[Later added in LP's handwriting:]

?

[Top left of letterhead is a picture of a man riding a horse inside of a circle with a banner over it reading, NASSAU TAVERN, 1756 1937]

[Below and to the left of emblem, in blue:] [Top right of letterhead:]

Geo. E. Boynton Jr. Mgr. Princeton, N.J.

Thursday

Dear sweet Paddy:

I hope that you give a good lecture this afternoon. I know that you will be perfect, you darling. I'm going to be a better wife to you, too, and try to not let me feelings get hurt anymore. I love you more than anything even Crellie but I love him so much that I try not to even remember he exists.

I'm not going to be sassy to the Harvard representatives any more. But they aren't so sweet or generous with their time, brain or ideas. You are too

[page 2, on same letterhead:]

good. This is a little joke on you. You'll get a letter at the laboratory!

Goodbye sweet love. I am your own girl, Ava Helen Pauling

November 4, 1937

Professor Roger Adams

Department of Chemistry

University of Illinois

Urbana, Illinois

Dear Professor Adams:

I have received a letter from Dr. Helmholz in answer to my question to him as to whether or not he would be interested in the instructorship in your Department, with the understanding that he devote his attention to the study of the rare earths. Dr. Helmholz has written that he is interested in applying for the position and that he believes that many worthwhile investigations could be carried out with the rare earth material. He would, however, like to know what the teaching duties connected with the position are. May I suggest that you write directly to him at the California Institute of Technology.

I believe that Dr. Helmholz would be a very able man in the rare earth field. His interests are in the structure of inorganic substances. At Johns Hopkins he worked on the electron affinities of atoms and the lattice energies of ionic crystals. In Pasadena he has investigated various inorganic substances, including recently the paraperiodates, and he is now studying bromates, to see if any hydrated form of bromic acid exists.

With best regards, I am

Sincerely yours,

Linus Pauling

LP:HB

Prof. Pauling

Dept. of Chemistry

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York, U.S.A.

Dear Professor Pauling,

I am making plans to arrive in New York on January 24th. I hope very much to have the opportunity of several talks with you if you can spare me the time. I have been working specially on denaturation of proteins and there are many points here which I would like to discuss with you. There are alto other matters relating to other tendencies of the protein problem.

Dr. Weaver tells me that he has lately seen you and that you will be leaving Ithaca rather soon after my arrival. If I come straight to Ithaca, say on January 25th or 26th, would you still be there for another week or two? Please let me know how I can best fit in with your convenience.

I shall be starting work with Dr. Langnuir as soon as I leave Ithaca or I might even, as Mrs. Langmuir has suggested, come over to Ithaca from Schenectady.

I shall wait to make my plans until I hear from you.

Yours very sincerely,

November

Fifth

Nineteen Thirty-seven.

Mrs. Linus Pauling,

Cornell University, Dept. Of Chemistry,

Ithaca, New York.

Dear Mrs. Pauling:

Your recent letter enclosing check for $30.00 reached me O.K. I have today given Mrs. Cook her 4^th ten dollar installment. This leaves a balance to your account of $40.00.

Your family are doing very well. Little Crellin appears to be doing better and gaining faster since on the raw milk. He does not need his magnesia and has gained about seven ounces each week for the last two weeks.

Mrs. Dery says she has been offered some work in one of the Cal Tech offices which she would like to take up as it will be more or less permanent. She does not know exactly when she will be needed but probably after next week. If you should want to stay longer, I can get some one to take Mrs. Dery's place if necessary to relieve her before your return.

We have been having cloudy, foggy weather here that last week with just occasional periods of sunshine. We have had no rain yet. With kind regards to both you and Dr. Pauling, I am,

Very sincerely yours,

EH McMillan [signature]

[enclosure is a comic drawing of two men. "The 'Slumming Party' Was Canceled". The nicely dressed gentleman asks the poorer man, "On your salary, how do you buy your wife a wardrobe for the winter season?]

[Cornell University Department of Chemistry letterhead]

Sunday, 11 ⁵⁵ PM

November 7, 1937

Dearest little love:

I saw you look out the window as the train left and I waved to you, but you couldn't see me in the darkness. I felt terribly lonesome as you went away, and when I think of your being gone I feel miserable, so I try not to think of it. You are my darling little wife, and I love you with all my heart.

After a few minutes I drove back to Hughes', and then Miss Williams & the Hoards left, and at 8 I drove the boys to their place and went to the Telluride House. I put my things in my room (with help from the Missouri boy) and came to the laboratory, where I have written 21 pages of manuscript. No one else has been here. Now I am going home to bed. I have the boys' car to use in the morning.

