Open Writing

September 1922

Dear Annie

Julius is busy with his work from the post office, and Georgiana is sleeping peacefully, so I finally can take some time to write to you and bring you up to date on what is happening with us.

Gertie seems to be enjoying her time staying with us, and she is a big help to me, and also helps Julius with his work by pasting pictures of criminals that he helped to convict into a record book.

Julius has a very keen legal mind, you know. He started in law school, but couldn’t afford to continue with it. But I heard his brother jokingly say he was too honest to be a lawyer, that he would never get rich that way. But somebody else said that he would have made a good lawyer because he could read things anyway you wanted to hear them. I guess maybe they both are true.

Then he took a course in cartooning, of all things. After that he was a school teacher for a bit at Gordon, Wisconsin, before he went into the postal service. You know he is now Postal Inspector here in Sioux City, and he is in charge of mail fraud cases and he has to track down evidence.
That is why he has those pictures for Gertie to post in. She is such a good little worker, and I know she is pleased to be away from the farm and all that they are made to do there, especially now that the Mrs. has a new baby of her own. And it means I can keep her clothed decently and make sure she has enough to eat.

I know that Gertie has always felt that Cealie, even though she is three years younger, is the favourite. Of courses Cealie is the prettier, there is no denying that – with her mop of unruly curls. Pa calls her his Fiji islander, while Gertie’s hair is straight and coarse. Gertie has to work so hard to get good grades, and Cealie can learn and get good grades without even trying. So I think it is good for it to be Gertie to be here with us, and get a bit of attention of her own.

I could feel real sorry for you when you wrote about Pa not letting you go to the dance the other week, when you were all dressed up and ready. I know I would have talked back to him, but you just took off your things and went to your room. Sometimes I think he doesn’t know how much you do for him, and he sure isn’t grateful for anything any of us have done over the years.

So when are you going to get yourself a man? Maybe you should try for one of Ceal’s brothers, Ralph or Pete – and then we would have more family connections than ever. I am kind of pleased my man left that area.
So how is Jack liking being on his own farm? And how is Ceal managing with married life? You must miss having her to run around with. Here it is almost their first anniversary coming up on October 18th.

Alec and Ag have moved north to Drayton, you say, where he’s running the elevator and also an electrical shop. He always was very handy with fixing electric stuff so I am not surprised at that. I wonder how they are getting on with two kids now. Robert was a handful enough for Ag, but now she has Lenore I expect she is complaining fit to burst.

I am very happy having the extra help from Gertie around here, now that we have our Mary Eleanor. Georgiana is quite jealous of the baby and I need to have help to deal with them both and I often feel pretty darn tired.

Write soon and tell me what I am missing at home.

Love

Rosie