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Kathleen will be five months pregnant at Christmastime, so yes, I guess she'll be showing.
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Sat Dec 2, 1916
Dear Eva,
I have just written to Alma to break the news to her and shall now give you the surprise too.
The family have decided they will not go to Savannah for Christmas. They expect an increase in the family in April and Kathleen thinks she would show it too much then.
I was taken by surprise when Will told me the first of this week for I had not thought of any thing of the kind, but since it has been made known to me I can notice it. I received a letter from Alma yesterday asking me to go to Phila, saying you suggested we go to Atlantic City. That would be very nice but I think if they stay here I ought to as it is an expensive trip.
I think Kathleen has written to you and Alma this morning about coming here for the holidays, she said they thought they could take care of both of you. I don’t see how they can without getting at least a matrass for the cot. They seem to need many things to make this big house homelike. Alma asked about silver for a Christmas present for them so I asked Kathleen what she would like and she said she thought they had enough silver, so I suggested to Alma that you three if you all get together would get a chair or some piece of furniture. If you and Alma came you could select it or I and Kathleen could do it. It is not necessary to get anything so extra good for moving around, I think she would be satisfied with most anything to have more chairs. Will is too slow about getting furniture. He wants to wait until he can get very good and they can’t do that now with everything so high, I think perhaps he will get some but am not sure. This morning at breakfast he said he thought he would get Margaret a stand for the telephone. It is still on the floor.
Sunday
We have just returned from church. Did not take a customary drive after church as it was a longer time getting started home than usual. We do not get out here as promptly as Savannah.
This is such a beautiful day that I suppose we will take a drive after lunch. Yesterday morning there was a very dense fog - could not see across the street. I heard Kathleen call to Margaret to look out and see the fog. I went into her room to take her up and she said she had looked out of the window and she couldn’t see the fog for the dust.
It has become very cloudy after dinner so we are not likely to go out driving. We went to the Thanksgiving service, the church was well filled and a great many testimonies. Of course, all very short as requested. I think I will go down to the shopping district this week. I have not yet got interested in Christmas buying as I don’t hear much about it. I shall go down and get something for Margaret any way. And I want to get the picture framed for Will. I may just get a cheap frame and get a butter knife as that is one piece of silver they do need, and Kathleen said they had talked of trying before this. Margaret is learning the Ten Commandments at Sunday School and you would be surprised to see how well she can say them. Will drills her sometimes in the morning while he is shaving and getting ready for breakfast.
Dorothy the maid has a new green velour coat trimmed with immitation beaver. She has gone out in it and she looks very nice. She said she worked four long weeks for it, $24, she does not work hard I am sure, but I suppose it would be hard to get one that would do any better when Kathleen is so particular about the having neither Colored nor Catholic. That leaves but few of the acceptable kind.
To go to Christmas presents again. Alma thought she and you might get Margaret a muff. Kathleen was sorry after she got the fur for her coat that she had not gotten a muff instead. Her coat is trimmed with Llama. It is a long creamy colored fur, so I think a white muff would go with it. I rather think lama is not used in muffs, at least I can’t recall seeing one.
Let me know how you and Mabel enjoyed your trip to Atlantic City.
Just three weeks until Christmas. The time goes fast. A month today since I came. Kathleen is embroidering a little yoke for dress.
With much love Mother.
Dear Eva,
I have just written to Alma to break the news to her and shall now give you the surprise too.
The family have decided they will not go to Savannah for Christmas. They expect an increase in the family in April and Kathleen thinks she would show it too much then.
I was taken by surprise when Will told me the first of this week for I had not thought of any thing of the kind, but since it has been made known to me I can notice it. I received a letter from Alma yesterday asking me to go to Phila, saying you suggested we go to Atlantic City. That would be very nice but I think if they stay here I ought to as it is an expensive trip.
I think Kathleen has written to you and Alma this morning about coming here for the holidays, she said they thought they could take care of both of you. I don’t see how they can without getting at least a matrass for the cot. They seem to need many things to make this big house homelike. Alma asked about silver for a Christmas present for them so I asked Kathleen what she would like and she said she thought they had enough silver, so I suggested to Alma that you three if you all get together would get a chair or some piece of furniture. If you and Alma came you could select it or I and Kathleen could do it. It is not necessary to get anything so extra good for moving around, I think she would be satisfied with most anything to have more chairs. Will is too slow about getting furniture. He wants to wait until he can get very good and they can’t do that now with everything so high, I think perhaps he will get some but am not sure. This morning at breakfast he said he thought he would get Margaret a stand for the telephone. It is still on the floor.
Sunday
We have just returned from church. Did not take a customary drive after church as it was a longer time getting started home than usual. We do not get out here as promptly as Savannah.
This is such a beautiful day that I suppose we will take a drive after lunch. Yesterday morning there was a very dense fog - could not see across the street. I heard Kathleen call to Margaret to look out and see the fog. I went into her room to take her up and she said she had looked out of the window and she couldn’t see the fog for the dust.