Jack has left the Sunday paper here. I read it from 8 ²⁰ to 9 ⁰⁰ . I an enclosing a bit.

I love you, sweetheart. Life isn't much fun without you. I hope you are sound asleep in your little berth speeding through Canada on the way to Chicago.

This letter will wait for you awhile.

I love you.

Your own Paddy

Linus

Monday 12.30

[added later in LP's handwriting: Nov 8 '37]

[written on stationery from Union Pacific Railroad. In the top right corner: THE OVERLAND ROUTE and a picture of a train. In the lower left corner of the first page is written: UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD All in blue lettering]

Dearest Paddy:

I am sailing along having made my connections in Chicago. Everything has gone very well and I am getting along all right. A man carried my bag last night but I didn't encourage him. I ate breakfast in the station this morning. This is a good train with a nice observation car and

[page 2 begins on the reverse side]

radio, etc. We are going along at a rapid rate. I purchased a copy of "Esquire." It is certainly sex mad, and a little bit boring after - awhile although the Petty dame is even more luscious than usual. I keep forgetting that you aren't on the train with me.

It was raining very hard in Chicago. I called Phoebe. I thought of getting off the train at

[page 3 begins on the other half of the notecard]

the 63^rd street station but decided not to since the weather was so bad. We might have thought of that though.

How are you little darling? I certainly did miss you in the berth last night. Also today, but I haven't resorted to tears yet but I have a good notion to. I love you more than anything in the world. This magazine in crazy.

Love, love, love

Your girl.

11 ²⁰ PM. Monday,

Nov. 8, 1937.

Dearest Ava Helen: I love you very much, and have thought about you all of last night and all of today, except when I was sleeping or working. I thought of you when you changed trains at Buffalo, and when you were sleeping, and this morning when you were transferring to another station, and then when you started on from Chicago, and now (10 ²⁰ PM C.T.) When you are drawing into Omaha - perhaps you are asleep now. I slept rather fitfully, being lonesome. I got up at 8, had orange, oatmeal, & toast for breakfast, hash & macaroni & lettuce-tomato salad for lunch, leg of lamb for dinner. I have worked pretty steadily, and have written 33 pages of MS today, being now almost half through Chapter II. I attended the Telluride Meeting from 7 to 8. The boys invited Dr. Landsteiner to stay at the house. Jack has read the typed Chapter I and suggested some small changes.

This morning after breakfast I came to get mail, and drove in the boys' car to Mrs Claassen's and started the trunk on, returned to College Ave. and got a haircut (only a little removed!) And came to the building, where I worked over [indication to turn page] until 12; then I walked to the T. house, had lunch, drove back with Pace in his Ford, worked until 6 (with time out for tea - our tea, with Hughes having our coffee) and had dinner. Now I've worked from 8 ³⁰ to 11 ²⁰ . I'm all right except that I'm lonesome and my hand is tired with writing.

I hope the days go by fast. I adore my sweet little wife and want to be with her.

Bushels of love from your own

Linus.

Western Union Telegram, 1937 November 8

Prof Linus Pauling=

Care Telluride Assn IK=

Am safely on the way think of thermo dynamics love=

Ava Helen.

Tuesday 10.a.m.

[added later in LP's handwriting: Nov 9 '37]

[written on stationery from Union Pacific Railroad. In the top right corner: THE OVERLAND ROUTE and a picture of a train. In the lower left corner of the first page is written: UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD All in blue lettering]

[page one]

Sweet little Paddy:

You have just begun your lecture for it is 10 o'clock and you are two hours ahead of me. It is a very clear and lovely morning and I have just finished my breakfast - getting a Challenger breakfast for $ .25 and the waiter threw in marmalade because of my sweet smile. I ordered orange juice, toast and coffee. He charged some rather awful looking English travelers extra

[page 2 begins on the back of page 3]

for their marmalade. It was a good breakfast, too, even the coffee.

How are you little sweetheart? Do you enjoy the Telluride bed? I'm still not accustomed to being alone and so expect to see you around each corner. Last night I helped an old woman to the dining room. She was a timid sour looking creature. She got off at North Platte at 4.45 this morning. She said she didn't need the porter to waken her though. We are traveling along through

[page 3 begins opposite of page 1]

Nebraska I think Oh, the woman didn't know she had to be up at 4 so I showed her the time table. The radio goes all of the time and it is annoying. This is magnificent open country brown and somnolent. I'm a little sorry not to have snow, but still this sunshine is cheery.

