27 Wash day

[Editor’s note: for a detailed description of wash day, see Appendix 1.]

October 8, 1934

Dear Corinna,

Well evidently the new robe hit the right spot. I was afraid it was too large. And I suppose by this time the toe is healed if you haven’t hit it anymore. Aunt Ev would suggest a wire cage.

Hope Russy is better now so he can be up. Perhaps I can get Gloria to write to him or write a story for him or something. Just now H and G and Virginia are out playing by the school-house. Virginia has been here to both dinner and supper today as Mrs. Danielson had to go to Willmar. They giggled all the time they did the dishes tonight. At the supper table Gloria told a funny story about me and when Virginia didn’t laugh—Gloria said, “Bard, why don’t you laugh?” which immediately started them off and they’ve been at it ever since. Gloria calls her—Bard– and she calls Gloria—Stafford.

Harriet made $3.58 on her paper route this month—one more month and she will be debt free.

We were 34 at S.S. yesterday. In the afternoon I read a new book Amy Passoneau lent me. It is the “History of Taxation in Minnesota.” I understand a lot of things now I never did before. And last night we went to Church—there was a good crowd. Mrs. Robertson was kind enough to play but she said she couldn’t be here every time. Rev. Robertson preached the usual good sermon. I told him I hadn’t been to a service since we were in Spicer that Sunday and he said he guessed he’d have to check up on me.

Mrs. Gould told me she had received your card and wanted me to thank you for it—also Olga Arneson and Myrtle. We also got one and I think they all will like them that you sent to.

Myron is scribbling an account of his Mpls. trip which, if you can read it, may prove interesting.   I have just read the first page with some help from him. You won’t have any help so here’s good luck to you.

I had a nice wash day today—Myrtle washed too. Mrs. Robertson said she thot about Corinna all the time she played last night. She wished to be remembered to you. Love from Mother.

Daddy’s and Myron’s big interest now is the World Series. Darrell and Donald Ramey come every day to listen till one o’clock and then they go up to school to listen in the Assembly.

7 O’clock p.m. Monday nite , October 8, 1934

Dear Corrinnna,

This is the fifth letter that I have written today. We are writing letters in English class, so I wrote 3 there, 1 to the paper men and now to you. Amundson in Chemistry is a complete flop. There is not a one in the class that can get any sense out of him. When he talks he gets all mixed up and says the dizziest things. Darrell D. said that if he (Darrell) ever jumps up and runs out of class it will be on account of Amundson. I am getting along pretty good in Latin and in our six weeks test in American H. I got a 100. We have been giving talks in English since the beginning of the year and now we are writing letters. Last Friday noon, Jerry H., Sidney G. and I started hitch-hiking to the cities—we got there about 3 o’clock p.m. in two rides. Sidney went to stay with Oliver and Jerry and I slept with Byron. Byron didn’t come home from work until 11:30 p.m. so Jerry and I went to two shows—“Death on the Diamond” a baseball picture and Jean Harlow in “A Girl from Missouri”. Then, we went over to Byron’s place—had lunch and went to bed. I forgot to tell you that we saw Uncle Karl about 4 o’clock. We got up the next morning at 8 o’clock, had pancakes, oatmeal and milk for breakfast and went down town. We were supposed to meet Sidney at Daytons but he didn’t come, so we went and got our passes at Boy Scout Headquarters. At about 10:30 we saw Uncle Karl again and then took a street car out to the gas plant and saw Uncle Paul and then we went out to the stadium. On the street car out to the gas plant, I happened to notice George Larson go by in his car. I had an awful time getting in because I didn’t have an official Boy Scout belt on but I finally succeeded in getting in. After the game we took a street car out to Dunwoody and in 8 rides we were home at 7:30 so then I went to another show in Atwater, a football picture, which was my 3rd show in two days. Sunday—I went to S.S. and played as I am the regular pianist.

I suppose you heard about my playing in the Swedish Lutheran Church. Boy! Am I Good! Sunday night my girl from Willmar came down with a couple of other girls—I saw them after Church, and she wanted me to take her home instead of going back with the bunch she came up with—so Lee Johnson and I took them home. We played quite a few kittenball games this fall and lost only two.

I suppose we will be starting basketball pretty soon. We have 15 games, one at Litchfield too, the first time we have played them in many years. We ought to win quite a few games, I think. Well, I have to go to Scout meeting as it is 7:20 p.m.—Monday nite.

Your brother, Myron C. Stafford.