Letter # 485 October 1, 1944

New Guinea
Sunday eve.
Oct 1, 1944
My Sweetheart;
The first of October and a nice lazy Sunday I made of it too.  I am even caught up on all my writing except for one to Mom & Hazel and now yours.  I just kind of fooled around, read a bunch of funnies Oil had gotten, read a little in the Reader's Digest and also in the Coronet you sent.  Then this afternoon I got busy on my surprises for a little while.  They are coming along slowly but they'll get there yet.  One is nearly completed.  I think you'll like it too.  It's kinda like things I've seen you get for yourself.  Don't you wish you knew what it was?  Not much, but anyhow, I'm sending you something.
I hit the jackpot again at mail call tonight.  Five of them all from you.  That's ten in three days so I guess I'll be without any for a few days again. They were all in rotation again. 18, 19, 20, 21, & 22.  That's only eight days on the last one and the best time so far.  I've got a pile to work on again.
While I'm thinking of it.  You can tell Max Blakeslee I thank him a lot for the offer of the lantern.  I know what it is and I can't get batteries for it either so it won't be any use to me either.  It's swell of him to offer though. The gasoline lantern Mrs Berry has located is the thing.  Always have gasoline or this outfit won't be much account.  Gosh, honey I didn't mean for you to go to all that trouble.  You seem to have everyone working for you and getting things done too.  You're some girl.  Is it any wonder I love you?  Everyone else seems to like you a lot too.  No wonder people can't see why you married me.  Was it 'cause you were so sick of teaching?  I guess I'm lucky you didn't get this library job before you said "yes".  You'd have been satisfied and wouldn't have wanted to marry me then.
Tomorrow is election day here so I'll dutifully take my ballot in hand and make some X's before the proper witness and have my part of that business taken care of.  Does that satisfy you?  The ballot, of course, has to be shown unmarked and then the procedure is the same as at the polls.  By doing it as a unit it will avoid so much confusion to the voting officer.
Now I must get at these letters or I'll be as far behind as I was when I came back from school.
Honey, only people in love are supposed to pull tricks like the one you pulled on the phone at the library.  Are you in love?  You'd better be and with no one else but me too.  Yes, I remember how you'd play like you were listening to me and never hear a thing I said.  Remember it used to catch up to you once in a while then.  You'd ask later about something I knew darn well I had told you.  So there too, you devil.
I have never yet pulled the stunt Laurence did but I caught myself in the nick of time at least once I remember of.  Still at Polk and I had a letter to Mom & one to you.  I had them in the wrong envelopes when I thought I'd better check.  Good thing too.  It was rather a naughty letter and I'm afraid Mom would have blushed when she read it.  Since then I've been very careful.
You are probably very nearly right in your guess in Sept 15 letter.  My own opinion is that no big action will break out down here until the end of Germany.  If that ends on schedule it won't be so long until the final big push over here sets in.  The sooner it comes the better I'll like it.  Get it over and get back home where my heart is.  These days I'm finding out I'm very much a home boy.  No more roving for me any more alone.  I say alone 'cause I'm always alone unless you're with me.  Other people may help but they sure don't fill your place.  I love you, sweetheart.
You'd better not buy any more new pajamas, honey.  Wear out the ones you have 'cause you'll never see them again after I come home.  I'll not have a clothed woman in bed with me.  I'm surely not getting in the habit of wearing anything.  I haven't even slept in a pair of shorts since I left the states, except for the days on the trail when I was fully clothed for warmth.  I think we can "adjust" very quickly once we get at it.