Didn't you and I have a perfect little dance on Saturday - just like the last one at the Troika in Washington, Remember? Sometimes we are inspired!! I suppose you couldn't dance so well with another girl even a taller one - of course you could dance cheek to cheek. Now, I'm sorry this letter is

[page 4 begins opposite of page 2]

written because I still want to write more. I guess I'll write again tonight.

Is the audience understanding the resonance business?

Have I endeared myself to you? Mrs. Papish said I'd endeared myself it's all their hearts.

Well, I guess I'll read a little Perhaps I'll sew in a little while.

Good-bye, sweet darling

Love and kisses,

Ava Helen

Did you pack the big printed announcements of your public lecture? I can't remember seeing them.

Tues. 4.p.m.

[added later in LP's handwriting: Nov 9 '37]

[written on stationery from Union Pacific Railroad. In the top right corner: THE OVERLAND ROUTE and a picture of train. In the lower left corner of the first corner is written: UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD All in blue lettering]

Dear Paddy:

I guess I'll write to you again and tell you about my walk at Cheyenne. I walked clear to the Capitol this time and that white building on the right is the Supreme Court and State Library. Our train was in Cheyenne for 70 minutes so I had ample time to take that 25 minute walk.

I suppose you are about ready to go home for your dinner. I think of you all of the time. I have a good notion to get me a whiskey and

[page 2 is on the back of page 4]

soda. We are in this beautiful country where one can see snow on the far away mountains. You said there was snow on the ground, too, but there isn't. It remains clear and sunny. The Streamliner sailed by at about 2. It looks awfully queer - like a fat speedy caterpillar.

I ate some lunch at 1.15 since I was hungry. I hadn't intended to eat until supper time. I haven't done any work

[page 3 is opposite page 2]

yet - just read and look at the scenery. The people are rather queer on this train. It is a very long one with many coaches.

I hope the weather remains good for you. You mustn't get your feet wet.

Do you like being at the Telluride House? Are they good to you? I guess I shan't write to you again today. When I get home I'll have too much to do and so I won't be able to write such long

[page 4 is opposite page 1]

letters.

I wonder if James will meet me. I suppose he will. I've read a lot of silly nonsense today. Most of these magazine aren't worth reading. We are passing much of that white alkali which you said was snow! This is a remarkable country.

Good bye. Your girl.

Tuesday night, 12 13.

[11/9/1937]

Dearest little love: I am getting ready to go home now and go to bed. I love you more every day and every month and every year. I think of you going across Utah now and hope that you are happy and not lonesome, but looking forward to seeing the Itzies. Last night when I went home there was a note asking me to call Western Union; which was, however, closed, so that I had to wait until morning to get your telegram telling me that you were rolling along safely to Iowa; and this morning your little letter mailed in Chicago reached me. I told Dr Hughes that you had asked me again to thank him.

Today I have written only fifteen pages, but I have worked all evening on a big table of calculations, and I hope to get more done tomorrow. I got up for breakfast at 8 30 - orange, cereal, eggs, coffee - wrote a few pages and prepared and gave my lecture, had lunch, read the new JACS and JCP and also Kembles book, wrote a few pages, had tea, discussed things with Hoard and others, including an organic graduate student with questions to ask me, had dinner, listened to public speaking by the Telluride boys, and returned to the lab. to work on this table of bond energies. Jack helped me for a while, but left at 9.

I am enclosing a letter from Reba.

Landstenier is coming Nov. 20 to stay over Saturday + Sunday. The Telluride boys have asked him to stay at the house.

My suit returned from the cleaners today. Some of the boys are going to send their laundry with mine next Monday.

I adore you, my own little wife, and I am lonesome and will be happy when we are together again.

Your own loving

Linus

[on stationery from "The Overland Route" LP's handwriting give a date of Nov 10 '37)

Wed. 10 AM

Dear little Popsie:

We are still enjoying beautiful sunshine and gorgeous mountain scenery in Western Nevada. It looks like home and is grand- typically desert country.

How are you? You are now three hours ahead of me and I suppose home had your lunch. I trust it was a good one.

