December 3, 1917 - Birthday Greetings from Dear Ones at Home

Spring Brook Farm, Kendall, Wisconsin in Winter.  The large 14 room farmhouse is hidden behind the large tree to the west of the barn.

  Spring Brook Farm



December 1, 1917

A.M.

Dear, Dear Little Brother
            This will have to be my birthday letter to you since I was so busy frosting the cake and getting the box ready for you this morning that I only had time to write a few lines so tore it off and sent you only the “letter of ye olden times” which was intended only as a part of your birthday greeting from me.
            Now first as to your birthday box which we sent in today’s mail. We hope that the contents prove acceptable. The big cake of course is your birthday cake and we all had a hand in the making.  Mama made the cake Papa and Herman cracked the nuts and I frosted it. The small piece of cake was intended for you just a “bite” to see what we had for Herman and his sister and Mrs. Staade on their birthdays [Herman's birthday was November 25].  The nuts and chocolate frosting that were left I combined to make the few pieces of candy which we sent. Perhaps you would rather we would not have sent such a little sample since there are so many to share with, but it seemed so good that I wanted you to have it and we needed to fill up the box also as there were only a few cookies since mama did not get around to do the oatmeal cookies because of her work at Elroy for the Christian Home. And last but not least is the wrist watch which we so hope will be all right though it is not exactly as I wished. You asked for one with the luminous figures and hands and wide tan strap fastened to the watch instead of having the watch in a case.  This answers all of those requirements too but would have been better I believe if the dial plate had been black as with the Ingersoll’s, and some others.  This one doesn’t show up well until after it has been worn several minutes but seems to me all right then so since it was the only one that I could get track of just at present and it seemed all right (except the black face would have been better) we decided to take it.  One thing I liked about it was that it is quite a little smaller than some and another is that it has an “unbreakable” crystal, at least that is what the jeweler said.  It is stem wind and stem set. Of course we do not know enough about watches to be able to say how good it is but Mrs. Frederick said that the jeweler at Sparta said it was just about as good as some $18 watches of a different kind that he had and that this kind was the one that was proving the most popular of any of the wrist watches he was selling.  (Of course I think the price had something to do with it as $18 or $20 would be quite a price to pay for anything of this kind.) I have been debating in my mind as I have written the above as to whether I should tell you the price so you would know what to ask in case it is not just what you want and you should have a chance to sell it.  It was $12.50 exclusive of the strap (It had a narrow black strap but we thought the wide would be better).  We surely hope that it proves just what you want but if it don’t show up as it should in the dark or if for any other reason it does not prove satisfactory, don’t be afraid of hurting us by exchanging it for something better. We wanted to have it a gift from us but our love will be there just the same even if the gift can not be accepted in its present form.
            And now a few more lines about the watch.  think Herman and Mrs. Frederick have helped so much that they might be considered part of the givers. When I could not seem to find anything better, Herman took me to Elroy in the car one night to look at what they had there and it is probable that if the jeweler had not taken off the secondhand to fix another watch that you would have had that watch before this. I had asked Mrs. Frederick if they knew where we could get a wrist watch with both the “unbreakable” crystal and luminous dial but she did not know. Then one day she phoned that she had been in Sparta and had found a watch that she thought was what I wanted so we had it sent down and have sent it on to you. So I hope you will find time to write to both and thank them, for I don’t know when you would have gotten it otherwise.
            And here is something which I wish I could say instead of write as I don’t know as I can exactly explain what I mean, but I wish you would write to Herman sometimes even if he don’t write to you (he says that I write so much that there is nothing left to say).  It has seemed to me sometimes this fall that he has taken on a “don’t care” attitude toward life and he is not living up to the best in himself.  I don’t know how to help him and I think perhaps he needs a man’s help more than a woman’s just now anyhow.  Perhaps I am unnecessarily worrying, I hope so, but so many little things have happened that have suggested this attitude that I fear something is wrong.
            We received your letter with the list of things that you could use or needed and noticed that you had “eats” the first on the list, so perhaps we will send you a cookie or two sometime! I heard that some of the boys at Waco did not care to have “eats” sent so we were not sure whether you would want much in that line or not. Of course part of the boys at Waco are like you and cry “more”  and probably one reason some objected was because some tried to send fried chicken and things that do not keep well.  Let us know if we send anything that it would be best not to try to send again.
            Goodnight dear heart, or rather Good morning as it was really morning before I started even.  Love and love and prayers always.  Mizpah[1].
                                                            Your little sister, Susan

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[1] “The Lord watch between you and me while we are absent one from the other.”