Tuesday, April 22
Dear Andrew; and John,
The weather broke here last Wednesday---from frost warnings to the eighties' and stayed there. The peonies jumped up about eight inches by Sunday and the tulips came from nothing to full bloom on stems almost a foot long. You can see it has been a late spring when the lilacs are just showing action and will be ready by this weekend; they are usually finished the first of April or coinciding with Easter, if you remember. Ann is going to take up the tulips and split them because I think this year they must have fully matured or whatever happens and would head downward if they weren't given a treatment, Violets are everywhere and the plum blossoms lasted a full two weeks. I experimented on them - putting some in an envelope for a couple of days but they lost their perfume.
I would rather not talk about the first few daylight hours on last Tuesday. It started with breaking both shoestrings; next, I had shampooed my hair the night before and took off my watch which I left like a dope on top of the toilet. It wasn't there so I came downstairs thinking Ann had picked it up. She questioned Mike and he said yes he was looking at it while he burped and it slipped. I had just flushed the thing but ran up and found the watch lodged around the curve with a bit of strap showing. As soon as I came in the office I took the back and front off. It was quite wet but ran swell for 45 minutes before something snapped. The string of three was rounded out as Ann called me a little while later to say the Baltimore Transit, in a letter, wished to state they assumed no responsibility for the accident. Next morning I took the car up to Jarman Motors and got a new estimate leaving off replacing the bumper and the grille piece and this one came to $41.75. I put it in the mail and got a 'phone call first thing Thursday that they still would not pay, that if I wished to take further action I could do so, that their lawyers thought they had a good chance of winning; however, if I wanted to sign a waiver releasing them from all responsibility they would immediately send me a check for $20. I haven't replied, yet but naturally we can't take it to court. Back to the watch; I had to go to the City Hall on Thursday and took the Watch with me to Hochschild's. No, it was Tuesday afternoon, because I remember telling him it happened just that morning. He showed me how rust had begun to set in but said they could take it all apart and bathe it in oil, repair the spring, and it should be in pretty fair shape. If you remember I paid $18 for it on that sale last October--the 17 jewel chronograph. I asked how much and he said $25. I asked him how much he thought I paid for it and he said he had seen similar ones for $60. I told him I had gotten it there and for how much; he didn't believe it but said in that event it wasn't worth repairing. On the way out I dropped by the counter as I recognized the girl who sold it to me and told her about it. She said what have we got to lose by sending it back to the factory to ask about replacement or possible guarantee, which sounds foolish, and this is what I did.
I can't remember whether it was Tuesday or Wednesday evening they took Abe's father to the hospital in an ambulance. Very high blood pressure and complications again. It gets so he can't stand up or even hold his head straight and couldn't get to the 'phone during the day to call Abe. With no one around they thought it best to have him at the hospital for observation. Abe had called me during the day that he was going home early because his father was ill and after supper I walked up to find out how things were. Brother Smith told me they had just taken him away. Ann thought we ought to run over to St. Agnes and find out if it was serious. Arlene and Cassie were there with all the kids in bed so we did and were able to say hello. Ann Scannell is also in St. Agnes--had one arm taken off last week due to poor circulation of some kind; she was in a bad way for several days but I understand is coming around. Dorothy surprised us by telling us they had a room waiting for Virginia--any moment. I said we'd have to come see her. So, Friday morning before leaving for work, I 'phoned Dolly to suggest that when Virginia was open to visitors we could take her over one night. She was getting ready to take off for South Baltimore to stay with the kids as Virginia had had her third girl a few hours before. Friday evening and Saturday the kids were up late, but Sunday they ran their little legs off and were out on their feet by six. We dropped in on Mr. Scop at 6:30 a few minutes and then went upstairs to Virginia intending to remain only a short while if there was much company. She was in a private room which was dark when I stuck my head in. She told us she had been laying there crying because she was so lonely. We felt so darn sorry for her and got to talking about so many things it was eight o'clock before we left. She looked fine and said the baby's name was Johanna Mary. She had picked the name Jo Anna, thinking it was two, but had to tack on the Mary when told otherwise. She didn't have a visitor the whole time and hoped Charlie was coming later. I don't know if I want to meet the guy but we intend to drop down to see her when she gets straightened out with the new little one. As you used to tell us, she must lead a dog's life down there, but it always seems worse when you hear it from the person's own lips. We talked right through the period for seeing the baby but left her feeling a lot more cheerful and she sends her regards to you.
With the little ones exhausted and out of Arlene's way I suggested we call home and see how things were, which we did, and then took in a movie at the Irvington. It was "African Queen" and so crowded we couldn't find a seat right away. Enjoyed it very much. I think the Irvington's got the right idea. It way still 35¢ and 14¢ on Sunday and I understand is 20¢ weekdays. Since the Alpha put the price up to 50¢ Ann tells me you can rattle around in there.
Ann seems to be feeling much better, by the way, and the headaches are receding, so she says.
I'm putting in, a color shot of Stevie for each of you; not too good but don't send them back I haven't heard from my color prints but should surely have them the end of this, week.
We just heard over the weekend about Virginia Reyman and Will Emerson's engagement. That's swell, but reading between the lines, some of the others don't seem to think so.
I am going to suggest Pierre's to Ann tomorrow but will wait till afternoon and call her, if the kids are suitably tired. Let's see if it works out this time.
END OF LETTER
Editor's notes:
Abe Scop is a lifelong friend of Charles.
Ann Scannell works at a plumbing shop at 11 Bloomsbury.
Charles' cousin Virginia is married to a "Charlie".
Hochschild's is a department store.
Next posting: April 28, 1952
Copyright 2012 Stephen A Conner
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