Yesterday at Cheyenne I purchased an Oregon Journal just to

[page two]

see what it is like. It isn't much but had amusing litters to Dorothy Dix- one of which I sent you as it offers a different solution to the old problem. I even laughed and the man across from me looked startled..He got off at Salt Lake City at 1.10 AM saying that if he'd know this train arrived at that hour he wouldn't have come on it. Also he had a bad cold and cough but said he'd rather cough than take the awful medicine the

[page three]

doctor perscribed. Is that "per" or "pre"? It is "pre". Mrs Emmett is responsible with her "prehaps" Also this old gentleman borrowed my Esquire saying that most people only looked at the pictures but he found the stories intersting. This issue is bawdy sex through and through so I told him that I too, enjoyed the stories but thought the whole affair a little boring if you saw it too aften. I slept very well last night and feel in

[page four]

good spirits this morning. Isn't it strange that these people get on the train without knowing much about its peculiarities?

This train is quite a good one but stops all of the time. If you come this way get off at the 63^rd street station in Chicago- have breakfast with Thorfin & Phoebe and then take this train at 10.30. You have to change from the Illinois Central over to the C & NW station which is a long journey anyway. You

[page five]

remember where the Illinois Central Station is don't you? There by Michigan Avenue and that art Institute. The C+N [scribble ?] W is on Clayton and something I've forgotten just where.

Will they telephone me when my trunk arrives? I guess I would better telephone the station in Pasadena on Friday. I guess I'll stop now.

Your girl

A.H.P.

[on stationery from "The Overland Route" LP's note says Nov 10 '37]

Wednesday at 5

Darling Linus:

Here we are at Barstow. I've enjoyed seeing the Calico Mountains, Yermo, Daggett, etc.

This radio is simply screaming. I am eager to see everything again. I hope James meets me. I'll take my bus if he isn't there. I guess I'll get in bed with little

[page two]

Linda. She is a love all right. I saw that Ramsay McDonald died; that perhaps the Duchess will have a baby; that Mr Wright shot and killed Mrs Wright and Mr Kimmell. He thought he saw them embrace. All in Los Angeles Times! So I guess I am home again. The Duchess wants to have her baby at Johns Hopkins!!

[page three]

That's why they want to come to the U.S.!! Foo! Foo! Foo!

Good-bye sweet love. I'm sending Lola a telegram from San Bernardo that I'll arrive at ten. This train is half Challenger and half Pacific Limited. It is quite dirty- but still pleasant.

Love, love, love;

Ava Helen Pauling

11³⁵ PM Wednesday

Dearest little love: I got a nice letter from you today, mailed in Iowa, and I am glad that you are going along safely. I love you, little girl of Paddy's. With the four hour difference in time you must now be around Barstow; soon you will come into San Bernadino and then East Los Angles, where James and Charles will meet you. Kiss the little children for me. You should have on or two of my letters waiting for you.

I slept until 9 this morning, and then bathed and shaved and went to the Lab. My wrist has been hurting more than before, so I asked Papish to give me the name of a doctor. Instead he called the doctor on the phone, who said (without looking) for me to get it baked out at the hospital with a short-wave apparatus and bandaged. This was done. I was going to take Lynn's ford to go, but Papish took me down against my will, and then I had to walk back up the hill! I stopped at a joint for coffee and hotcakes, worked on the MS from 11 ³⁰ to 3 ⁰⁰ , dictated some letters, had tea & seminar (with Johnson from Ohio State as speaker), went to dinner at W.Str. as guest of Papish (really of the dep't [sic]) with Johnston & Briggs, returned to lab., & worked. I have written about 20 pages of MS and a review of Bragg's book today and refereed two papers for Lamb.

I am carrying my arm in a sling - it hurts when I use it, and I find myself using it if it is free. I think it will be well soon, though. If it isn't I'll go to a doctor - not Papish'es.

Today Papish asked if I thought it would be all right to ask a lecturer for a second time. I said no. He said most of the Europeans had wanted to come back, but that he thought that if a few lecturers were really successful he should be invited again. Then he asked if I would come again for a whole year - a few years from now. I said no, but that I might be able to come again for a shorter time.

I haven't eaten a meal at the House today. Now I am going home to bed.

Your Paddy, signing off

at 11 ⁴⁹ PM, E.S.T., with uzzes & loves.

[on dark cream stationary]

Thursday 7.10. P.M.

Nov 11 '37 [LP's handwriting]

Dearest Paddy,

Mrs. Gates called asking me to dinner next Thursday with the Dickemauns and Bates's saying that she didn't want the Collins to be the only ones to know the Chemistry people!! At the town club.

