shopped & had lunch in town. It was crowded & rainy, but I got quite a lot of things & came home for tea. I shall enclose a list of what I sent to people so that you will know all the things I got. I wrapped up 11 parcels, & sent them off on Wednesday, so I hope they get there in time for Christmas. The parcels looked so pretty when I sent them – I hope they won’t get too battered & torn up.

3rd Nov. I went to tea with Davida Bailey & her Father, and they were both very nice & kind. He reminded me so much of Uncle John or one of those, with his Belfast accent, but she is a queer looking thin woman about 40, with glasses & a long thin red nose! The English wives that were there seemed quite nice, but I don’t know if I’ll see them again. 

4th Nov. I went down to the YWCA & spoke to one of their clubs – the World Fellowship Interest Group. I think I told you about teaching them a song, & talking about Guy Fawkes. Some of the kids had made a Guy but he wasn’t a bit like our kind, – a sort of frame of pieces of wood & covered with newspaper. However we went out & burnt it in an open air grate in the “yard”, but they aren’t allowed to have fireworks or anything, so it was really wasn’t at all like Guy Fawkes.

6th Nov. was the night of the Faculty Turkey Supper & I think I told you most about that. There was nothing very exciting happened – I wore my red wool dress with the short sleeves.

7th Nov. I went to speak at Mrs. Nauts’ sorority. It was rather funny because Mr. Nauts said I must come to dinner with them beforehand & then Mrs. Nauts came & arranged the time to collect me & never mentioned dinner, & then later Mr. Nauts said something about when would I be ready & he was horrified that Mrs. Nauts hadn’t asked me to dinner, but he couldn’t get in touch with her then as she was out! So I had dinner at home! I wore my blue, long sleeved woollen dress, & I think I’m getting fat or something because it’s getting awfully tight, but everyone is very complimentary about it. It is also beginning to wear a bit at the seams at the back of the armholes, so I’m afraid it’s not going last very much longer. I’m sorry because I like that dress, but I shall try to patch it up and make it last. I talked about N/C & Cambridge that night, & told about the Roman Wall & Wallsend, & the Castle & the Cathedral & the docks & everything I could think of in N/C & then about Cambridge & the Colleges & the river & Grandchester & so on & they all seemed to enjoy it very much.

8th Nov. was Saturday – goody! – & I went & shopped again. I didn’t have many things to buy but it took me quite a while & I had lunch in town. Do you know Sat. mornings in town I do miss so much not having a friend to meet for coffee or even for lunch – it was such a nice pleasant friendly time, & I sat & had lunch by myself & quite felt quite forlorn at not knowing anyone just to chat too. Eventually an oldish dame came & sat at my table, so I talked to her but she wasn’t a very thrilling companion! That evening Lois & Til & I went to see “Cloak & Dagger” & it was quite good.

10th Nov. I washed my clothes & spent all afternoon packing parcels! In the evening I told you about going to speak at the Young People’s Club at the Church & how sweet they were about giving me a corsage etc. & taking me there & back. Then during the week I got a little letter from the Secretary thanking me. 

11th Nov. I went to the dinner at the Hillcrest Hotel for the Pi Lamda Theta. It is quite a high class joint!, so I dressed up & wore my new black dress & washed my hair & Til said I looked very nice – & my fur coat on top. Then they gave me a white corsage with white ribbons so it quite completed my ensemble! I didn’t have to make a speech, so that was a change!

12th & 13th Nov. were lovely days – or rather evenings! I just sat at home & wrote letters & thoroughly enjoyed myself!

14th Nov. Mr. Nauts had mentioned something about going to Ann Arbor, Michigan State University, & so I went & asked him again & finally he couldn’t go, but Miss Pasch & Mr. Brown took me & it was really fun- getting a day off too! It was beautifully sunny & the drive was lovely & I thoroughly enjoyed it. I wore my new coat & hat to match!

15th Nov. I went to a tea & talk given by the Consumers Group of the Association of University Women. I only had to eat and listen, so it was quite fun & it was in a lady’s home & very informal which was nice. I wore my old tweed suit, which is very much admired over here – everyone calls it my “lovely English tweed”!

16th Nov. I was invited to go a motor ride with three of the DeV. teachers, a Miss Jacobs – big & tall, but a face rather like Miss Bullen’s, but not quite so nice – a Miss Warner- rather sappy- & a Miss Berwick – very gushy- none of them at all my type. In addition to that it was pouring with rain, so it wasn’t a very lively party! However they were very kind to take me & it was most interesting. I got home about 6, & Til & Lois & I went out for dinner & to a movie to see “Holiday in Mexico” which was nice & light & musical & in technicolor. There was a draw for 12 pairs of nylons, but we didn’t win any!

17th Nov. is today! I washed my hair, washed my clothes, took down the screens outside my bedroom windows all today! Then this afternoon I went to the Y.W.C.A. tea I told you about. I wore my blue wooly dress, new coat (without the fur) my fur hat & my new brown shoes, & Til & others admired my hat immensely. A nice man was there who is on the Board of Education & he was very complimentary & said how much he admired my little speech & that he thought I was a credit to my country! I’m always so pleased when people say that!!

I came home- Kathryn Meyers gave me a lift – just as Til came back from a Children’s Concert she’d been giving, & Lois came in with Ruth & her family from an Ice Skating Show they’ve been at, so we all went out to dinner.

I think I shall have to send this by sea, so I shall finish now, but I’ll enclose a picture of “Dearborn” the Inn we had lunch at yesterday & also a list of the Christmas presents. I shall try & write a letter, thanking you for all of yours, during the week, but this is going to be a busy week I think- three talks!

I do hope that everything goes well, honey & that you’re all well – 

  Lots and lots of love 

        from 

                Cyn 

P.S. This doesn’t seem a very interesting letter!

4229 Berwick Ave.

Toledo 12 Ohio 

17th Oct. 1946 

Dearest little Mamma,

I am feeling very guilty because I haven’t written you a long letter to yourself for 2 weeks, and although you say not to bother because you know I’m busy, I like to keep up to date with my gossip with you. I certainly am busy, honey – I don’t think your daughter will ever have worked as hard in her life that she’s going to work these next few weeks, which will be quite a nice change for me, won’t it?! I never realized I was coming to America to TOIL! Last night I spent 2 1/2 hours marking papers for my classes, tonight I have just written 4 business letters (2 of them I had to write out twice because of mistakes! Loud curses!) and during the next 5 weeks, I have 11 social engagements, at 8 of which I have to speak! Besides that I am being asked to talk to some of the English classes in school, & that means double work, because they give me a list of subjects ranging from Chaucer, the Shakespeare Memorial Theater, G.B. Shaw, British Bird Life to English wild flowers, & although I can babble happily about flowers, I have to go to the library & read up some facts on Chaucer etc.! Then I have to leave my Home Ec class some work to do when I go to the English class, and then mark the work afterwards! I still haven’t finished my list of tasks though – two of the school social clubs – the Home Ec club & the Junior Friendship Club have asked me to be their Advisor (partly politeness – partly because I look young & giddy I think!) which entails going to some of their after school meetings– the Junior Party Committee have asked me to be a Chaperone(!!) at the “Pum’kin Prance”, their Halloween dance, and to crown it all Miss Sanger (the supervisor) has asked me to write a 900 word article for a Home Ec magazine on English Domestic Science – AND– the last straw! the girl at the British Embassy in Washington has written asking me if I will be one of about 1/2 a dozen teachers they are asking to keep an account of how their money lasts in the U.S.A. & how it compares with U.S. salaries – so that means I have to keep a record of every penny I spend & send a monthly account to Washington. Can you imagine! Why did they pick on me? They must know that I used to keep an account in Cambridge & think I’m used to it! So you can see I am busy – but don’t worry – it’s not really bothering me at all, and I am sure I shall manage all right, but I just like people to know the full extent of my activities!!!

I got another lovely long A.M. letter from you today posted 14th October I think – so it was most wonderfully quick. You were answering one of my A.M. letters, and saying you couldn’t realize that it was telling you of things I’d done just a few days ago, and I feel exactly the same way. It seems nearly impossible to today- Thursday- I should know all about your talking to Irene & seeing Denis & Winnie last Sunday! Ain’t life amazing! Talking of your A.M. letters, I have never had to pay extra postage on them, but I noticed Nan had to put 2/6 on her last letter. In the U.S. they send a letter back to you if it is overweight & I’ve had 1 or 2 returned to me for extra postage to be stuck on, so now I am more careful. Etta, Til’s sister in law, who comes and cleans the house on Fridays, is a dear, fat soul, a bit like an older Mrs. Scott, & she has brought me a little old rusty letter scales that she had at home, but it will be useful to me if I am doubtful, even though I don’t suppose it’s very accurate. Do you remember my ever telling you about how amused I was when Hugh said York was a “priddy ciddy” for “pretty city”? Well I was under the impression for weeks that Etta was Edda, & just to confirm it asked Til one day & overcame her with shame, she said! Since then Til always says E tt tt a with about 10 Ts, most distinctly!

Saturday 2nd Nov. 10 p.m.

Dearest Mummy – I said at the beginning of this letter that I feel guilty – now I feel downright ashamed of myself. But all the work I was telling you about seemed to catch up with me, and I just didn’t seem to have a moment to write any letters at all. I haven’t been naughty and been reading books either – I’ve been really busy! I think another thing too, it has been wonderful weather for the past few weeks, but so hot that I think it made me sort of tired, and when I tried to write to you in bed as I used to in Cambridge I just drooped & gave it up & went to sleep! I have decided now that I will send this A.M. and as I have far too much to say if I answer your letter & tell you the news too, I am going to answer your letters in this & then write a screed of my past doings & send it by sea. I think that is best, because you know the facts of my doings by my weekly A.M.s to you & Pop, so it doesn’t matter if the details are a bit late in arriving.

