To Bertha from C.C. Ballou – January 12, 1921
Fort George Wright, Spokane, Washington
My dear Speksie,
Quite a snow storm visited us early this morning, but it has suspended operations. The pines are covered, of course. The weather has been “right sharp” for two or three days – mercury twelve about Monday night.
Mamma as adopted two small cats, of various colors, and I dare say will desire much satisfaction from their antics. On Monday, I built the box for four of your pictures – as forecast in my last letter – worked hard for four and a half hours at it. The extra work was caused by the arrangements for separating paintings by slats. Yesterday, I made one for The _____. Today I will not work, as I intend to go to the library for more books.
I can quite understand your desire to work, and your enjoyment of it. It is life. If I appeared too urgent in my expressed hope that you would not put in a second year at Elks, it was because I feared the loss you would sustain in being so long and out of touch with real painting. Also I wanted you to feel assured of my entire willingness to assist financially. I don’t like to urge you one way or the other, for I always feel so afraid lest some development might prove that a different course would have felt better. So, I will leave it with the assurance that I want you to do as you wish, relying on my entire willingness and ability to help you financially – if I live. In other words, money considerations should not at all constrain your action or influence your decision. It was very nice of your landlady to change your only half for _____ and very different from the profiteer at Ann Arbor, who charges ten dollars a week for an unoccupied room [Note: Where Senn is living].
Mrs. _____, in common with the other nuisances, is to be clad in uniform. Isn’t that idiotic? Colonel Black is now a full Colonel. There is no other news, as far as I know, except that one of the officers from Butte, a West Pointer I am sorry to say, is so lacking in the conceptions of a gentleman that the ____, Lanes and ourselves have left the big table at the mess and sit at the small one. It is not a recent matter, but one that is awaiting the action of a Court of Judging. We don’t care to recognize him socially. The mess has a new cook, a soldier, whose wife waits on tables. I have relieved Major Brown and put Chaplain Lane in charge of the mess, which is somewhat improved.
Your loving old Dad.