Dr McMillan called this afternoon with Mrs.Mc. He gave me a check. He said he thought I intended to stay longer with you and that he could have got someone to take Mrs. D's place. Lola also said it was too bad I didn't stay at least until the 1^st of December. Crellie and James met me also young Linus who is certainly grown up. But Peter is the most amazing. He is extraordinary. You should see him ride the bicycle. His teacher called one day and asked for someone to come to school and when Mrs Dey went she said Peter mustn'nt [sic] be helped with his reading for he was getting so far ahead of the others it was hard to keep him busy. And we worried about his reading! There was a quantity of mail here but not [back of page] much of importance. Ms Dey was gone when I arrived and she hasn't sent word.

Howard called and also Dr. Buchman. I am very busy tonight. The little baby isn't little but a giant. He is taller I'm positive than the Hoard baby. I'll measure weigh him tomorrow. He weighs nearly 17 pounds - 16 # 14 oz. last Sunday -

I was awfully happy to have your letter here and to receive one today from you. You are a darling and I adore you. You mustn't work too hard. I think I'll go to bed although it's early but I didn't get much sleep last night. Peter slept with me, tonight is Linda's turn and tomorrow Linus

Good night sweet darling,

Your girl,

Ava Helen

[Letter:]

Thursday, 11PM.

Dearest love: Today a nice letter mailed in Cheyenne came from you to make me happy. I know that you are glad now to be home with the little children. We had a fine time together here - I remember our dance and our ride on Sunday. I love you. I have a nice bed - nice and flat. I slept till 8 ⁴⁵ this morning, but managed to get my breakfast at 9. Then I wrote on my MS, a section ahead, dealing with today's lecture, which I gave, eating then at the Telluride House, and returning to work some more. My wrist is better, I think. I tried to get an appointment this afternoon with a doctor Lauby recommended, but he didn't answer his phone, and since then I've decided that the wrist is getting better. I wrote about 15 pages today - tonight I have written non, having gone to the ACS meeting & then to Johnston's lecture, and since then prepared my talk for tomorrow night. You can see that my life here is simple. I am wearing my old blue suit, but shall put on the new one (back from the cleaners) tomorrow. I am sorry to miss a day and a half from my work. Next

[Page 2]

Thursday I go to Geneva.

It is a shame that you and your Paddy who loves you should be separated. We must try not to let it happen again. Perhaps you will like Paddy more when he returns to you. I like our picture by the front door. You are beautiful, the sweetest girl in the world. To think that I hit you across the nose by the little brook!

I told Papish about the Tompkins County Medica Ass ⁿ & he is going to get in touch with them. He wants me to speak before them in order to impress the President.

I love you, my darling Ava Helen. Be happy. Give my love to the children.

Your own

Linus

[on dark cream stationary]

Friday 9:30 P.M.

Nov 12 '37 [LP's handwriting]

Darling Linus;

This morning I called and had the trunk sent out. I have it all unpacked and it made me very, very lonesome for you. I love you so much. I just wept to see your shirts, etc.

Mr. Castleman called and will take me on Monday to see some property towards Sierra Madre for $20,000. What will you bet its our old Spencer property? Mr. Castleman seemed pleased to be in touch with us again. Mrs. Droy [?] called on the telephone and was very nervous and giggly. I felt sorry for her. I mentioned that she had told Dr. McMiller that she would be employed by the Institute, but she said she hadn't said that but only that Mr. Nash had been anxious for her to be free so that she could accept a position there if it were offered. That sounds important, doesn't it? I said she would probably want to be free to accept this position and if she could come around and get her check but to telephone first. I wasn't in the least excited of course and talked in a matter of fact way. I think it better no to continue. She also said her house was now in such a mess she'd have to stay at home for a few weeks. [back of page] I've been alone today with the children. They went to school of course. We had a good time. We impeached the presidents. Also I talked with the accordion people, Linus teacher, etc. that is something of a mess which I must settle now. The old story of how what smart Linus is and how lazy. It seems his class lesson conflicted with the scout meeting!

Peter sang with me this evening. I hope I don't forget the things they have said to tell you. Peter has changed the most I believe. Although they are all more grown up. There was great excitement when I proved that I could get Peter's shoes on - easily too except that my leg and ankle aren't the size of Peter's but never the less the shoe could be laced. Peter was overjoyed. Also that my girl scout shoes are like Linda's and Liny's [?]. Pete doesn't like his high shoes but insists on wearing those awful sandals. Good night my darling boy, don't work too hard. I still had $14⁰⁰ when I arrived home and I bought presents, too. My food cost only two + dollars. Ava Helen

[enclosure is a cutout of an article entitled "U.S. Dancer Wed To Baron"]

Don't you think that its time that I came rushing to you? [written on article, LP's handwriting]

[letter written on letterhead from The Van Curler]

Friday, 10 ³⁵ PM.