I didn’t get your letter this week yet – perhaps the air line pilot strikes or whatever it is, has delayed it a little, but I have here letters from you dated 20th S: 28 & 30th S: 11th O.: 21 O: so I will be kept busy answering all those! Before I begin on them though I must tell you that I heard from Jacob not long ago & he is well & happy in Amsterdam; & I had a letter from Anne & she & Tadek are engaged & she has the ring & everything! I sent her a cable today & wrote to her as well. They are very sad though because Tadek has been sent back to the Army in Scotland & cannot finish taking his degree in Cambridge, so I am going to see if I can do anything over here to help him get across. Anne also told me that Jessie Hall is going to London with the children (I haven’t heard a word from her since I came over) and Jessie F. is having a dreadful time finding a place to live- and that the late murderer Heath was Ralph Fisher’s (Jessie’s brother) best friend when they were in the R.A.F. & that letters from Heath to Ralph were in all the papers! Did you see any of them? Jessie kept it very dark until it came out in the papers apparently. I had a letter from Jessie herself – very short though – enclosing a letter from- who do you think? – Alastair Fraser! I laughed & laughed! He apologized for not writing sooner, but said he had hoped to come & see me in Cambridge but as soon as he was demobbed they slipped him home & he was writing on board ship! Wasn’t it a good job he didn’t go to Cambridge? He gave me his address & asked me to write again! Wasn’t that funny? I heard from U. Artie too this week – a letter to tell me about the postage to England being reduced – wasn’t that sweet of him? And he also said that Aunt Ettie and Aunt Muriel had arrived safely in New York after flying from the W.I.!  Aren’t they having fun?!

Now, at long last for your letters – the first one you enclosed the Pearl cheque, which I have signed & am returning, & also Ken Grundy’s letter to you- thank you for both. I wrote to Ken & also wrote to Carl a little while ago, just to say hello, but I haven’t had any reply. I must write to François sometimes – I asked Hugh about him, but he hadn’t heard anything about him recently. I was most interested to hear all about the American girl, Miss Johnson, you met at Mary Nutley’s – I am so glad that you got a chance to meet her at & liked her & that you saw her again. I feel awfully pleased that you & all the girls are meeting the Americans in N/C & inviting them to bees & things because as far as I can make out Marie isn’t getting very many invitations in Cambridge & I think it is lovely to go to informal friendly parties rather than the big, professional functions that I have to go to here. In that way you can make real friends & that is what I do miss here – getting to know other girls my own age & tastes & having them just to go out with to a picture or something in the evening. That is why I think it’s just grand that Mary has become friendly with Miss J. & I think it will be lovely for them both. Anne said that she had heard from Mary, & so I hope that they all managed to meet Anne & Marie & they that they had fun. I wrote a letter to Mary not long ago, & enclosed a note to Bunty with best wishes for the baby! I am looking forward to hearing how Irene’s Anglo-American Bee went, & what you all thought of the Wallsend exchange teacher. I have discovered that there is another English teacher in Michigan not far away so I thought of getting in touch with her too.

You ask in one of your letters about the Lake here, & whether it is built up etc – I don’t remember if I told you or not, but I have never even seen the Lake yet except from the plane that time. Til & Lois are so busy that they don’t have the time to drive me around much, & that is where I miss having a friend who would do things with me. Also, I am so busy at weekends, I have so many other jobs to do that I don’t get around to jaunting & over here, you know what it’s like, if you don’t have a car, you are so handicapped and going anywhere take such a long time. However Pam Holbrow & I are planning some trips together, so maybe I will be able to tell you all about the lake soon. Toledo, by the way, is a city a bit bigger than N/C, but very “sprawly” about the outskirts. To W. Toledo, where I live, there is a street car (tram to us) which takes 30 to 45 mins. to go into town, but the centre of the town is quite compact. There are quite a lot of nice stores- Lamson’s and Lasalle’s are the 2 big good ones & lots of other cheap little shops of course. The Municipal Buildings are new & very imposing, but the middle of the town is crowded & dirty just like any other city!

I was glad that you had seen Katie & Edgar, & that Katie was looking well – I must send them a P.C. sometime. I sent P.C.s to Maud, Bella & Mrs. Johnson the other day & I wrote to Winnie & Dennis for Bobby’s birthday- today. I hope she got it all right. You were asking about all these functions – where they were “hen” or mixed – most of them are females only, but when the men teachers are there it doesn’t make much difference because they are all old & dull & like men teachers I’ve met anywhere! I don’t think I’ve spoken to a nice, unattached young man since I came to Toledo- barring a truck driver I met went Til went to get her driver’s license & he wanted to make a date with me! Oh – I forgot the pilot at Lois’ airfield, but he is just friendly & not at all interested in me & of course Til’s son Bill has been home twice but he’s married anyway & I never did more than speak 2 words to him when we were having breakfast! In fact Toledo reminds me very much of N/C with the MAN situation! I must see what I can do elsewhere! Of course, the thing is too, that all the teachers I am in contact with are so much older & not interested in men & don’t ever seem to ever go out with them or anything.

I had a letter from Irene the other day thanking me for some magazines I sent & telling me of how much she had got for selling my clothes! I think it is a wonderful idea, & nice to have some money to come back to! They (Irene and Bill) seem to have got the wedding all settled now, & I do hope that the house is ready & that everything goes well for them. I think it should be very nice, & you must be sure to go looking your most dashing! Have you worn your red hat yet?! I wonder if Irene has got her parcel yet – I don’t know if I told you, I finally sent two sets towels for the wedding present & a length of pretty cloth for tea towels & a pr. of pure silk stockings! I do hope she gets it all right. You know since I’ve been here I’ve sent 11 parcels, & I haven’t heard of any of them arriving yet – I’ll be mad if they don’t! You’ll be wondering what the 11 are, so here goes: – 

1. Dottie- birthday – groceries & candy & lipstick
2. Anne & Tadek- candy (Tadek’s birthday)
3. Coleridge staff- candy
4. Mary Egan- stockings & a bib for Anne
5. Zinnia- birthday- cotton sunsuit (red) & a little blue cotton dress for the baby
6. Irene- parcel- I told you about
7. Jessie’s H & F.’s birthdays together so I sent them 2 prs.  Earrings & 2 bottles nail varnish to split between them.  The earring were cute- 1 pr. was little silver daggers   & the other little gold hearts with arrows through.
8. Peter Burton- birthday- candy
9. Mrs Allen- Food parcel
10. Mrs Ewing- Food parcel
11. Mrs G. (Ludwik’s mother)- Food parcel

I sent the latter latter just about two weeks ago & I do hope you & Maud get them safely. I can hardly remember all the funny things I put in, but in Maud’s I put one or two little things for Winnie & Bella & in yours I put a little tin for Mrs. J- and in Maud’s there were some biscuits for the Bee too. I got coffee & cocoa & soap & candy for Mrs. G. and packed it well, but I wonder if the poor old lady will ever get it. I was just horrified when I took the parcels to the P.O. to post them, because apart from the cost of the things inside they cost $3 (15/) for postage alone! I nearly collapsed! I am being very good over birthdays etc. & send cards to everyone- I sent one to Miss Lefroy amongst other people & am sending off Peter B’s, Anne Eagan’s & Geraldine Kerr’s this weekend. I get such a kick out of buying all the pretty cards! I tried to get Anne a congratulations on engagement card today, but I couldn’t find one, so I made up a little verse and sent it with a perfume flower made of paper instead.

You were asking about my classes & they are getting on as usual- this weekend the teachers are “grading”- that is giving each student in their classes a mark A B C D or F, which is fail. They get this done 4 times in a year & the grade goes on their “grade card” which is like a report & is shown to the parent & then kept at school as a record. I have a whole pile of grade cards to fill out & a mountain of “booklets” to mark. We have been doing “Breakfasts” & besides talking about them and cooking them, the kids have been writing about them & illustrating the papers with pictures & making booklets. Some of them are just beautiful with wonderful drawings & covers & cut out pictures & even little cellophane packets of coffee etc. stuck in, to show the different beverages! But the time it takes to mark them – oh my! My bad boys in my home room go on as usual – but they are really so funny that they make me laugh! There’s no wickedness in them at all, but they’re just full of wisecracks & chatter & after all, after being quelled by a very strict old maid (not Miss Stoll) that they had as their H. room teacher before me, I don’t wonder! However, when it’s necessary I can keep them quiet but when there is nothing definite to do, I let them talk. I still have my lovely boys in my cookery classes, but they are getting on all right & don’t seem to mind & they’re nice too & never give me any bother. It amuses me to see them there, though!

You ask in one of your letters about my new coat, & I can’t remember if I told you about it before or not. Anyway I’ll tell you now. It is what they call “smoke white” in colour – that is a pale greyish beige – it is very thick with a padded lining & it has a little grey musquash tie at the neck which is detachable. The sleeves are big & balloonish which is apparently fashionable & as it is such an undecided colour it is very useful because I can wear it with black, or brown or anything. Last weekend I got a pair of brown shoes (high-heeled!) and a hat to match the coat. It is a sort of furry felt in a beret shape with a gold ornament on one side & sits on the back of my head. I also got a very cheap cotton brown dress – or rather, it’s a skirt with a little short sleeved jacket – as I was very short of thin things to wear at school & it was so hot. You asked about my salary, but I don’t actually have it sent to me here – all I do is go to a Bank with my Letter of Credit & draw out what I need. I find things pretty expensive of course, & with my coat I seemed to spend a lot, but taking out £50 pounds for my fare back, I divided the remaining money in 4, & for the 1st 3 months I had just spent about a 1/4 of my money, including the coat, so I thought it wasn’t so bad. I now pay Til $12 a week (£3) which includes room (& cleaning of it) also use of everything in the house- breakfast & dinner, whether we go out or stay in– and my afternoon cup of tea! That leaves me with lunches to buy in the school cafeteria, & it usually costs from 40¢- 50¢ even at the cheapest, & as we only have toast & marmalade & coffee & sometimes fruit for breakfast, I am always hungry! All of the teachers get more salary than I do – I don’t mean just more salary than I do, but more than the £500 I have for the year. – And they are threatening to strike because they are so underpaid. Some of the wages you hear of are terrific – some of the pilots at the airport get $400 a month! And don’t seem to be able to keep out of debt on that even. It is a shame really that prices should be so high & us so restricted when we are here, because it does make you so money-conscious & I’m always feeling I must be careful when I choose a meal, & don’t like to buy a dress when I see one I like just in case my money won’t do. It would be lovely if I could really buy & send all the lovely things I see, too. I think I told you that I got paid $10 for my talk last week- & I went right out and bought a nice pair of dark red shoes this time! (This is the first time I ever got paid for talking.) I only hope that someone else gets the bright idea of paying me for speaking!

