September 1948 - Linus Pauling Day-by-Day

September 19,1948

Dear Mom and Pop and Kinds [?]

We hear from Miriam Dunham that you spent the voyage home having long conversation about the Milnes. I hope you had a good time on the Queen Mary. And on your way across the country. I wish I could have been with you when you revisited Oregon. Sometime we'll have to take a trip up there and see all the relatives.

We're staying at Miriam Dunham's mother's house in Chestnut Hill everyone is away in New Hampshire so we're rattling around in this great big house all by ourselves. It's a beautiful spot - right on a large pond (or small lake). Probably we'll be here for sometime at any rate we can always be reached here c/o Thompson, 545 Hammond St., Chestnut hill 67, Mass.

Tomorrow is our first wedding anniversary, and partly to celebrate we've bought an absolutely charming little house near Wellesley. The owner and builder is an amusing cuss was a printer for half of his life, and a life insurance man since. But he's designed a fascinating house outside more or less Cape Cod somewhat Cape Ann with a gambrel roof house is white. And in the magnificent big living room is a 7 ½ foot fireplace! The house was built in 1946- but this character apparently spend all his time supervising construction, with the result that it has fine workmanship. I'm sure that you'd like it. The only trouble is its expensive, but it's a small house 7 rooms. Designed to be run without a maid, but also designed for expansion in case a maid is needed. At any rate if any of you are ever in this part of the world we would be only too happy to have you stay with us there are 2 extra bedrooms.

We can't move in until Nov 1^st to 15^th very bad. Possibly we'll stay here, possibly we'll find an apartment for the interim.

My school starts Sept 25, Ill have to commute takes 22 minutes from our new house to school by car. We're about 3 miles from Wellesley College our new address will be 132 Glen Road. Wellesley Farms 82, Mass.

By the way the former owner of our house is going to California. So I told him he could stop in and see you and a fine California house. His name is Gerald Howland, and he's a typical New England Yankee. He's not great shakes as far as culture goes, but he's an amusing cuss.

By the way, Pete, your hat is coming over in one of our trunks from Switzerland. Ought to be here in a month or so I'll send it on. Also you might send us our silver (c/o Thompson) did you have an trouble with U.S. customs? Apparently I was wrong about the 400 limit. It you had to pay any duty, I'll reimburse you.

How is the V-8 Ford? Remember that I'll pay for a body repair and paint job. I'm interested in knowing about it's condition because Ted want to make some adjustments of the motor rebuilding cost.

We saw Rebas I and II in N.Y. We spent 4 extra days in London because we were thrown off our plane, but we stayed with Joy Pickard and enjoyed ourselves.

Wesner Gugelman took us to dinner with his mother and father he was exceedingly nice and told us several time how grateful he was to Pop for letting him go to Caltech. His mother is a typically aristocratic Swiss simply filthy to servants, waiters, etc, but his father is a tremendously nice old joker with a white mustache.

We spent a very nice week in a borrowed chalet at Verbier above Martighy, in the Alps. Beautiful spot. Cows in high summer pasture, crocuses in bloom, gentians, etc. Got chased by a bull slightly. [...] In fact we don't seem to have suffered at all during this year of marriage.

Pete I bought one of those 2-truck Swiss locos - new type- "D" gauge. Fine thing handmade, like a watch. Also we bought some lovely copper cooking utensils - handmade- very cheap in Switzerland. You can see then all when you come to Boston to see us. In fact there will many things of interest for you to see - pistols - Flintlocks and a beautiful set of Perrin dueling percussion cop pistols, fitted into a case with all paraphernalia - mold, tampers, etc. knives, swords, 15^th cent. Bible practically a museum.

Much love to you all. I'll be happy to hear from you. Love from my sweet wife also.

Linus