Dear little love: Today I haven't been able to read a nice letter from you, which is, I expect, waiting for me in Ithaca. I'll be glad to learn that you got home safely and that all of our sweet little children are all right. Please do not work too hard, little love of Paddy's.

It has been clear but cold in Ithaca. This morning I rose at 7, had breakfast, and left at 8 ¹⁰ with Hamp & Spring, riding with Hamp in the front seat. The ride over the Catskills was wonderful - beautiful views of the valleys. There was ice along the creeks. On reaching here ^ at 12 ²⁰ we had lunch with Dr Bacon in Union College, went to the GE Labs, where I talked with Hull, Dushman, Bill Shocley (who is visiting here for a day), and then heard at 4 a seminar talk by Seitz. Then at 5 I came to the hotel, thought about my lecture, and at 6 ³⁰ we had dinner with about 40 ACS members at Union College. At 8 we went to the " " Chem. Lab., and I gave my lecture from 8 ¹⁵ to 9 ¹⁵ , with about 120 auditors. There was discussion until 9 ³⁰ , when I said we should stop, and I was asked questions privately until 10 ³⁰ . The audience seemed to enjoy the lecture. You see that my day, while busy, has not been exciting - you are the exciting influence in my life. I wish that you had been with me - especially that you were here now! I didn't sleep well last night, and shall now go to bed early, with plans to meet H. & S. for breakfast at 9, and to drive back then. I adore you, little sweetheart.

Your own loving

Linus.

[on dark cream stationary]

Saturday 9.30 P.M

Nov. 13 '37 [LP's handwriting]

Dearest Paddy;

I am very concerned about your wrist. I wish I'd stayed with you. Did you go to Schenctady [?] yesterday?

Dr. Buchman called this evening and brought a copy of Fortune with pictures of his sister's house at Mt. Kisco. You remember we've seen it before. In "Fortune" I mean.

Peter went to Martha's today. Linda and I had an awfully good time together. Linus has been good, too. The little Crellie is certainly a love. Lola is crazy about the baby. She just worships him. He is adorable.

The sweet Paddy said in today's letter (written Wednesday) that I was four hours behind but I'm really only three. It is six o'clock at Ithaca. At Chicago I change to seven o'clock - at North Platte eight o'clock and at Caliente nine o'clock. Little Peter can always tell me what time it is there with you by when I say the time here. He is a very, very smart little boy. I think he is our genius all right.

Oh, that was fine that Papish asked you to return. Of course we can stay a whole year, but perhaps we wouldn't want to stay there that long.

Buchman said every thing was getting along fine at the laboratory. He talked a little about Hagensmit and I tried to get news from him about [arrow pointing towards Hagensmit] but without great success.

I see in the old Star-news that Wm B. Munro Jr. is on the reportorial staff of the S.N.; that Mrs. Koepfli is a provisional Junior Leaguer, that the E.T. Bells entertained the Alduus Huxley's at the Athenaeum inviting the Hubble's, Tolmans, etc. that's all they invited I guess.

I do hope your arm is well. I wish you wouldn't work so hard. Tell Papish that if he'll let you come home on the 9^th of Dec., you'll come back for a full year.

Good night sweetest of loves in all the world.

Ava Helen

Saturday, 4 ⁵⁵ PM.

Dearest Ava Helen: I was happy to receive two letters from you, one from Ogden and one from home. I wish that you were still here with me, but I am glad to know that our sweet little children have their darling mother with them.

Did you see that Davisson (as well as GP Thompson) received the Nobel Prize? I am gald that he did.

This morning I got up at 830, had breakfast with the two Oxfordians at 9, started on at 10, reached here at 2 ¹⁵ , read your letters awaiting me at the Lab, and then lunched on a can of our sardines, some crackers, and the little loaf of marzipan. Then I worked a little on Chap. II, until now. I am waiting for Jack to make some calculations for me, and writing to you in the meantime.

The Telluride boys seem to like having me with them, but they haven't really seen much of me, since I've been working steadily and away part of the time.

______________________________

After dinner tonight I talked with Pace about where he will go to study. Then I came to the Lab and worked very effectively until now, writing 30 pages since eight o'clock (it is of course rather late by this time). Hoard came up at 12; he has been taking x-ray pictures and has now gone home. No one else has been here -Jack didn't return after dinner. I am on page 101 of Chapter II, and shall soon be through the chapter - by tomorrow I'm sure. I'm not very sleepy but I shall go home to bed mow. I love my sweet little girl, the darlingest little wife in the world. Uzzes and loves to you, Paddy's sweetheart.