I am glad that you & Dottie had a nice time together in town – I owe her two letters, so I must write to her tomorrow. I don’t wonder that she is fed up, poor Dottie – it is horrible for her, I think, & of course everyone moving around & doing things makes it worse for her. I am glad that Michael & Mary are going to Manchester, by the way – or rather, glad that Michael has a job, even though it is Manchester. I didn’t know Marjorie Barton was moving to Leeds – it will be an improvement on W. Hartlepool I should think! Don’t you worry about what Dottie says about me & Hugh Mummy – Dottie wrote as much to me herself, & I’m not worried, because I know that it just isn’t so. Dottie has quite a bee in her bonnet about Lee, but I am quite convinced that Lee hasn’t a bother in the world about Hugh & me, & she & I got quite matey & she even told me how difficult Hugh was to get on with at times etc. etc. in a very wifely way! Also, she didn’t mind a scrap about J.P. liking me- she told me herself & laughed about it – I can imagine Dottie being jealous over Peter- not that I can visualize Peter being attached to anyone older, but J.P. is an affectionate little boy & when Jim Wallerstein is there he adores Jim, & the same with other visitors & the same with me. And I am quite sure that Hugh’s Father and Mother wouldn’t have been so kind & sweet to me if they thought I was doing any harm, nor they nor Lee herself invited me back. Not that I’m certain I will go back- one reason I’d like to, is that they were all so kind to me & that I get a chance of seeing another type of home & life in this country, but I won’t go if they don’t make a point of really asking me again. Since I’ve been here I’ve written once to thank Lee & Hugh for having me & I got a reply from Hugh about 2 weeks ago, so I don’t think that I’m having a disturbing influence on the Brown family. I honestly do think that Dottie is making a mountain out of a molehill & giving it an importance it doesn’t deserve – so don’t you worry about your erring daughter honey – I am really very sensible!

I was so amused at Mrs. Johnny’s nearly laughing herself silly over my Persian love affair! I’m sorry I have no more thrilling episodes to tell her! I promised the poor little man I’d write you know, and I kept putting it off & putting it off, but I felt that I simply had to keep my word for the honour of England! So last week I wrote a very short note & told him I hadn’t written before as I hoped he would forget me – that the whole thing was impossible & that it was better if we didn’t begin a correspondence!

You were talking about my “pals” the Atkinsons in one of your letters, & last week they asked Til to tell me that they were going up to Windsor in Canada today & would I like to come too. Well, of course I’d loved to have gone, but I just felt that I couldn’t stand driving all that way with them, so I said I was sorry, I was busy! I was too, because I did a lot of my Christmas shopping today, but I’ll tell you more about that in my next letter. Anyway Pam H. & I are thinking of going to Detroit & Windsor one weekend ( there’s just a river between the two) so I’ll see it in more congenial company! The Atkinsons haven’t any family at all.

I was awfully sorry to hear about the Scotts having to have poor little Goldie put down – I know how much they’ll all miss her – she was such a pet. I am sure that they’ll have plenty to do with the wedding plans just now, so they won’t have so much time to think about it. I am most intrigued to hear about all the liquor Mr. Scott has for the wedding – you go ahead and have fun! Do you remember you and me going to Brenda’s Arthur’s party at Blyth & coming giggling home afterwards!! By the way, I was so glad to hear that the family had met Jane & Bill & were charmed with Janie. I am pleased that you heard from Janie herself too but I expect that she is finding it rather strange even though she is enjoying it. I was awfully sorry to hear about Billo’s trouble, but I do hope that it is nothing serious & that it will soon clear up, but it is a shame, & also about the Trinidad Oil people not keeping his job for him. I do hope that they get settled soon, because I expect it is all being quite a strain on them both, but maybe once Bill gets to work things will be better.

I was glad that you saw little Mrs. White & heard all the news about Mary. I hope that she gets some place to live soon too, because their married life has been a series of moves, poor dears, & they must be longing to get more settled down. I am glad that Olwen & her baby are well too, but did she tell you if Noel had got a job yet, or what was happening? Imagine Mrs. White turning down a chance of coming to America free! Of course, I suppose she isn’t well, poor little woman, & doesn’t want to leave Gerard or Mary or the baby, but maybe the trip would do her good, as well as being a lot of fun. I was interested to hear about your meeting Norman Luke’s wife too & that she is actually nice- poor girl!

I was so surprised about A. Trix saying she thought I might hate it here & be very unhappy – it just shows how little she knows me! I can’t imagine myself settling down to be unhappy just because I was in a strange place – certainly it’s not what I imagined, but I never even dimly visualized being miserable!

I loved hearing about the Mannequin Parade & the Goldwyn Girls – it must have been lovely. It sounds really pre-war to have such things again, doesn’t it? I’d love to see the cutting if you send it. I was sorry to hear that you don’t think Nan & Dottie had a very exciting time at the Lakes – it is such a shame that they had to take Peter too, because it is such a tie, & other people’s children all the time are a bit wearing! I do hope that your conjectures about Nan & Dick aren’t really true – not that I was wild about Dick as you know, but I should hate to have Nan miserable about it. Do let me know if you find out any more. Imagine Maud pulling your leg about going out – as Daddy says she is the one that’s always gadding about! And why shouldn’t you go out too, I’d like to know. Regarding the gas ovens by the way – you can tell Denis that they are not only gas, but they’re old-fashioned models too & that I’d much prefer electricity if he could arrange it! Til and Lois have a most beautiful modern gas stove though – it is a dream of white enamel & all the burners & oven light themselves & it is all covered in & beautiful. The  oven has a glass door & lights up as you open it & can be regulated to the minute- it’s really lovely.

You asked about the English girl, Vida McCartney – she is the one, married to a man, Fraser, who has begun a nurseries and flower shop with his brother. One of the other English teachers, Dorothy Lake (she was in my cabin) is a great friend of Vida’s & visited her in Toledo & left a message for me at the Y.W. giving me her address. So I phoned her that very first week & went out with her & Fraser & liked them both quite well – but neither of them actually “my type”! Vita is very clever I think- was with the B.B.C. & met Fraser before the war when he was studying horticulture at Kew. The dumb English girl at the Atkinson’s I’ve never seen since – thank goodness! 

I forgot that I had never told you much about Bill, Til’s son – actually I haven’t much to tell as I’ve hardly seen him, as I told you earlier in this letter. But he’s tall & nice looking & is quite jolly & full of wisecracks like Til. Til told me once that it wasn’t his wife’s fault that the marriage went to bits, but another time she told me about the girl & she seems to have been the laziest little slut you ever heard of!  Til used to go over every day & clean the house & wash the nappies or they would never have been done, & she just lay on the couch all day & sometimes did didn’t even wash her face or comb her hair all day, although she was very pretty. She was a spoiled Southern girl apparently & went on being that way. She looks pretty in her picture, but the two little boys look podgy! Bill didn’t leave the States during the war- he was a navigating instructor & has just become a pilot since.

I must stop now as my arm is just about dropping off & goodness knows how much this letter weighs! I’m glad that Pop is keeping more cheerful – does he bother to read my long A.M.’s & does he make any comments? Take care of yourself- My love to all the girls- old & young! And lots of love for you from

  Cyn

When I sorted and organized these letters a dozen years ago, I left a note on this one: ‘Sometimes you realize she was only 31.’ The mother I knew would have been more knowledgeable about how busy her friend Jessie would have been with a toddler and a newborn- but this Cynthia obviously wasn’t. Also, I suppose, not much was known in those days about postpartum depression, and if Bill’s poor wife met with no sympathy, it’s no wonder the marriage broke up.

4229 Berwick Ave.

Toledo 12 Ohio.

3 October 1946.

Dearest Momma,

There’s not much news to tell since Sunday, but I thought that if I kept up-to-date that I wouldn’t have to write such a big budget – the last one I had returned to me for more stamps!

I have been having such a time all week with the refrigerator at school. I was quite wary of it, because since my College days I have been most unused to such newfangled inventions, but last week when I began cooking I started putting things in it & I found it it froze everything absolutely solid hard! So over the weekend I altered the switch but when I came in on Monday, it was worse than ever and 3 bottles of milk I had in were a sight- 2 of the bottles cracked & the whole lot like rocks with pillars of frozen cream sticking out the tops! I was most horrorstricken & thought it must be me, so I went & asked Miss Bargman’s advice, & she said calmly “Oh, it used to do that often when Miss Stoll was here!” So I was very relieved & rang up Miss Sanger & I have had two men to put it right & I hope it stays that way now! We have been cooking vegetables all week – so thrilling! Potatoes in all sorts of different ways, & today lots of different vegetables, & the kids sit down at the end of the hour & eat them all up! A meal of vegetables at 1/4 to 3 in the afternoon seems revolting to me, but they love it!

When we were in New York, Dr. Smith told us of an insurance we could take out for the year we were over here, to take care of Dr’s fees or hospitals or anything in case we took ill, & I thought it was a good idea to be on the safe side. So I wrote & asked him & he sent me a form & the address to send it to & the cost. The form had to be filled in by a Dr. so I made an appointment with a Dr. Allen at the end of Berwick Ave. for Monday & trotted there after school. He was a nice man, & very impressed with all the illnesses I’d never had & said that I was in excellent physical condition. So I paid him $3 and sent the form with $15.50 to the place in New York, and now feel that I have been a very sensible young woman!

After my visit to Dr. Allen I walked along to the local “Market “– a big Grocery shop, I would call it! – and spent one of my sugar ration stamps, which I just got, for 5 lbs. sugar. I also got a box of raisins, a pkt. of Jell-O, a pkt. of gingerbread mixture & one or two little tins, and I packed them all in a parcel with a lipstick, some candy, balloons, marbles, and a pretty tea towel to Dottie for her birthday. I also packed & sent Mary Egan a pair of stockings & a little pair of earrings & a bib for Anne, for her birthday.

Irene’s towels arrived yesterday, but I was awfully disappointed. For one thing I had asked for them to be “Gift Wrapped” which I thought would be so pretty, but they weren’t done, & then the towels themselves instead of being “peach” colour, are more of an orange, but still they have will have to do as they are difficult to get, even here. And anyway, Irene will find them useful.

On Tuesday Til had to go to town for a radio programme, so I went with her, & on the way she stopped to get her driver’s license. Everyone over here gets them on 1st October so you can imagine the places were just crowded & we had to stand in great queues, but it was rather funny. We began talking to a Truck Driver who was next in line to us, & he’d been in the Army in the Pacific & had visited Australia & New Zealand & he was most amazed to hear I was English as he’d never met an English person before. His name was Jim & he asked all about where I lived & what my name us & was all set to make a date, but I acted coy! Til was most tickled & said to me afterwards that he probably made 3 or 4 times as much money as us, as truck drivers get huge wages over here – about $100 a week- and Jim owned his own truck and had a farm 15 miles from Toledo too! Maybe I should have cultivated him! He seemed nice though, & I think he must be Polish descent because he looked the type & there are lots of Poles in Toledo. He said he’d be seeing me! After all the waiting Til & I didn’t do much else except go to the Post Office & have dinner & then I came home in the tram & Til stayed & broadcast.

