She is even tempered and capable

To Bertha from Beth Cary –

(Date is approximate)

[Note:

St. Cloud, Minnesota
1007 4th Avenue S.

Dearest Bobby,

Wonder where you are spending this Christmas. Wrote you several months ago but naturally I am suspicious of Army movements and you may not have received it.

The Christmas season rolls around with increasing speed as the years pass by but the last week of suspense seems as long as ever. Our tree this year reminds me of the one we ploughed thru the drifts to get the Christmas we spent in school. Really appreciated that tree as much as any we ever had. I think Leigh felt the same about the tree we had in Menahga. Being situated _____ …of Minnesota it was up to him to go out the trees. This years was quite _____ purchased but probably a little singing of the tips will give the proper odor to the day.

The children are quite enthusiastic as usual. Even the baby thought the Christmas bells very attractive when I took him to a church sale last week. Of course, he is two so should be a little observing.

Wonder if you got an announcement of Dorothy _____ wedding last month. She is a very poor correspondent so I don’t know anything about him. A good wedding announcement should have a picture of the unknown party, short prospects, etcetera, if it is such a pest to get the bare statement of fact. He gets a grand girl. She is even tempered and capable.

You can think of me as getting a goose dinner for about twelve on Christmas. My folks and Leigh’s mother and brother will be a very busy child for the next week. One can do a great deal toward making a day easier by proper planning and preparations.

Wonder if we are to have a “black” Christmas. Would be my first in Minnesota. There was enough in Lynchburg that year.

A friend here has a dad who is Vice President of the _____…Washington. The paper here was sort of bragging about it. Guess they had never been passengers on the road.

Love and hearty wishes for a Merry Christmas and may the New Year bring your heart’s desire.

Love,

Beth

Miss Bertha Ballou
C/O Col. C.R. Ballou
Please forward.

Note
Here I am back in Washington and so glad to be here