Your own

Linus

[on dark cream stationary]

Sunday Nov. 14 8 P.M.

'37 [LP's handwriting]

Dearest Linus:

I have a little cold. Little Crellie had a slight one when I returned and perhaps it came from him. It isn't very serious. The foreskin had again adhered to Crellie's penis so I pulled it back gently and it has begun to tear loose. I'm sure it will be all right. Mrs. Devy [?] was to embarrassed to touch his little peanie I guess. I showed her carefully just how to do it. That is a difficulty with badly trained people. Crellin weighed 17#2 oz today and is 27 inches long. Please don't think I didn't measure accurately either because I can get him to 29 inches pretty easily. However from heel to head crown is, I should say, 27 inches. Some wee mite! For a five month old baby. I wish you could hear Peter read. In fact the children are all very interesting and intelligent. Their observations are remarkable.

Linus pronounced "competitor" corm' pe tit' or last night when Buchman was here and we both laughed heartily. It sounded so funny. Liny used it correctly too. Only the t-i-t was a little too pronounced (made one think of Sylvia!)

How are you my darling? How is your arm? I do hope you are all right. I've been away from you one week now. Everyone seems surprised that I came home. Mrs. Bell said she didn't really expect me before Christmas. Lola has asked if I'm going back with you and I've said "no". She said she wants to take care of the baby!

Howard Lucas has just gone. He called and has stayed an hour or so. He is a sweet thing and only a little naive. He is eager to have people get along well together.

How is everything with you? You are a sweet Paddy and I love you. The Millikans had a tea this afternoon but not our place in the alphabet.

You certainly will be surprised when you see the children. My best to the Baker Lecturer's Private Laboratory and my entire love and self to the Baker Lecturer! Ava Helen Pauling

Department of Chemistry, Ithaca N.Y.

Sunday, 12 midnight.

Dearest sweet little wife of Paddy's:

I love you, my own little darling. I'm sorry today is Sunday since no letter could come from you. I've thought about you a great deal. You are my love.

I haven't told you about my wrist - I hope you haven't worried. It is much better - it still hurts, but only once in a while, and I can use my hand if I am careful.

I got up at noon today, read Time until 1, when we had Sunday dinner - chicken + dressing, ice cream. Then I came to the Lab and worked. At 4 ³⁰ Jack and I went to the Telluride House, where a tea was being held for Professor Dent. It lasted till 6; then we had sandwiches and I came back here to work. At 6 ³⁸ exactly (by my watch) I though of my little love leaving, and wished that we

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were together. I have written about 20 big pages today, and almost finished Chapter II. I'll be glad to start on a new one.

I am glad that it won't be many weeks before I come home to you, sweetheart of mine. I'm glad that you are my wife - when I'm alone I see how much happiness you bring into my life, and that I couldn't be happy alone. It seems to me that there is nothing to do that is fun without you - I haven't gone to a movie or seen the Hoards (except Lynn in the lab) or done anything except work. I need you with me, my darling. Kiss our babies for me.

Your own,

Paddy

[on dark cream stationary]

Monday Nov. 15 9.05 P.M.

'37 [LP's handwriting]

Sweetest Paddy in the world;

Today Mr. Castleman came and took Peter, Linda, and me to see a couple of houses. He meant to take us to the Hart property but Peter inadvertently declared the fact that we'd been there! He did show us one house though that a bank owns that is a certainly well built and spacious house. It is on Foothill not far from Christmas Tree Lane. I had a good talk with him. He is I think a better real estate man than most. He sold the Laekhart (Kimmelan) property to the Plentridge school for girls and said we could probably buy an acre or so there, but that they'd probably want $500'0 per acre. All of which makes the Spencer place not so unreasonable.

How are you, dear Linus. We ( [?] ) had a good dinner tonight, good meat, baked potatoes, and gravy and Lola made gingerbread with hard sauce for dessert.

Two letters came today. I'm glad you had such a good time at Schenectady. Id you see Coolidge, or Langmuir [?]?

I called Mrs. Bates today and asked if I might go them them [sic] on Thursday to the Gates dinner. She seemed pleased rather

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than otherwise.

Do you know my cold didn't develop? I have only a slight sniffle and I was sure last night I'd have a severe cold today!! The children are well. The little Crellie's peanie is still rather raw since I pull the skin loose a little further each day. He is a sweet little baby - really should be someone's first baby except that you couldn't do so well a first time.