You old devil.  I wasn't trying to pull any wool over your eyes about this jungle trip.  I wasn't aware that I was trying to cover up the fact I was tickled about it.  I think I even said, "The only thing I don't like about it is I won't be able to write to you."  I wanted to go and was plenty pleased when I got the chance.  By this time you know that I didn't change my opinion any, even if it was a bit tough.  I knew you'd say you wouldn't mind not getting any letters but, all the same, I bet you were let down a bit.  I know what mail means in the everyday routine.  I missed not hearing from you and had plenty new and interesting things to occupy my thoughts.  You were always creeping in.  I learn or see something and make a mental note to tell Babe about it sometime.  Most everything I do includes you even if remotely.  Your letters, so far, in the "no letters to answer period", don't show any signs of finding it hard to write. You always do a good job of writing.  I like to hear you ramble on, on anything.  It's all you.
I guess I told you that Dick Elder took the march like a good soldier. He even seemed to like it.  He doctored a blister for me too.  When we were at the end of the trail I had a picture of he and I together taken.  You can pass that information on to Mrs. Elder.
Yes I know who Emeric Ceaser is.  He was always around the store.  Quite a guy and likes to talk and tell stories.  I return his hello.  It seems you are meeting a lot of my old business acquaintances since you're in the library.  If I go back to the store it will make it easier to talk to you about my day.  As it was before you didn't know a lot of them I saw every day or so.  If I know your charm they'll be asking about you too.  From the sound of things you'll be getting too smart for the old man to keep up with at all.  You'll really have to play teacher to me.  I still like teachers and they don't have to be red heads either.
To the best of my knowledge you are right about B. Batchelder.  The address is the same as Steve's.  I'm almost sure he is where you said. [ Sept. 16 letter].
So you are now a member of the Beagle Assn.  At least enough to get a present out of it.  Did you tell them you go hunting and shoot so you don't hit the rabbits?  Good enough shot but won't try to hit them.  Remember the day across the road in the orchard and the time in Pop's pasture when you didn't even have a shell in your gun?  You did kill one sitting once and then felt bad about it.  You're a funny sweet old thing.
You sure do think of plenty of ways to tantalize me don't you?  Now you are sending something that has to be cut in three pieces and yet it can be spliced and serve its purpose.  I've a guess on that but I'm not sure enough to air it.  I'll wait until I see it, you devil.
I do like your two early Xmas presents very much.  The picture is in front of me whenever my desk is open and, believe it or not, the bracelet is on my arm and will stay there too.  For a man that never cared much for things like that, it's proof that I like it, isn't it?
Read my letter again, honey where I told you where Steve was.  Either I was absent minded or you missed it. Steve is north of me.
Sure I believe I have a smart wife. I always did but I couldn't start telling you too soon or you would have become too conceited to live with.  I always told you I saw a lot more than the physical in you when I married you.  The physical attractions are perfect to me, plenty of them, quantity and quality both, but that is only half of you.  The other half is just as perfect and attractive.  Either half, by itself, is more than most girls have.  I love you, don't you think?  I sure do.  Very much.
Don't worry about it if you don't manage to send a box every week, honey.  It's a lot of work and you're a busy girl.  They're fun to get alright, but don't kill yourself trying to keep up.  I'm only doing what you ask in sending requests each week.  I don't mean you have to honor them all.
I had seen the notice in the Gazette about Ted Underhill.  I wasn't sure but thought it was the one Mick & Louise talked of.  If I can get any information I'll do it but such things are darn hard to dig out.  The official notice is as far as you can go unless you're lucky and run into someone who knew him.  Be sure and give me his organization.
I think your letters have shown a bit of a rise in spirit since you've been working.  I always was of the opinin you would be happier when busy but before this you never liked your job at all so it wasn't any help.  I'm glad you're settled.  I know you'll be good at it,  I'm only afraid they won't want to let you go when I come home again.  We'll fool them won't we?  Lots of things to do that will be more fun even than being a librarian.   I'll keep you busy too.  First, I'll need a lot of loving and being by you.  Second, I'll need a lot of my wife's good cooking to fill out the hollow bony places.  Third, washing and mending clothes, ironing and lots of things.  Still want the job or would you prefer to stay a librarian?  Night, sweetheart, I love you.
Your hopeful lover
Norm.