Letter # 490 October 7,1944

New Guinea
Sat. eve.
Oct 7, 1944
My Darling;
Two more letters from you tonight, 26 & 27th. They are coming in good time now and in order too. Something, ain't it?  I also got a brown envelope from you with the Bank Notes and the clipping of Dewey's speech.  Is that little paper a new thing with the bank?  I don't recall ever seeing it before.  It's as good or better than the Gazette.  Of course the first thing I saw was Pop all decked out as a singing chef.  He apparently is good photographic material.  Except for a very few they all look so natural.  The other men I know by name only.
Then I proceeded to read every word in the paper.  Cliff Mac home.  Is it permanent or only a leave?  Chuck Thompkins taking his wife back with him, the lucky devil.  I didn't remember that Gert, Vi's sister, was working at the bank.  All in all it's quite a paper.  Seems they are all taking a leaf from Bowman's recipe for advertising success.
If this one speech is an example of what you are hearing all the time, I pity you.  That's one part of politics that has always made me so damn disgusted with the whole rotten business.  I wish just once that two candidates for the same office could conduct a campaign without all the mud throwing.  Guess I won't get into this again tonight.  Lot more fun to answer your sweet letters and I'll be happy instead of disgusted.  That may be why we don't hear what is going on.  It would be bad for fighting morale.  A man would wonder if it was worth fighting for a country and ideals that produce such poor specimens of manhood.  I still don't know what we are really fighting this war for but this much I do know.  I'm willing to fight or do anything else that will end this thing and get me back home to the one I love.  Give me that and let the fools do their fighting over things that are all in the past and can't be helped now.  Let's quit stalling and do something.
Gosh, something got me started didn't it?
Just another day, this morning.  This afternoon I hauled out my sewing kit and did I look domestic.  Busy as a bee, sewing patches on salvage clothes the army gave us today.  Since I'm back in the grease and wearing suntans you can imagine that I can use more than three sets of clothes.  Even if they aren't too dirty in a couple days they smell so bad a man can't even stand himself.  Lifeboy or anything else isn't very effective on B.O. down here.  I picked out three more sets, shirts & pants, that weren't too bad.  Rips and tears here and there, not worn out, so I did me some fancy patching.  Don't laugh, darn you.  I didn't do too bad a job at that.  In fact, I think it's almost as good as you'd do.  I don't care if you can't sew, you can sure do plenty of other things.  Love is one.  Expert at that.  Cook is another.  Expert at that too.  Aw, honey, I could go on and fill this sheet and the greatest part would carry an expert rating too.  I'm in love with you.
Did you know it?
Today was P.X. day again.  I got the usual candy bar and pack of gum.  They were also selling manufactured Christmas cards on V-mail so I guess the story I heard was only another rumor.  No official notice anyhow.
Tomorrow morning, bright and early, if it isn't raining, we're taking off for the beach for the day.  Brownie, Mac, Sam, and I.  Sounds good doesn't it?  I haven't been there in quite some time and I don't have much to keep me from going.  Only a letter to you and a couple duty letters.  I can get yours in the evening and if I don't get to the others they will keep a day or so.  Of course that means no progress on the surprises.  That's mean isn't it?  Always telling you about them and not getting them done.  I'll try to hurry them a bit, honey, so hold on.
Now to answer some letters.  Sept 24.  Gosh, honey, it sounds like a librarian has to be an information bureau and know nearly everything.  I can see right now that I'll have a lot of learning to catch up on so you won't be too far ahead of me.  You'd better like your dumb old husband though and give him time to catch up to you.  I'm pretty nice anyhow.  I think.  Your work does sound very interesting.  Think I'd even like it myself, at least until I got tired of a white collar.