Yesterday, just as I was finishing in the kitchen, in ambled a strange woman, so I grinned her, & she came over & said “How about having a walk with me through Binns and Fenwick’s?” I was so amazed & then she began to laugh & explained that she came from S. Shields! She had seen my picture in the paper & lived nearby, so came over to see me. Her name is Mrs. Ferries. I promised to ring her up this week & go & see her, but so far I haven’t got around to it – I seem to be feeling lazy, but I’m getting lots of letters written!

This week I had letters from Jessie F. telling me Jessie Hall had a baby girl, & from Lillian Hampson & Pam Hapgood. I love learning all the Coleridge gossip, especially about Marie Stoll! Lillian says she’s smart, but they’re all jealous because she wears a different pair of silk stockings to work every day – poor sweets – I’d be jealous too! Pam said she’s very nice, but she seems to be a bit depressed & missing the social life & says that as she’s older none of them can do much, & anyway she can’t imagine them ever being buddies! And Jessie says that socially she’s very charming but as a D.S. partner she doesn’t like her a bit, and as she’s heard from another source that Marie has no use for her, she leaves her to Anne! Oh – & also that she is not co-operating with Howlett very successfully! Isn’t that a lot of gossip! So I have written to the Staff as a whole, & a letter to Howell & the School, all my “proper” news! I also wrote to Uncle Artie & various others so I feel quite virtuous.

I am enclosing the School Newspaper, which comes out every 2 weeks. In it you’ll find my picture & an article about me! It is an amazing publication isn’t it? It is called the “Prism” because the DeVilbiss colours are those of the Rainbow, & light through a prism gives a rainbow etc. The Year Book is called “The Pot of Gold” for the same rainbow reason. The kids have a whole staff to do this paper business & publish it & sell it & make it pay its way – American schools! I continue to be surprised at them!

I can’t think of a single other bit of news to tell you! But I think this is pretty good for 3 days events! I did my ironing for 2 weeks when I got home from school today (after my cup of tea!) and I felt fair wore out!

I hope that everything goes well with you, honey, and that you have no colds or anything & Pop is O.K. My love to Maud & Bella & Winnie at the Bee, & to Mrs. Johnny & Amy & any of the others. How is my old friend the postman? I hope he gets good news of his daughter & grandson. 

Lots and lots of love for you 

    from 

    Cyn

4229 Berwick Avenue.

Toledo 12 Ohio.

25 Sept.1946.

Dearest Mummy,

I’ve just been writing a bunch of such thrilling letters – I’ll tell you who they’re all to- I know you’ll be tickled to see what strange letters I have to write! 

1. The Chairman, Interim Committee on the Interchange of Teachers. 

2. The Toledo Teachers Association. 

3. The British Embassy. 

4. The National Education Association of the United States. 

5. The Department of Justice, Immigration & Naturalization Service.

Most of them are thank yous to all these people for welcoming letters & honorary  memberships etc., but the last one is to report as an alien, which I have to do every 3 months! I get a card from the post office which I fill in- my name, address etc. – isn’t it funny for me to be an alien!

Well, I had my first public speaking engagement today – and got it over very successfully I think. But that is beginning at the end- I have lots of things to tell about before I get to today’s happenings. The last time I wrote a sea letter, full of gory details was on 11th Sept., when I went out to dinner with Kathryn Meyers, so I’ll go on from there.

The next day I had two engagements- the first one to tea with a Miss Gerding – a teacher at DeVilbiss. I think she teaches German- anyway she has visited & studied in Germany & had such strong German sympathies at the beginning of the war, that she was investigated by the F.B.I.! However she seems determined to be very pro-British now, because she’s one of these too, too sickly sweet people, & she oozes over me more than somewhat! I feel towards her pretty much as I feel towards Mrs. Dyer! She & a friend of hers, Miss Warner (also DeVilbis teacher) took me to town to Grace Smith’s- the Toledo restaurant, and we had tea & cinnamon toast – I loved the cinnamon toast & tea anyway & talked brightly all the time! The same Miss Gerding wrote a note offering to take me in her car to the meeting this afternoon – very kind of her, but her way of asking rather put me off – that she would be “very pleased- no, even proud” to take me! Anyway, someone else had already offered! Aren’t I catty? But she’s one of the few people that I’ve met, that I just can’t feel is sincere.

On a Thursday evening I had an invitation out with a Mrs. Atkinson, who rang me up and said that her husband was from N/Cle & a whole lot more about someone I met in the Bank which I couldn’t understand! However I accepted the invitation & thought it included dinner but my sorrow I discovered it didn’t & I sat all evening with only my tea & cinnamon toast in my poor little tummy till about 10 o’clock, when we had a glass of coca-cola & 2 little cookies! Next time I shall know that when I get a 7 o’clock invitation I’m supposed to have eaten first!

Mr. & Mrs. Atkinson came for me in their car & took me to the house of a Mr.& Mrs. Hopper. Mr. Atkinson is Engineer (looks after the heating etc. at one of the high schools) & came over from N/Cle when he was about 20. He’s a real Geordie – still has his Tyneside accent and is full of cracks.  Mrs Atkinson is from Sunderland, but she seems just like an American to me, & is very smart. Mr. & Mrs. Hopper come from Lancashire & they both are still terrifically broad- he is head caretaker of one of the high schools & his son was in the Army in Britain & married an English girl. The English girl just flew over this summer & her Mother came with her for a visit, & it was this lady I’d spoken to in the Bank. Mr. and Mrs. Hopper’s daughter & her husband, & Miss Marie Stoll’s, cousin who was a friend of Mrs. Atkinson’s, were also there, so it was some gathering! I think I told you the English girl was the dumbest little cluck I ever saw- she had a little high squeaky voice & I only heard her utter about twice the whole evening – her name was Ruby! Her Mother was more talkative, but I thought she seemed a silly woman! Catty again! They were all very kind to me & gave me very pressing invitations to visit them & invited me to go with them on a trip to Windsor, Canada with Mr. & Mrs. A., the English Mother & Ruby and her hubby, but I declined as I was busy – but I somehow don’t think it would have been much in my line anyway! Mr. & Mrs. A. took me home, & in the course of the evening we’d talked about the money restrictions from Britain etc. & they shattered me by offering to have me as a guest at their house for the year & not pay anything. It was terribly sweet & kind of them, but of course I couldn’t do such a thing, & anyway I’m so happy with Til & Lois that I’d hate to leave them & they charge me hardly anything. But weren’t they kind? Til saw Mr. A. today & he told her they’d like to have me live with them & she said that she’d got me & she was hanging onto me now! He’d apparently come for me on Sunday to take me to tea, but I was out. I suppose I’d better ring him up and thank him.

Next day there was a meeting after school of the Home Economics Club so Miss Bargman & I stayed & they planned a “Roast”, which is to take place next Friday. It is a sort of picnic with sausages & hamburgers cooked on an outside fireplace & is to be held at one of the girl’s homes. Afterwards Miss Bargman took me to town & we had dinner at the Grace Smith’s Cafeteria. We were joined by Mrs. Sophie Morgan,, who is a great friend of Marie Stoll’s – one of these hard, terrifically smart American middle-aged women, who just about scare the life out of me! She is a “Personal Shopper” for one of the big stores here, & wasn’t quite so alarming after a while- although I hardly feel that she & I would ever get to be buddies! But she has promised to help me get the towels for Irene’s wedding present.

That weekend, I thought I had nothing to do – and of course I hardly had a moment! I spent it with Lois & Til & I began to have meals etc. with them & have done so ever since. When they eat at home & I am in, I eat with them, & if they go out & I’m there, I go too. I give Til $5 for my food, & she pays all the bills – I’m sure it’s not enough, but she says it is & if it costs more, she’ll tell me. The cost of food is really terrific – Til bought some beans for dinner today & they cost 2/- for just a few little old Lima beans. This Saturday morning, I tidied my room & cleaned up & then a vacuum cleaner man came to see Til & we had the loveliest time watching him & the machine & spent the whole morning over it – & she finally bought one! It’s a new type called the Rex, & the whole system is that it sucks up dirt & dust, deposits the dirt in water, & shoots out clean air.

It has a little affair like a little pail with water in a container at the bottom. You can put perfume, or pine essence in the water & just switch the machine on if you like & it scents & refreshes & revitalizes the air- & if you have a cold or sinus trouble, you put Friar’s Balsam in & run it in your bedroom for a few minutes before you go to bed! Then when you want to use it as a vacuum, you put a tube affair on the “In” end & it vacuums the room just ordinarily, except that you can suck up water, clean cigarette ends off ashtrays, & pick up handkerchiefs  – all of which go into the little pail of water, & then the clean air goes out the other end. Afterwards, you remove the pail & empty the water down the la-pomme! You can also use it for polishing floors, painting your house (a spray attachment) & even washing the dog, the man said – oh, & drying your hair! Can you wonder that we listened all morning!

In the afternoon Til had to go to the Lucas County Fair, where she was judging a Children’s Talent Show, so I went along too. I didn’t see any of the Fair, which I was sorry about, because the Talent Show was held at the race track! The track was like this

The stage was just a wooden affair in the blazing sun with not even a chair for the judge – only a piano & a microphone. The races were going on all the afternoon, & in between the races the kids would perform! It was dreadful- Til was horrified & so was I! It went on from 2 – 6, with all the stops for races, & the kids were pretty poor & some just horrible made up tap-dancing, hip- wiggling type, but I couldn’t help being sorry for them! The races were trotting races – the horse is pulling a little thing called a sulky, with the driver sitting on a little seat, & it was quite fun watching the first 2 or 3, but after the 15th & 16th I was tired to death of them! We were quite exhausted by the time we left!

Next day Til & I had a grand washing! My first proper washing since my arrival in the States! But I’d washed things out in my wash basin before, of course. I used the washing machine & it was wonderful. I put in all the cotton clothes, turn to the switch to “Cotton” & switched it on. Water poured in, then I added soap flakes & left it for half an hour- they washed, rinsed & dried the water out as if they’ve been mangled. When I came back all I had to do was hang them on the line! & the same for silk. Isn’t it amazing how they have all these things!

