Monday, February 4, 2019

February 4, 1919 -- Billy Phil Is Standing in the Wings Waiting for Dramatic Entrance


 
The Old Home Farm
February 4, 1919
P.M.
Dearest Brother o’ Mine,
            The weather still remains chilly (to say the least).  I went to the woods with Herman this noon (I am trying to make a practice of doing so for the sake of the exercise as well as his company) and though I had my sweater and winter coat on and my last winter’s (old the winter before it) old winter cap on, my head and face noticed the wind particularly and I assure you that I wasn’t any too warm otherwise, though warm enough.  Oh I hope your new union suits are protecting you from any weather such as this or worse which you may have over there and don’t forget about the thin summer wool union suits which I told you of, should you find you are scheduled to be over there during any large part of the summer.
            How I hope you may be home though before then, and for fear you may miss a letter or two I am going to tell you again our very special reason, besides  our wish of seeing you as soon as possible, why we hope you will be able to be here by June sometime between the middle of June and the middle of July probably, and more definitely about the first to the fourth of July we think, we are looking forward to the birth of “an heir to the house of Weber.”  As I told you in my birthday letter to you, I have been wanting to tell you ever since we suspected the possibility (and especially since Mama saw the doctor and he said he thought we were probably correct in thinking as we did).  But Herman wanted to keep our secret awhile and since he wished it I could not refuse as it seemed as much his secret as mine and no good reason for telling except that I always have and always want to tell you things.  It seemed kind of lonesome somehow not to have you know of this wonderful thing which was to happen to your little sister.  I always have told you things, and I wanted you to share the wonder and mystery and beauty of this new experience, so don’t feel “left out” dear heart because I have not told you sooner for in my heart and thought you surely were not “left out” in any way, brother o’mine.  But as you yourself pointed out to me it is best to do the will of my “Big Boy” unless there is some principal involved or reason for not doing so, and I try to do as  he wishes in spite of my own wishes to the contrary in many things, and knowing how contrary, opinionated, and “want to have my own way,” I am , perhaps you can appreciate just how hard it is sometimes.
            When people become engaged or are married their relationship to one another and to others changes thereby so that I believe it is best to make a definite announcement of such a change for the benefit of society in general as well as those particularly interested , but this something which can do no harm kept as our own family secret, just as long as we can possibly keep it (Though I don’t know just how long that may be, for as I said before I have already had to order a new dress though I did not expect to have to do so for a few weeks yet).  And again as I said in my birthday letter, I was not very well during the latter part of 1918 and we were not sure at first whether this was so or not.  Then Mama saw the doctor and he seemed to think it was but gave her some medicine for me to correct conditions which should not exist under the circumstances.  There is of course a possibility that since I wasn’t very well that we may have set the date of the expected arrival too far ahead but this is only a bare possibility and not very probable (unless some abnormal condition should set in between now and then.)
Wed. a.m.
            Perhaps you think I am saying quite a lot, for the censor I suppose will see all this, but I wanted you to know as much as possible about things, and I don’t suppose the censor is any one either of us knows or will ever hear about and probably doesn’t pay any attention to anything that doesn’t refer to the war.
            Since the first of the year I have been feeling fine as far as physical health goes and as I told you in one letter I am getting plump (and pretty?) again and weigh about what I used to.  My ability to think quickly and accurately is slowly improving (I believe) too.  I don’t know that I ever told you particularly but my brains (if I have any) have felt sluggish and tired for more than a year.  I haven’t been able to remember easily, and altogether I have wondered sometimes if my letters to showed signs of “mental degeneracy” oh, perhaps not quite that but “mental fatigue” at least.  I surely would enjoy a chance to rest my “mental wheels”, for even planning meals is hard work sometimes.  Now don’t worry for as I said I believe I am better and gaining slowly and probably when my physical strength is such as it, should be my brains? will improve ? too.  (Stranger things have happened!)
            From now on I shall hope you will have received either this letter or the one I wrote on my birthday so will probably not go into details of things again, unless I decide to write a third letter for fear you may miss getting these.  Dear, dear heart I am so glad to have you know of our expectations and probably in a few weeks we can know “absolutely and for certain" though we are practically certain now.
            Now must say Bye-Bye for now and will write about your letters soon (I did tell you yesterday how glad and proud of your promotion to Corporal but haven’t had time to say all I would like to).
            Today is another bright sunny, cold day.
                                  So much love dear heart and always our prayers. 
                                      Mispah* always with so much love from your little sister  Susan
 
*The Lord watch between you and me while we are apart from one another.

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