I should think you wouldn't know it all in 6 weeks, you silly. Sounds like you need an even wider range of knowledge than it takes to run a hardware store.  I worked at that for ten years and still didn't know it all by a long way.  It is slightly similar, isn't it?  See all kinds of customers every day and asked all sorts of questions.  Nice people, grouchy people, sensible questions and crazy ones.  Variety anyhow.  I used to sometimes get pretty tired of seeing people and trying to please them but I did rather like it anyhow.  Remember?  I'd say I wanted to stay home where it was peaceful and I didn't have to see anyone but you.  I don't guess it affects you like that though.  You're gregarious and I'm not. Only one person I want to be with all the time. A female too.  Think of that.  She's big, beautiful, intriguing, exciting, sweet, and comfortable to have around.  She asks crazy questions and teases me once in a while. Follows me around and wants to know where I'm going or what I'm doing and why don't I just be nice and sit by her and talk or play something with her, but even then I love it all.  It's all part of her charm and part of the most idyllic life I've ever lived.  I love her so much.  She's Mrs. Effinger, my wife!  I'll stick by her as much as possible the rest of my life and try to be a worthy husband.  Quite a big promise to live up to isn't it?
No, I don't get you, but I do know what you mean by needing a good taking care of.  You've got it coming at the first opportunity I get.  I need it too, very badly.  I hope, as you say, you are big and healthy and won't have any trouble with the little "it".  You are the type all right. The kind the Germans want to build up their "super race".  Ed's expression, "Built for service" is descriptive and applicable.  As for me, all I can say is I'm healthy and plenty willing.  We'll prove or disprove the able part of it later.
Don't worry, honey.  You can talk as you please.  No one but me will ever read your letters.  It's like you used to talk anyhow, isn't it?
Honey, your ability to estimate men from their pictures amazes me.  You have most of them tagged as good as I and I know them personally.  They all made the march with flying colors.  Mathews and Pendleton were the only two that didn't keep up the last day.  You see the leaders purposely tried to loose us that last day.  See if we had any reserve left.  We had it.  They hurt themselves as much as us.  Even the native guides said, " Him bunch of men, not Mary's" this time.  This particular school had the highest record and most excellent ratings ever given.
You said the gang looks like a bunch of rugged boys to you.  Well, just think, honey, I must be quite a way from dead yet 'cause I had the honor of receiving the highest rating among them.  Spence, Mathews and myself were the only men over 30 in the group.  Pretty good aren't I?
I guess I didn't tell you that Spencer and Williams came back down the trail with Mathews, Pendleton, Westerman, and me in a party of our own.  Spencer and Williams are real trail mates.
They have my respect now.
You may be wondering why I only used their last names.  New censorship rules.  No rank or duties mentioned.
I guess you'll get along alright.  Getting an extra day off for a cold in the head.  Different than school teaching isn't it?  You don't know how tickled I am about your new job.  I wanted you to be doing something you like to do.  If being a teacher instead of a librarian for a time had anything to do with my getting you for a wife, I'm selfishly glad you put in those disagreeable years.  I'd be hurtin if I didn't have you.  Probably be an old bachelor yet.  My idea of a hell of a life, now.
I do hope your cold pills do the trick for you.  The few dollars they cost are well spent if they work.  I think they did a lot for me that last two winters.
More help for you.  Gus going to hang the storm windows.  You got 'em all charmed, haven't you?  I sure am glad I got you first.  At the way men do things for you now, I wonder why I didn't have so much competition.  I would have had to pull tricks like the boys do to get a date with Boots.  Good thing for me they didn't wake up sooner.
If you keep reading books on N. Guinea you'll know all about it and it won't be necessary for us to take time out from more pressing matters to talk about it.  That's the stuff, sweetheart, I don't want too many other things to do for a long time.  Need all my energy to give you that taking care of you want.  Got some taking care of myself to do too so I'm thinking I'll be plenty busy and worn out.  Boy, but I'll be happy though.  I don't mind a bit wearing myself to a frazzle on something I like so, watch out and be on your guard.  No holds barred.  All's fair in love and I'm a wild man.
Night, sweetheart.  You're being loved and loved and kissed and kissed.  Gooey too.
Your hubby.
Norm.