In the afternoon Lois & Til took me out to the Airport as Lois had work to do & I spent the afternoon sitting in the sun, reading. I forgot to tell you that the evening before, after the Fair when Til & I went to the Airport to collect Lois, the Boss’s son Don Corey took me up in an aeroplane – my first flight! He took me up again on the Sunday & I just loved it both times. He took me to the edge of the Lake – it’s 9 miles from Toledo & is apparently not visited much just there as the pleasure resorts are further away & it’s commercialized, but I was glad to see it for the first time. The river which Toledo is on is called the Maumee. After eating on the Sunday evening we went to the house of a friend of Lois and Til’s called Elsie, & she had in a lot of other females – all Physical Education (Gym) teachers & we sat & talked. I was so sleepy I had to smother yawns! That’s just the way I am tonight too, so I’ll leave it till tomorrow – Night, night honey – sleep tight.

Thursday 26 Sept.

Hello – what do you think? I got no less than four letters from you today! At school this morning I got one sent by sea enclosing Marcelle’s & Anne’s letters & posted on the 9th Sept., then when I got home Uncle Artie had sent on two dated 30th Aug. & 4th Sept (this was a 6d. A.M.) and there was also an Air Mail dated 23rd Sept- only three days it took, wasn’t that marvellous? It’s now 27th Sept and I got another 6d. A.M. today dated 11th Sept so it looks to me as if those 6d. A.M.s just come by sea, they take so long, so I don’t think it’s worth your while to send them, do you? All the letters that were just lovely, Mummy – thank you so much- I enjoyed every one of them hugely. When I have finished telling my doings, I’ll go through & answer them properly.

I was sorry to stop writing last night, but somehow I couldn’t settle down to it. Til was at the Radio Station, & Lois and I listened into her programme (it is a small string orchestra and they play light music) which was the last of the series, then we sat and chatted & the time just flew past. 

However, to return to my previous doings- Monday 16th Sept! I didn’t do anything but work! After school I went into town but didn’t do much and came home early. On Tuesday morning, I got up at the crack of dawn (6 o’clock!)- got my breakfast & caught a tram into town where I met Miss Sanger (the supervisor). It was her bright idea to take me to the open air vegetable market to buy the tomatoes we were going to use for canning, which was very nice except that I wasn’t enthusiastic over the early rising! She met me in town & took me in her car to the market – stalls etc. where the farmers bring their goods & we wandered around & bought 1 1/2 bushels of tomatoes – don’t ask me how many lbs. that is- a bushel is a big round basket affair and so a bushel of tomatoes is quite a different number of lbs. to a bushel of potatoes or a bushel of peaches – but it’s a lot!  All very complicated! I also bought a big bunch of gladiolas which I gave to Til later & she was pleased. Miss Sanger drove me + the tomatoes out to school, & left me there, but came back for my 3rd Hour class (Foods 1) and gave a lesson for me. I had asked her previously whether I could please see a D.S. teacher giving a lesson, so as to get some idea of how it compared to our English type of lesson, so she said she’d come & give one for me. It was quite interesting, but I’m still not very clear about how it’s done – I just manage along & I expect I’ll get used to it it eventually! I don’t worry, because after all, what’s the use, and I teach them & they seem to take it in, so that’s the main thing! I didn’t have any disciplinary problem at all except in my home room, there are one or two troublesome boys, but in my D.S. classes they are very good.

On Wednesday one of the teachers at school, Mrs Pauline Backus, gave a tea party to which I was invited. She was a friend of Marie Stoll’s, but seems very nice – she is terrifically tall, about 38, and is jolly – apparently her husband is about 4 – 6 years younger than her & was one of her pupils in High School, but I didn’t meet him! They were about 20 people at the tea, mostly DeV. Teachers- two ex-Home Ec teachers from there- now married and babies, and they were nice too. At a tea here you go into the room, take a plate, napkin & teaspoon off the table, walk to one end and collect a cup of tea from the hostess pouring out, put it on the plate – no saucer – then put in milk, sugar, or lemon or orange or maraschino cherries or cloves!! then collect all the sandwiches, cookies etc. which you think you can eat, also candy and nuts all on your plate and go and sit down & gorge! The sandwiches are most fancy- slices of bread cut into tiny shapes- hearts, diamonds etc. with stuff on top- the stuff on top has usually got mayonnaise or dressing or vinegar in it, so I can’t say that I really enjoy them! I wore my pale blue crêpe suit with short sleeves, black hat, gloves, bag and shoes, as it was a roasting day. We all had quite a joke about this tea, because the same afternoon there was a tea given in the Art Museum (free) for some society and Mr. Herbert Emery (a DeV. teacher who had me to Sunday dinner a little while ago) who is apparently a very queer man, heard from me that I couldn’t go to it as I was going to Miss Backus’, so he seriously went to her & suggested that she could save some money by taking all the people she’d invited to the Art Museum, where they would get a free tea!!

Next day, Thursday, I had another engagement. Another of the teachers, Miss Lovey, invited me to an evening party she was giving- I am the excuse for all these parties – I also feel as if I’m the entertainment too, so I do my best to earn my meals by talking brightly as much as possible, & everyone sits by & listens! They probably think I’m a terrible talker! Miss Lovey also invited Lois to come & said “I thought it would be nice for you to come too & then you could bring Miss Ewing & take her home”! Til & Lois & I had a good laugh over it & Til said that if we worked it properly we should be able to get her invited too, as it was her car, & then we could all go out on my invitations & save lots of money on our meals!! Lois couldn’t go really though, because of her job at the Airport, so another teacher picked me up in her car & brought me home. I’m telling you these little stories so you can see there are some odd people in America too! Miss Lovey’s party wasn’t so much fun as Mrs. Backus’- Mrs. B is a jolly person & Miss L. is very quiet, maybe that was why. We all sat around & no one really got going at all & and then she served coffee & tea & sandwiches at about 10:30 (we went at 8:30) & we didn’t get home until about 12 o’clock.

That week, before I went to all these things I went with Til on Tuesday afternoon to the Radio Station to watch her rehearse for her broadcast. While I was there, she introduced me to one of the announcers, & told him about me & then at the beginning of this week I had a phone call from a Miss Wells asking me if I would broadcast. I went down & saw her about it, & she is in charge of a Programme on Friday afternoons at 3:30 called “Women in the News” & I am to be in it on Oct. 4th. We aren’t going to have a script or anything, but she is just going to ask me questions and I answer them & chatter away. Isn’t it funny? What with flying & broadcasting, I’m having quite a series of new experiences!

On the Friday after Miss Lovey’s do, Til & Lois & I went out to dinner & to see a film “Night & Day” which was very good. It was about the songwriter Cole Porter & had all his music in, & we all enjoyed it. Next day was Saturday, and I intended to go to town, but I never got around to it. I stayed at home & did my ironing instead, & listened to Til giving some piano & violin lessons to little boys & girls, which amused me very much & reminded me of my youth & Miss Shepherd – except Til is just about as different from Miss S. as can be.

In the afternoon Miss Sanger was giving a tea party for me at her apartment to meet all the other Home Ec teachers in the town. Mary Bargman (the other DeV. Home Ec teacher- sewing though) called for me in her car, & took me to the party. Her brother & family live just opposite Miss Sanger, so she parked her car in their “back yard” & took me in to meet her sister-in-law. She was a plump, jolly woman & before I knew what, I was sitting back with a highball in my hand – Mrs Bargman saying I’d need it, if I was going to meet all those people! So we all sat & drank & chatted, & then Mary B. & I went across to Miss. Sanger’s & I was very sociable to everyone! Miss Sanger is a little grey-haired woman who looks like a mouse- she is even smaller than me & has a habit of coming right close up to you when she talks, which disconcerts me rather – I always try & edge away! There were about 30 teachers at the tea & what with all of us crowded into her little apartment & the effects of the highball & 2 cups of tea & the heat, I thought I would visibly drip!! I had on my pale blue again – at Miss Lovey’s I wore the black dress Monie & Marga helped me buy in New York. After the tea was over Mary B. & I left & went back for her car to her brother’s, & were again called in, this time to meet Mr. Bargman & 3 sons aged about 15, 19 & 23- too young for me! We were once more given Highballs, so I went back & told Til & Lois what an alcoholic time I’d had! They were waiting for me to take me to a “roast” that we’d been suddenly asked to, by a friend of theirs, Elsie, & another girl Alice Roulet. Elsie is about 40-ish & has one side of her face paralyzed – she has had all sorts of operations etc. done to it, the last just about a month or so ago, but it doesn’t seem to do any good & she is very self-conscious about it. She is a gym teacher & has just begun teaching again for the 1st time since it happened & finds it very hard. It doesn’t distort her face at all, but makes it kind of expressionless & she can’t move one side or smile or anything. The other girl, Alice, is the Mayor’s daughter, aged about 22 & also a gym teacher & her family was away & the roast was in their garden. We had wieners (sausages) roast corn, coffee, apple pie and ice cream – I nearly popped! Then we went in the house & washed up & sat around & talked.

On Sunday Kathryn Meyers had promised to take me to the Episcopal Church, so she called for me in her car at about 10:30. I wore my blue corduroy suit, black hat etc. & we drove downtown & went to Church. It was just like ours in England- the main difference was the congregation – they looked so gay & glamorous, with flower hats & feather hats & plumes & veils & jewels and furs & colours, that I was quite astounded after the sober styles and colours of our congregations at home. The Vicar was very nice & I liked his sermon very much – and we sang nearly all hymns that I knew. Kathryn’s father was in the choir, and when we came out of church afterwards, I was introduced to the Vicar & quite a lot of people, all of whom were very nice to me. Then we drove back to Kathryn’s home, where I met one of her sisters, Helen who is home for a few days. She is in the Red X & is on a ship bringing G.I. brides over to the U.S.A. – Kathryn was going to get her to take a parcel to England for me & post it to you there, but she wasn’t sure whether she was going to England or not this time. We had a very nice dinner of chicken & then we sat & talked & they brought me home in the afternoon & called to see a lady & gentleman that we met at church, on our way. The man was English, but has been in America a long time.