It has become very cloudy after dinner so we are not likely to go out driving. We went to the Thanksgiving service, the church was well filled and a great many testimonies. Of course, all very short as requested. I think I will go down to the shopping district this week. I have not yet got interested in Christmas buying as I don’t hear much about it. I shall go down and get something for Margaret any way. And I want to get the picture framed for Will. I may just get a cheap frame and get a butter knife as that is one piece of silver they do need, and Kathleen said they had talked of trying before this. Margaret is learning the Ten Commandments at Sunday School and you would be surprised to see how well she can say them. Will drills her sometimes in the morning while he is shaving and getting ready for breakfast.
Dorothy the maid has a new green velour coat trimmed with immitation beaver. She has gone out in it and she looks very nice. She said she worked four long weeks for it, $24, she does not work hard I am sure, but I suppose it would be hard to get one that would do any better when Kathleen is so particular about the having neither Colored nor Catholic. That leaves but few of the acceptable kind.
To go to Christmas presents again. Alma thought she and you might get Margaret a muff. Kathleen was sorry after she got the fur for her coat that she had not gotten a muff instead. Her coat is trimmed with Llama. It is a long creamy colored fur, so I think a white muff would go with it. I rather think lama is not used in muffs, at least I can’t recall seeing one.
Let me know how you and Mabel enjoyed your trip to Atlantic City.
Just three weeks until Christmas. The time goes fast. A month today since I came. Kathleen is embroidering a little yoke for dress.
With much love Mother.
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1.
The family have decided they will not go to Savannah for Christmas. They expect an increase in the family in April and Kathleen thinks she would show it too much then.
Will and Kathleen changed their minds and did go to her parents in Savannah, as is seen in the following letters:
1917-01-10 LETTER FROM MABEL TO KATHLEEN
1917-11-26 LETTER FROM KATHLEEN TO HER FRIEND HOPE
I wonder what changed Kathleen's mind, but I don't expect ever to find out.
2.
I was taken by surprise when Will told me the first of this week
So Will told Mama Margaret the news about the baby. Was it because they thought her son should tell her, or was it because Kathleen felt shy about, or both, or what?
3.
He wants to wait until he can get very good
Suddenly I see that I’m like my grandfather, wanting to do my thinking just once and not time and time again - as he did with buying cars (the Buick), razors (Gillettes), and furniture.
4.
Let me know how you and Mabel enjoyed your trip to Atlantic City.
This Mabel must be Alma's friend Mabel Watson, who is in a Non-family page. In the 1/10/1917 letter from Fred's wife Mabel noted above, she mentions the trip to Atlantic City and the fact that Mama Margaret and Alma went along, too.
The family have decided they will not go to Savannah for Christmas. They expect an increase in the family in April and Kathleen thinks she would show it too much then.
Will and Kathleen changed their minds and did go to her parents in Savannah, as is seen in the following letters:
1917-01-10 LETTER FROM MABEL TO KATHLEEN
1917-11-26 LETTER FROM KATHLEEN TO HER FRIEND HOPE
I wonder what changed Kathleen's mind, but I don't expect ever to find out.
2.
I was taken by surprise when Will told me the first of this week
So Will told Mama Margaret the news about the baby. Was it because they thought her son should tell her, or was it because Kathleen felt shy about, or both, or what?
3.
He wants to wait until he can get very good
Suddenly I see that I’m like my grandfather, wanting to do my thinking just once and not time and time again - as he did with buying cars (the Buick), razors (Gillettes), and furniture.
4.
Let me know how you and Mabel enjoyed your trip to Atlantic City.
This Mabel must be Alma's friend Mabel Watson, who is in a Non-family page. In the 1/10/1917 letter from Fred's wife Mabel noted above, she mentions the trip to Atlantic City and the fact that Mama Margaret and Alma went along, too.
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LINKS TO OTHER RELEVANT PAGES IN THIS WEBSITE
DOCUMENT LISTS FOR PEOPLE:
- WILL: DOCUMENTS ----- Related
- ALMA: DOCUMENTS ----- Related
- LAURA: DOCUMENTS ----- Related
- EVA: DOCUMENTS ----- Incoming
- MAMA MARGARET: DOCUMENTS ----- Outgoing
- KATHLEEN: DOCUMENTS ----- Related
- THE NEXT GENERATION: DOCUMENTS ----- Related
- FARMERS & GRAYS: DOCUMENTS ----- Related
- NON-FAMILY: MABEL, LIL, STEENIE, AND ORESTES ----- Mabel Watson
RELATED DOCUMENTS/PAGES:
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WHERE AM I?
- THIS PAGE IS: 1916-12-02 LETTER FROM MAMA MARGARET TO EVA
- THE PREVIOUS PAGE IS: 1916-11-13 LETTER FROM KATHLEEN TO EVA
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- DOCUMENTS FOR THIS YEAR: 1916
- DOCUMENTS FOR THIS DECADE: 1910-1919
- COMPLETE DOCUMENT LIST BY DATE
- THIS CHAPTER IS: CHAPTER 23: DOCUMENTS LIBRARY
- THIS MODULE IS: MODULE IV: DOCUMENTS
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WHERE CAN I FIND THIS DOCUMENT IN OTHER LISTS?
- DOCUMENTS BY WHERE THEY WERE WRITTEN ----- Ohio
- DOCUMENTS BY SOURCE ----- Barbara