1-21-57

My Dearest,

Monday’s wash is done and the noon news is on, so I should have time to dash off a note before the mailman comes.

You are probably wondering about David’s note. He begged me for a pencil when down at the Gospel Book Store and I refused him, because he has several now, and I had already bought him a new Sugar Creek Story. Mrs. Gage gave him a liquid lead pencil to try out and he just kept it. I didn’t know anything about it until somehow he came out on Saturday. One of the other youngsters mentioned it and he finally admitted that he had one and first told me that he thought she meant for him to keep it. But after a while he told me he knew better and had just kept it. So I asked him to write Mrs. Gage and tell her and send the money for it and also to write you and tell you what he had done. He really hated to do that.

But after they were in the mail box and he sat on my lap and talked to me about it, he was so happy to have it out in the open and taken care of. Several times during the day he told me he was glad about that. I do believe he gets his love of pencils from you. It always amazed me how many different kinds you kept around and ready for use. He said he was really tempted to take an eversharp that he saw down there but he didn’t and now is glad that he didn’t.

We have been having a siege of diarrhea around here. Dorothy was seized with it last night just before time for church so we didn’t go. Jack Dillon and Dottie Mann were here for the day so I took them to church and then came home. But while I was there Dave came up to me and said that the Men’s Meeting that afternoon had decided to offer us the Bollman house to live in, and rent free, and the men would move us. It is up to us to decide what to do. Now what? I’ve started praying, but I surely don’t know what the Lord’s will is in this matter. They still would like to sell it, but would not as long as we are in it.

Danny took sick with the diarrhea during the night and doesn’t feel good now. Funny how it hits all at once – the stuff just poured out of him for about two hours. Just kept changing him. He didn’t complain or cry, but Dorothy was in pain last night.

Millers are leaving tomorrow. I’ll keep Mike and Bobby all day until they are ready to leave. Their address is on the bulletin.

Mrs. Goodpaster’s mother is worse so she took the two boys and went up to be with her. The girls are going to get off the bus here and stay until Roy gets off work at 6:30. Edith and her husband are going to move in and stay until Hesper gets back. It may be two or three weeks.

Judy Johnson and Jack Krontz were to be married yesterday. I was talking to Karen Smith a while. I believe she is doing fine. Says she feels sure now the Lord wants her to be a nurse. She said she couldn’t see how the above couple if they were saved could stop school and get married like that.

Well. I will close and get my boys down for a nap. Danny really needs one after last night. Much love from all of us – pray for us and we have to decide about the Bollman house right away.

All my love,
Nellie