Monday & Tuesday, I didn’t seem to do anything at all, but Wednesday was the day of my talk. I had it all planned out & parts of it written, so that I knew exactly what I was going to say, but I didn’t even look at it at the time, I just remembered it and talked. I went to work in the morning all dressed up for it, in my blue corduroy suit, black hat etc. as I had to go straight after work. In the middle of the morning along came a Mrs. Schwenke(!) one of the English teachers, & asked me if I’d like to come with her & her class to a lecture at the Art Museum on Ballads. Of course I said yes, & Mr. Nautes thought it would be nice for me to go too, so I put work on the blackboard & after I had lunch, I just stayed for half of my home room and then went. Mrs. S. took me down in her car, & then we went to the lecture which was very interesting & quite a lot of students from the high schools & there was a singer & also some records, & some songs we all sang & there were slides too, of various types of architecture, to go with the period of the ballad, so it was very interesting.  It finished at 3 o’clock & then Miss S took me to the place where the tea was, & I retired & powdered my nose, & then blew in. I was greeted by everyone & presented with a huge corsage of pinky-flame gladiolas & tiny button dahlias, all tied with ribbon. It was gorgeous but by the time I had it draped down one shoulder, I felt positively weighted down! Miss Kaya was there too, & there was a press photographer & reporter, who asked us all sorts of questions. I was too scared to have much tea- only one cup & a piece of cake- and then the Chairman introduced me & up I got. The chairs were like this:-

and we were sitting at one end of the front row, then I got up & stood in front of them all- no platform- no chair or table or anyone beside me. I was scared! But I started off, and soon didn’t mind a bit. I told them about being glad to be there & how there were 76 of us in 28 states & how we all applied & were chosen & how important I think exchange is. Then I told them about the various kinds of schools in England- government schools & private schools & the Ministry of Education and how it runs them all, & then ended by saying what a welcome everyone had given me & how kind & hospitable they were & thanking them very much. I talked for about 15 – 20 minutes & everyone clapped at the end & I was pleased it was over. Miss Kaya came next & she just talked for about 2 minutes about the word “Aloha” and its various meanings & then said that she was going to dance a hula for them. She had on a black dress & she put a white flower in her hair & white garlands around her neck & took off her shoes. She had a gramophone & it played a Hawaiian song & she danced to it. It was quite pretty, but I was most envious because it seemed such an easy way to give it a talk!!. Everyone clapped her too, & then the Chairman said a few words & then they allowed people to ask about 1/2 a dozen questions which we answered & then it was over. I should think every one of the 300 people present came and shook me by the hand & told me how much they’d enjoyed my talk & the DeV. teachers who were there said that they felt proud of me, so I felt quite pleased with myself & just delighted to have it finished with! The cutting I am sending you in my A.M. letter was in the Society page of the paper!

This is now Sunday, so I can give you my weekend’s news! This letter does drag out doesn’t it, but there’s so much to say! On Friday Til went to Columbus. Elsie had to go, so asked Til to go with her, & she was pleased to, as her son Bill is there. Lois and I had the weekend to ourselves then, but of course Lois works at the Airport all day Sat. & Sun. so I only saw her in the evenings. On Friday evening we met the other two gym teachers at DeV. – Jane & Mary- and we had dinner at a very nice place called the Tally Ho. I was talking about the difference between the English & American style of eating & how I’d adopted the American way because I thought I’d better do the same as other people, so Lois decided that for the evening we would all eat English style! Jane & Mary gave up after a few struggles, but Lois persevered & I laughed & laughed because it was so funny seeing them find it so difficult! Afterwards we went to see “The Strange Love of Martha Ivers”, which was queer but interesting.

On Saturday I intended to go downtown early, but Lois was off to the Airport before I ever woke, & what with one thing & another & the long trip by tram (streetcar!) it was 11:30 before I got down. I went to the bank- I limit my visits to 1 a month, to coincide with payday! – then sent off at long last Zinnia’s birthday parcel – I think I told you- a little red & white spotted sun suit, & I enclosed a pretty little pale blue cotton dress for the baby & a book of paper dolls for Zinnia. Then I also sent a box of candy to Anne & Tadek for Tadek’s birthday & one to the Coleridge Staff. I intended sending one to the Sewing Bee & one to you for the “Old Girls” bee, but the man at the Post Office put me off, because he said it would be a wonder if they ever got there, that they would be stolen at the Liverpool customs. He said the worst thieves in the world were there. So I thought I would wait & see whether they got there before sending any more. If they do, then I will, but it seems silly to send a lot & have them stolen, doesn’t it?

After that I bought some writing paper, & envelopes at the 5 & 10 & some balloons & marbles for Peter to put in Dottie’s parcel, & a lipstick for her & one or two little things, & finally had my lunch. Then I went to the big store, Lawson’s, where I have my account, & went to the Shopping Service where Marie Stoll’s friend Sophie Morgan is. She is the smart grey-haired woman who scared me stiff when I first met her, but I quite like her now, & she is rather fun. She took me to the H’hold Linen place & they had no towels in then, but they will on Tuesday, and she is going to get me two sets (bath towel, face towel & wash cloth) in blue & peach, and I also got 2 yards gay pretty patterned tea-towelling & a pair of pure silk stockings, and she is going to have them all gift wrapped & parcelled for sending & delivered to me. Then I’ll take a peek & send them off to Irene for her birthday & wedding present. I think she’ll like it, don’t you? I think the whole thing will cost between 30/- -40/-. After that, Sophie & I went downstairs and had a soda together & she tickled me by asking whether I’d met any MEN in Toledo & when I said no, that she’d have to do something about it! She also said that she told Marie that she would shoot her if she came back from England without a ring – Romance! Talking of Marie, I had a letter from Lillian yesterday & she said that they were all green with jealousy because Marie wore a different pair of silk stockings to work every day! Poor Coleridge staff – I would be jealous too – even here I can’t afford them! She also said that she didn’t think any of them would ever be buddies with Marie, although she seems quite nice, but Lillian said she felt she couldn’t ask around to her attic as it wouldn’t be posh enough!

To go back to my shopping expedition – after I left Sophie I went to try shoes, but I didn’t see any I liked, so I went & looked at coats & ended by buying one. It is a sort of smokey colour- between grey & beige & seems to be very popular this season over here. Everyone scared me beforehand by telling how difficult it was to get coats & how expensive they were etc. etc. & it’s true that there weren’t many to choose from in my size & they said they weren’t getting any more in, but – I like it & I think it is a good coat & very warm. It cost $79 which is nearly £20, but people told me before I’d have to pay over $100, so I didn’t feel it was quite so bad. It is nice material & has a lining & an interlining to make it extra warm. It is shaped in at the waist with a high round neck, but the sleeves are the thing – they are full & then tight at the wrist & when you want to look very smart you pull the tight bit up and have a sort of skirt affect! At the neck there is a tie of blue musquash that you can put on or take off as you like. I think it will be warm & useful over here, as it is roomy enough to wear over a suit too. The only other coat I liked at all was $24- £6 – & it was thin & I don’t think would have been any good in the cold weather. It (My Coat) fitted me perfectly, by the way- wasn’t that amazing?

After all that I went home, & after a while Lois came back & we went out to dinner with another DeV teacher, Mildred Schmidt, a friend of Lois’. We had a nice dinner & then went to DeV. to see a Football Game. All these Games or matches we would call them, are played at night- each school has a proper stadium & arc lights on the field & you pay to go in (except teachers – we get in free!). Then each school’s supporters sit on opposite sides of the stadium, & in one place all the students sit together & they are the Cheering Section- in front of them are about 4 boys and 4 girls who are called Cheer Leaders and they conduct the cheering! Each school has a band, all dressed up in uniform with a Band Leader in front twirling a baton & about 1/2 doz. girls also twirling batons who are Drum Majorettes! They march on the field in turns (the bands I mean) & the school songs are sung & the National Anthem & the teams trot out & finally the game begins. Lois & Mildred tried to explain it to me, but so far I still only have the haziest notion! It looked to me as if everyone was trying to kick everyone else’s teeth in! The school we were playing, Waite High School, is the best football team in Toledo, & by halftime the score to them was 20 to 0! We stayed to watch the bands give another show then – the Waite band was also much better than ours – they did wonderful marching displays & formed a windmill & arms which went round & the drum majorettes were all dressed as Dutch girls – ours did something too, but it was a very poor effort in comparison! So after that we left, and rushed down town to see “Anna & the King of Siam” which was lovely. Irene Dunne & Rex Harrison were in it, & although I loved the book, the picture was just as nice.

Today I have had a very quiet day – I had a bath & washed my hair this morning – did my washing- pressed some of my dresses – wrote an A.M. to you & Pop & wrote this. Til came home at 6:30 & we went out for dinner & gossiped a bit & tomorrow we begin another week!

Now, before I finish, to answer your letters. Thank you for sending Ken’s & Marcelle’s (ELLSMORE!) & Anne’s letters- I’ve written to Anne & will get around to writing to the other two soon! Reading your first letter – or I should say earliest letter of 30th Aug. you say that it is 2 weeks since I left- it is now seven weeks & it seems ages & ages since I saw you, but when I think that 4 weeks at DeV. have gone by, I feel quite surprised. I was tickled in that letter of yours to hear about Winnie’s age- she must be getting like Aunt Phine- quite proud of it! I liked the poem about Absence you sent too- do you remember the one about being “out of your mind”? You were asking about whether I minded your showing my letters to people, & of course I don’t- I’m only too pleased that they’re interested. These long ones are a kind of record of my doings instead of a diary, & I try to work it so that the answering letter and the personal part is at one end, so that you can remove it when you pass it round. I thought these letters & snaps & bits & pieces I send would all make quite a good record, if you would keep them for me. You were also asking about my finances, & so far I can’t really tell. Of course, I am so lucky over Til & Lois being so kind to me, but I really feel I should pay them more- I’ll have to see. At the moment I’m taking £20 a month out of the bank & mean to try & live on that – of course my coat will be extra! – & then I should have plenty left to travel around after the school year is over, but I still have to see.

Re. the things for Monie & Margs & Mill-I haven’t sent them yet! It is so difficult to pack them & some are breakable, so I decided that I would wait & take them at Christmas time when I went. They are so late for the weddings as it is, that I didn’t think a few more months would matter! You asked me about little Mona & if she was pretty- I should say she was cute rather than pretty, but she is very sweet. The others say she looks just like Mill did when she was a kid – she has brown eyes (I think) & brown hair in plaits & was tanned brown too.

I wonder if you saw Joe when he was at Winnie’s & how he enjoyed his holiday in Ireland. I was going to say I wonder if he will write to me, the meanie, but he won’t have my address & I’m sure I don’t know where I could write to him. After all his talk, I see he didn’t stay in Ireland! Is Andy still there? Thank you for sending the Pearl cheque- it hasn’t come yet, but as soon as it does, I’ll sign it at & send it back- every little helps! I am giving another talk this month & some more later on, & some of them I’m going to get paid for- goody! You ask about cleaning my room – I keep it tidy, but on Fridays a distant relative of Til’s comes & cleans the whole house thoroughly- my room included. I don’t I think you need to worry about my room being cold – it gets all the sun there is & of course when it’s really cold the heating is on & I open my “register” & it gets as warm as toast. Lois has put it on tonight & I’m very cosy up here.

