Dear Clarence (1946)

More correspondence between Jane's parents during their court-and-spark days. They met through a personal ad her mother placed in the Saturday Review of Literature. This is her mother's letter following her father's initial reply. More here.

______________________________

August 11, 1946

Dear Clarence,

Had you despaired of ever hearing from Box 419-Q, SRL. I am sorry if my delay in answering your letter made you think it was inadequate. It certainly was not, and since the day it arrived I have been trying to make time to answer it. Since you say you have little time except for "necessary" correspondence, I know you will excuse me for my delay. True, I asked for correspondents, and I do love to write letters. Actually, I can blame only my work, which keeps my busy all day, every day. I had thought the summer would be a little less busy, but it has been otherwise.

I dug into the World Almanac to find out what your dust-gathering key meant, and I am duly impressed. There are Phi Beta Kappa keys floating around in my family, but I am not the owner. I had two years in college (St. Laurence U., Canton, N.Y.) and found out that I was not a genius. I am more convinced of it now that I have spent ten years in the newspaper world where really intelligent persons abound. I came home from college to work with my father and sister in publishing The Amityville Record, which my father took over in 1904. I was born here in Amityville, and with the exception of my sojourn at college, I have lived here always. I know almost everyone, the same number of persons know me, and I do enjoy it. But you were quite correct in surmising that I long for new friends who can write and talk on a plane higher than the unusual trend here. I like people and I am interested in their joys and sorrows, but they are happy in their rut, and I get impatient with them.

For that reason it pleased me no end to read your description of yourself. To be fair, I must retaliate with one of myself. I am 30, as of a few weeks ago, 5 ft. 0 tall, black more or less curly hair (depending on how much dampness comes in off the Great South Bay), brown eyes (always wished they were blue), passable proportions and the proper number of appendages. I smile more often than not because it makes me feel good and doesn't seem to have ill effect on anyone else. I seldom laugh loud, but I appreciate clever humor and take part in family bouts of punning which I think help an active mind to stay active. (My college classmates groaned loud and long at my puns, but I always told them they were jealous of my nimble brain!) I am unmarried and quite happy about it because I would rather be that way than doing dishes for any one of the few who have proposed. If The Man comes along some day I will be glad to forsake my daily chores for housework.

Until that time, however, I will do as I do now: Up at 6:30, to work (two doors away) at 7. Report the news from its source or by telephoning the proper authorities; write it, read proof on it, put it in the forms, supervise the lockup, stamp the address labels on the papers, and make out the subscription bills. I'll continue to do the bookkeeping, make up ads, collect social items, attend village and school board meetings, be on hand at all public functions from band concerts to firemen's tournaments. I'll travel around the village on my bicycle, wave to friends and folks I think I must wave to, and spread goodwill where I can. I'll continue to attend Junior League meetings and try to rouse the housewives and working girls enough to show them the importance of being interested in local government, improvements, etc.

(Page two of this wonderful letter will be posted tomorrow)

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