71 Ruth uses wheat allotment checks to pay down the back taxes

January 10, 1935

Dear Corinna,

I’ll have to tell you the best first. Yesterday I got 2 wheat allotment checks –one for $45.90 and one for $16.52—a total of $62.42. I sent them right to Uncle Paul last night. He had paid taxes for us to the amount of $197.97, but we had sent him one allotment check for $45.90, in April, so now the balance we owe on taxes is $89.65. I wrote a note to him and told him if Marvin and I can scrape it together, we will try to pay $10. a month on that balance till its paid. I told him to let Uncle Karl see my note and of course Uncle ROC will read this so he too will know how things stand. I’ve had the jitters more than once about this and the jitters were getting worse lately. But now it doesn’t look so hopeless and perhaps we can catch up and make things right after all. Daddy paid the Fire Ins. the other day.

We received your letter written January 6th. It’s a good thing the sick are getting on their feet. It must have been the old-fashioned grippe they had.

Yesterday Betty came over to see me—she borrowed the pattern like my seersucker to use for house dresses for herself. She tried on my seersucker and looked lovely in it.

I don’t want you to write this to anyone in Atwater—and I really shouldn’t tell it myself but my purpose is to show you how gossip can spread and hurt a sensitive person. Betty said—that Marjorie said—that Stella Westre had said—that Phyllis Strong had told her—that Mrs. Strong had said that Mrs. Wilton Broman had said that Miss Trygstad had said that the other teachers had said they thot Miss Stenson had bought her own diamond ring. And of course if you should be unkind enough to tell it you would have to add my name to the top of the list. What a theme on “The Tongue”! Miss Stenson is so sweet that I don’t care how she got the ring and I don’t see why anyone else cares.

Today it has warmed up a little so I went upstairs and shoveled out some of the dirt. We had a dust storm during Christmas you know and it had come in around the windows terribly. My it seems nice to see the sunshine!

Lundquist brought over a letter from Byron for me to read. He has had another attack of appendicitis and will have to have an operation very soon. The Dr. will wait for the money and Byron thinks he can pay a little at a time after he gets back to work. It’s a good thing Winnie is down there to be with Byron.

H and G have been trying to imitate Phyllis’ tiny little voice and say “Hot Gog!” Suppose she has heard Russy say that or maybe even Kinny.

The H.S.B.B. team beat the town team again Tuesday eve. Myron said they had a hard fight tho. After the game, the orchestra went out to Reamer’s to practice and had a big lunch. Myron talks as tho they didn’t leave anything eatable in the house.

Mrs. Glader went to the City on Tuesday with Norman and had a tumor removed from the same side—she came home that night. Amy had been over to see her and called me up about it yesterday. Esther hadn’t told anyone about it because of course she thot it was cancer again. So when she had left in the morning she had felt so bad about leaving the family but now she was so relieved because it was only a tumor. How much she has to go thru!

I haven’t sent for the Etude yet—never get around to it. Think I’ll take Mrs. Glader some fruit this afternoon after I get rested. Love from your Mother.