I am glad that you are getting to like Dick & I am most intrigued to know how things will go, of course! I agree with you that he is by far the best of Nan’s young men, & I would probably like him better if I knew him a bit more. You mentioned your wedding present to Irene, but I don’t think I know what it is – probably you will have told me in one of your sea letters & I’ll get to know later. I was most interested to hear about your seeing Ruth & the French girl & how “chic” she was. Did Ruth buy anything glamorous in Paris? You say that you’ve told me about meeting the American girl at Mary’s so I shall have to wait and hear about it when your sea letters come – I am pleased that she is nice & I hope she is liking it. To skip to another subject – I haven’t been wearing my white overalls & caps – I got two white aprons & wore them, because it was so hot, but I may get into overalls in the winter! No one seems to care what you wear! The girls just bring aprons from home & wear whatever they please – and 1/2 the time they forget them!

I must stop now as it’s nearly 11 o’clock & I’ve been writing this off and on all day – I don’t think I’ve forgotten to tell you anything except that one evening Lois & Til took me over to see Ruth, Lois’s sister, and her husband & two little kids – David 6, & a little girl 3 or 4, I think. They were sweet, but not as pretty as Marga’s Alan I don’t think – he is really a beautiful boy.

My love to all the girls & to Maud & Bella & Winnie & Mrs. Johnny. I hope that you & Pop are keeping well & free from colds, & my love to him too. Does he ever say anything about me or what I do? 

Lots and lots of love for you 

  from 

      Cyn  

A few notes of explanation.  Cynthia wrote Air Mail (A.M.) forms to both her parents, briefly and formally, and then sent long chatty letters to her mother by sea mail.  Those are the ones Carol kept- there are no Air Mail forms from this period. This means that times are jumbled- she refers to things she’s already told her parents, which can be confusing.

The reference to Jane and Bill suggests that her cousin Bill Otway has finally been demobbed and can take his wife to the West Indies to live, and meet his parents! (Cyn will see them again in 10 years when she and her family visit St Vincent.)

It is obvious that to her, the scheduling of classes in the American high school was quite different- I believe she used to have a class for a whole half day once or twice a week in England- but when I (retired high school teacher) read her schedule, I thought, “Wow, they were being nice to her- an hour for her own work, and only two preps!”

And a reminder:  Miss Marie Stoll was the teacher she had exchanged with, and apparently Cyn had arranged for her to have Cyn’s rooms in Cambridge for the year so she did not need to go looking for somewhere to live.

4229 Berwick Ave.

Toledo 12 Ohio

Tuesday 10th Sept. 1946

Dearest little Momma,

I got your A.M. letter at school today, & it was just lovely to get it – the first I’d heard from you in Toledo. I am so glad that you had got my A.M. letter quickly – I expect the sea ones will take quite a while, but the only one I’ve sent by sea so far was full of juicy details, which you won’t mind getting a bit late! 

I have been meaning to write this next long letter to you all through the weekend, but you have no idea what a busy person your small daughter is- rushing hither & thither & yon! Everyone is being so overwhelmingly kind that they invite me out all the time, in case I’m lonely, & instead of that, I hardly have a moment to myself! I also get quite a lot of sort of official letters from the British Consul in Cleveland welcoming me; the National Education Association welcoming me & giving me free membership for the year; the Reader’s Digest welcoming me & giving me a year’s free subscription (lovely!); from the D.S. Supervisor in Toledo; the D.S. Dept. of the U.S. Office of Education etc. etc.! And I feel that I must keep the British flag flying & write them all polite charming letters of thanks, but it all takes time. I’m just beginning to realize just what a responsible position I am in, and how much on show I’m going to be all the time – but still, I expect I can manage & I’ll do it as well as I can.

I am not going to answer your letter in this one I don’t think, as I want to get up-to-date with all my doings, but my next A.M. I shall include a part for you answering your letters, because I think to be interesting it’s better to do that in an A.M. & for Dad. I don’t give you very full accounts of my adventures so there should be room. But I was glad to hear that Jane & Bill are off at last – they will be terribly thrilled & so will Auntie Trix & Uncle John, but poor Mr. & Mrs. P. will be feeling it.

Now to go back to my arrival in Toledo – great occasion! As you guessed, I didn’t sleep much on the train- partly excitement & partly because we were arriving before seven in the morning & I was afraid I wouldn’t be awake & ready in time! But I was! It was hot, so I put on my Weatherall suit & white hat & was all set. When we got there – no proper station, like you see in the pictures it’s just railway tracks – the porter put my cases out, & some other people got out & I stood around & waited & waited & it wasn’t until everyone else had gone that Mr. Nauts came up & spoke to me. I think he just couldn’t believe it was I was IT! I just looked far too young & frivolous! He looks just the part, tall & big, with a slight stoop- a rather broad kind face, dark brown hair & eyes & glasses. He took me in his car to his house & I met his wife- short & fat & blonde with a pale face & glasses, – no beauty, but nice. She is an artist & designed their house, & has a studio in it. It is most original & she has all the woodwork the pale natural wood, & she has drawn flowers & fruit & leaves on all the stairs & doors, & appropriate sayings written on each door & it looks lovely. We had a nice breakfast with their youngest son Barry, (just entering DeVilbiss) and then Mr. N. took me in the car to the school. It is Enormous. I am enclosing some pictures of it in this letter, which would give you a better idea of it than the card I sent. He took me to see my rooms – I have 3- a classroom, a kitchen & a little dining room, – then around the building a bit. Then he drove me around the town a little & back to the house & then down to the Y.W. I have a nice little room there, with a little bathroom attached but the only thing was that it was on the ground floor beside the desk & was a bit noisy at night. However, it wasn’t bad. No meals were served, but I got my breakfast at the YMCA Cafeteria across the road & other meals out too. Getting meals out is going to make it expensive living here, but I don’t see that it can be helped. Lunch in the school cafeteria every day costs between 35-50 cents (1/9-2/6) then dinner in the evening is at least 50-75 cents, & that is when I eat the cheapest things! I shall have to wait until I get invited out, then make a pig of myself!! I do miss my tea, so much! I think that I will buy some & make it for myself in the afternoon when I get more organized, then I won’t get that sinking 4 o’clock feeling! I have breakfast at 8 o’clock, lunch at 12 o’clock, dinner at 6.0 & that’s all.

To go back to my arrival, I unpacked my cases, but not my trunk – & I can tell you, I was looking slightly worse for wear by then – my clothes I mean! Then I had a little wander out, then I slept as I told you. I got ready for dinner after having a bath, & felt lots better- I got my blue corduroy out of my trunk & wore that & it didn’t look too crumpled. Mr. & Mrs. Nauts picked me up & took me to a big hotel, & Mr. and Mrs. Bowsher (the Superintendent) met us there. He is a bluff hearty type & she was quite nice & quiet. We had a very nice dinner & there was an orchestra, but the service was terribly slow & we sat from about 7 till 9:30! By then, I was nearly asleep! However, I managed to be polite!

Next day, I slept all morning- did without breakfast & had a light lunch. Miss Mildred Pasch came for me about 4 o’clock & took me to her home, where I met her sister Dorothy & her mother & they were all really sweet & kind. Mildred is tall & a lovely complexion & pretty as well as smart. (Dorothy has a crooked spine.) We had a glass of sherry & & then dinner which was nice, & then Mildred & Dorothy took me a drive around in the car & delivered me to the Y.W.

Monday was Labour Day & I slept late again, but no one else did! The processions & bands began at 9 o’clock & I could hear them tootling away. About 12 I went out to see & the processions were endless- men & women just walking & walking carrying the names of their unions, with a band every now & then & a decorated car. Rather they than me, tramping along that hot day. I had lunch in the cafeteria & spent the afternoon writing letters & reading. There was a knock on my door and a female came in, one of the Y.W. officials, to ask me to supper at her apartment to meet some other Y.W. people & a Miss Frances Kayo, a Hawaiian exchange teacher. So I went & they were all very kind, but a bit “old girl-ish”! Miss Kayo was very American I thought, & full of so much pep and gush, that she made me feel weary & devoid of charm! There was a question of my living in the same lodging she is in, but I thought no! it would be too exhausting! We ate spam on toast with tomatoes & scrambled egg on top- it was nice!

Next day was work! I got there on the bus all right & Miss Pasch met me & introduced me to all the teachers as they came in- they all looked so well dressed & glamorous – all make up & jewellery & cute hats – but of course I couldn’t remember a single name & I’m sure I’ll never see 1/2 of them again. The only place we all go to is the cafeteria & we go in 4 shifts- I go in the 3rd, so I’ll probably only see those in the same one. Isn’t it silly? I wore my navy suit & white blouse & white hat – neat, but not gaudy! Mr. Nauts introduced me, then talked all morning about nothing at all! I wondered if it was just me bored, but apparently he is long-winded & everyone said the same. I had lunch with Miss Pasch and Miss Bargmann & others then back for another little homily from Mr. Nauts! Miss Bargmann met me at Smith’s Restaurant with another teacher & her husband & people & we all had dinner then I went to the Y.W.  That evening I discovered that I could only stay at the Y.W. a week. So next morning I decided I’d have to ask Mr. Nauts about these plans he mentioned. Next day was the first day the students were in! I was stunned- but I think they were a bit too at me & they were quiet & good. I have a Home Room Group of 36- 1/2 boys & 1/2 girls- ages 16, 17 & known as Juniors. The 1st year are Freshman, 2nd Sophomores, 3rd Juniors & 4th Seniors. The H.R. Group comes to me for 1/2 hr. every day & I am their “advisor “– so far, I think they advise me mostly! The day is divided into 5 separate hours – I have 9 – 10 Study (they sit & work & I sit with them & do my own work); 10 – 11 Home Ec 1- (that is people beginning DS); 11-12 Foods 1 (2nd year in DS); 12 -12:30 lunch in Cafeteria (a rush); 12:30 – 1 Homeroom; 1 – 2 Foods 1 (another group); 2.0 – 3.0 Home Ec 1 (another group). And I have those same pupils the same hour every day! They can choose the subjects they want to do, so you can imagine how at the beginning there is just chaos & they all want to change their schedules & can’t fit things in & what not. My! My! The English system of telling them what they must do, seems much simpler!

That first day the pupils only stayed until 12, going to their classes & getting into the routine, then they left. Miss Sanger, the DS supervisor called to see me in the morning, & I arranged to go down & see her that afternoon & get the low down on things. I spoke to Mr. Nauts about accommodation & he told me about a teacher whom he thought might take me but couldn’t! However, he took me down to the Board of Education & I saw Miss Sanger, & spent the afternoon talking to her & getting so much information that I weakened wisibly! Miss S. took me to Miss Dorothy Pasch who is at the B. of E. as she had said she knew a really nice person who might have me, & she rang her, but she had just got someone else. So I felt quite sad & down hearted & had a long walk back & it was hot! I asked at the Y.W. about accommodation, as they mentioned a teacher wanting to share an apartment, but she had had to take in a relative, so that was no good! So I had dinner by myself, then Mr. Brown rang me up, (the Dean of Boys) & offered to have me live with him & my heart leapt. He came & took me out to his home, & it sank again! He & his wife were sweet & talked & were friendly & gave me tea, but their little baby was 1 month old, & cried all the time I was there, & they had another little boy of 2 (he cried too) & I thought I couldn’t bear it & that probably Mrs. Brown had enough to do & would have been fed up with me. I would’ve helped, but it would’ve been a tie. So that wasn’t much good & I went home feeling like little orphan Annie.

And next morning I had a letter from Anne telling me about old Marie Stoll making such a fuss about Warkworth House & threatening to complain to the Director about inadequate accommodation. Was I mad! After she’d done nothing for me, & while I was toiling away trying to find somewhere to live, she was grumbling because there was only one bathroom. I could’ve spat in her teeth, if me & her teeth had been closer!  Anne says she’s nice but I feel prejudiced against her! They tell me here that she is always superbly dressed & full of pep & bowls all before her – she doesn’t sound my type!

However, after all my troubles, my little guardian angel came along & a nice teacher I’d noticed, Lois Enteman (Gym) came & said that she shared a house with a Mrs. Matilda Burns & I could have a room if I liked. I went out with her after school & fell in love with the place straight away – not to mention Lois & Til who were dears to me. Lois is about 35 – 40– slim, Eton cropped hair, & a nice face- Til is 45-ish- grey-haired & pretty & very witty – she makes me laugh & laugh. I told you about my little room – I shall try to draw a plan of it to enclose & I have taken a snap which I hope will be good. I don’t think I told you how nice Owen was- he lent me his camera, so I will take lots of pictures of all the places & people & send them for you. Wasn’t it sweet of him to think of it? Til is a widow- was married only 4 or 5 years & her husband died. She has a grown-up son- married & separated from his wife – & two grandsons. The son is in Columbus Ohio, & the grandsons & wife in Alabama.

Must go to bed and to sleep- it’s 11:15. I thought of you on Sunday – it was about 10:30 here & I was having breakfast & I just thought you’d be getting ready for tea. Night night- lots of love-

Wednesday

Hello honey – it’s me again. I’ve just been drawing the plan of my room for you & it looks a bit odd, but I know it will amuse you. I am also enclosing a map Toledo for you – I got one for myself on Saturday & I got one for you too & marked some of the places, & I thought you might enjoy looking at it, & if ever I have friends in any part of the town I can tell you & you’ll be able to see where it is on the map! To go back to my record of my doings, I was so happy & delighted to have a home to go to, & the next day I told everyone at work, & they all said that it would be lovely for me, as they were both so nice. On the Friday, Miss Bargmann, who was most helpful & kind to me, asked me if I would like to go out with her & have tea somewhere, as she knew I miss my tea, & I said I’d love to, so we were all set, & Miss B. met two other teachers as we were leaving & told them & one of them asked us all to her house to tea. So we went there, & it was very nice & I drank 2 cups of tea to celebrate! I packed that evening & took myself out to dinner as a treat! Next morning I had all my luggage ready & I got an Express Van to take my trunk as it wouldn’t go in Til’s car. She was coming for me & my cases at 2 o’clock, so I went into town – the 1st time I’d really gone shopping! It was lovely, even though I spent most of my time gazing! I went to the Bank & they were very nice to me there & while I was in there was a lady cashing English traveller’s cheques, so I said hello & asked if she was English & she was, so we had a little chat. I gazed at all the stores & bought a black felt hat (plain & sits on the back of my head) & black gloves & a white necklace (at the five¢ & 10¢!) I also got Anne a pair of blue earrings (I sent in a letter) and Dottie some shelf paper & Jessie F. a little silver charm, for her bracelet, all at the 5 &10!! I tried to buy a raincoat but couldn’t get my size.

After that little spree I had lunch & then back to the Y.W. & Til picked me up & took me out to 4229 Berwick. My trunk was in the basement, so after I unpacked my cases, I began unpacking my trunk & carrying the things upstairs & I got it nearly all done. Then I washed & changed & Til drove me out to a little airport where Lois works. She began this job (bookkeeping & typing) at this place during the summer vacation & likes it so much that she is trying to keep it on as well as her school work. She goes there at weekends & every day after we’re finished school. Til teaches music at lots of schools in Toledo, & broadcasts & plays in concerts, so they’re both pretty busy. The airfield is just a little one privately owned by a Col. Cory & his sons & they teach flying & hire planes – just little planes. Lois introduced me to everyone & then we went & had dinner across the road, then Til & I helped Lois finish her work, then we all drove into town & went to the pictures to see Danny Kaye in “The Kid from Brooklyn” which made me laugh & laugh! 

On Sunday I slept late & then had breakfast – Lois had gone out- then I made my bed & continued putting things to rights in my room. At 2 o’clock, a Mr. Herbert Emery, one of the teachers from school, came for me in his car & took me home for dinner with his wife & family – two boys 15 & 10. Til made me laugh the other day – she was encouraging me to ask people to collect & deliver me in their cars & she said “You just say – why I’d love to come, but I don’t know my way. I get so confused around here – why the other day I just walked right in the river!” Isn’t she crazy!

Mr. Emery is rather a thin, pale, stooped, middle-aged man, & his wife is a little plump, but bonnie, and they were both awfully nice to me. We had a lovely dinner, & we sat talking & talking because they had visited Britain & seen Edinburgh & Durham & York & Cambridge & we talked about them all. They were great chatterers, & I as I get with such people, I just burst to get my say in & and end by talking as much as they do! I stayed until about 8 o’clock & then came home & wrote letters.

Monday, work again – boo! But I am managing all right! I just got the kitchen organized today & will begin cooking next week, but so far I’m just doing theory. I talked to one of the teachers, who is a friend of Lois’, and she said that Til & Lois liked me so much, & that everyone said how nice I was, so I felt pleased! That evening I went into town & saw about getting my card for sugar rationing & travelled out to Berwick on the street car, which is a horrid old thing! But the buses run at night, so it’s better, & I can find my way all right. When I had been out with the Y.W. females & Miss Kayo the previous week, they had been arranging to go to the theatre & asked me to go too, to see “The Voice of the Turtle” so I’d said yes, as I wanted to see the play. The arrangement was to meet on Monday evening at the Y.W. at eight, so I got all fixed up, (my pale blue silk suit, black hat, gloves, shoes etc.) & set out. On the way I met a girl & asked her about street cars & she was going to town too, so she & I went together & talked all the way & she was nice – called Rhoda. She is young- about 21, & lives near Berwick & we’re going out some evening! I met the other people & we all went to the theatre (paid for our own seats) & the play was very good & most amusing. I sat next to Miss Kayo & she was tired & had lost a lot of her pep, so I didn’t feel overwhelmed,, but quite bouncy! She is small too- 5’2″ & looks quite Japanesey (she has Japanese parents – naturalized U.S.) but it’s not really noticeable when she dresses & talks in such an American way.

Tuesday was yesterday & I had myself quite fun. On Sat. when I was shopping in town, I went to open an account at a big store, Lamson’s, as Dr. Smith had given me a tip to do so, & then I’d get nylon stockings & goods exchanged if I wanted to. The girl who took down all my particulars in the office was so nice & when she heard I came from England she was just amazed. Her home is in Texas & she’s just been in Toledo 2 weeks, so we chatted & agreed to meet, which we did for dinner yesterday. Her name is Joyce Cole, & her cousin was in the Army in England & people were very kind to him. She just graduated from the Univ. of Texas this summer, & her parents have moved to a place 35 miles from Toledo, so that’s why she’s here. She’s such a nice lass & we had a good gossip & it was fun to get away from school & meet someone else! I came home afterwards & wrote to you & Til & Lois came in later & they payed me a great compliment & said that they had never had anyone apart from their own family whom they had felt was so much a part of the home & that I just fitted in, which pleased me very much. I write up here in my own room, but I sit & gossip to them when they come in, or anytime we’re all in the house at the same time.

Today, Miss Sanger came in at work & listened to my lessons & seemed quite pleased & amused at some of the things I had them doing & she is coming next week to help me & to give a demonstration canning lesson for me next week. Canning is just bottling, but their jars etc. are different & I told her I’d like to see someone else take a class sometime & she offered to come & do it for me. She is a littler woman than me & grey-haired & will come right onto you when she talks – but otherwise is very nice! She is arranging to have me to her house to meet all the other D.S. teachers one day.

Today I had another dinner engagement. When I was at I. House in New York, the 1st Sunday just after I arrived, one of the other English teachers came rushing up & said that here was a teacher from Toledo. She was a thin little woman of 35 – 40 & her name is Kathryn Meyers. She chatted, but was leaving that day, so gave me her name & address & phone number & said I must call her. When I got to Toledo, I was in such a rush etc. I did nothing, then one morning I had a welcome note from her at school, then another day she phoned the Y.W. when I was out, & when at last I called her I felt quite ashamed! However we arranged to meet tonight & she took me to dinner at Grace Smith’s which is the famous restaurant here and we had a lovely dinner. She introduced me to a man who was also dining there with his family, who is Assistant Supervisor of Ed. & he was very nice & told me that Mr. Bowsher had told him of me & said “now there’s a girl that her country needn’t be ashamed to send anywhere!” So wasn’t that nice? This man told me, because he thought it would make me feel fine & it did! Then we went to Kathryn’s house & I talked to her Father and Mother and then I came back here.

Tomorrow I go out to tea with some teachers, to dinner with someone else, Friday I go to a Home Ec Club Meeting, but I’m keeping the weekend free to do all my chores & letter writing! I have my first public speaking engagement – on 25th Sept. to a Teacher’s Association meeting. My! My! Only for 15 minutes though! I’ll survive! 

I must stop now & get to bed- the time just flies when I’m writing to you. The thing I miss most of all is having someone to really gossip to & say “isn’t so and so funny “! – so I do it to you instead. I do hope that you aren’t feeling too lonesome still – do you realize a month has gone? 

Goodnight Mummy-

Lots & lots of love 

    from 

Cyn