I enjoyed the little clipping. I hope you will soon come home.

There hasn't been any rain yet here. Mr. Crane [?] called at the house here apparently. (That's how he knew about the baby.) Mrs Crane was with him Lola said.

You are a darling boy and I adore you. And as for loving you more - I love you too much already. The book must be progressing at a furious rate if you are now ahead of yourself. I see plainly why you wanted me to come home. Everyone was surprised here too. Did I tell you that I called the Crellins? They seemed glad to know that I was home. Mr. Crellin isn't very well apparently. He said he had a cold. Well, I must go to bed now but I have some duties first. Love, Ava Helen Pauling

Monday at 12 ⁴⁵ .

Dearest little wife of Paddy's:

Today I was happy to get three letters from you, two written on the train and one from home. Did you get enough to eat on the train with the two dollars you spent? I liked the clipping from Dorothy Dix. ...

I'll be interested to hear what place Mr. Castleman's taking you to see. You mustn't hire Mrs Dery anymore, but you must get some other girl so that you will have more time to do the things you want to do.

Isn't it extraordinary that you can wear Peter's shoes? I can hardly believe it. You have sweet little feet - I love you with ever bit of me, and can stand being away from you only by hard at work. I can't even read, but writing on the book keeps me from being lonesome for you. Today I finished Chapter II completely, and now I have just planned Chapter III.

It seems to me that you probably shouldn't get the accordion for Linus; but I know that what you decide will be best.

I got up this morning at 10, having slept pretty well but having had some dreams about affairs at the Institute and such. I got my laundry ready, came to the Lab. and read your letters, and then worked refereeing papers for Lamb until lunch (at 12 ⁵⁰ ) and also in the afternoon. After lunch I walked to town and bought some air mail envelopes for your letters and got some money from the bank; I met Neurath & the Fellows and rode back with them. (I have spent nothing since you left except on the Schenectady trip, for which I haven't yet been reimbursed.) After working on more refereeing and having tea I looked at the magnetic apparatus, which was giving trouble, and found that Shaffer was using an iron wire (or rather nichrome - also magnetic) to hold the sample! After dinner we had our Telluride meeting till 745, & then I talked to Hoard in the Lab. until 9, and worked until now. I am glad that the days are passing, and soon my sweet little wife will have with her her own

Paddy

Nov. 16, 1937 8:35 P.M.

Dearest Linus:

This morning no letter come and I was some what downcast but cheered by the afternoon mail which contained your letter written Saturday (or rather Sunday morning.) I hope you won't work too hard. We are well.

Today, I sent the accordion back. Would you like a flute really. I can get one and not lose this money. I felt very miserable about this and pretty discouraged about Linus, but Mrs. Hicks talked to me tonight and said Linus was second in the achievement tests. Bruce had called to ask when you would be here.

I notice in the new Staff Directory that Albert Lombard is a graduate student in Aeronautical and Civil Engineering. Peter, Linda + I went for a walk-and visited the Bennetts. They were happy to have news of you. We saw Morgan (T.H.) Who asked why I let you do such things. We walked through the new

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building. It is all plastered and looks very nice. All of the buildings are coming along well. Moran pointed out the crabs, sea horses, squid, octopi, etc on his building. He said they had outdone [?] themselves. I said it looked like a nursery to me. I think he was a little startled by that. Mrs. Crellin called this morning to inquire about us. Will go over on Friday if all goes well.

You will be amazed at Peter. He brings his books home and today he brought his arithmetic and did page after page.

The whole book is too easy for him. It is astonishing what a good mind he has. One of the problems was to count by twos the heads on a chair. So Peter took his pencil and made a mark so -and said "so that I can tell where I began". He is Captain Standish in the Thanksgiving play. Mrs. Hicks said that whole school was agog

[Drawing of a circle with little circles around it with the word end roon [?]]

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over Linda. That she is the dearest thing that ever walked in the patio, Linus is awfully Lazy and what shall we do? He is content to just get by. The baby is perfect. You never have seen such a good baby. He literally never cries. and that is the truth. He sleeps. Lays, gurgles, sing, kicks, squeals, and is perfect in general. You'll see when you come. The others are still very much in love with him. I think you'll be mostly astonished by Peter although Linda is also grown up-and Liny too. I must get my work done now. You see you are much smarter and do every thing first. I must do that as well. However, I can work better when I've gotten you off my mind. Well, this letter should do for several days.

Hugs, and kisses, and loves, and uzzes, and tongue touches.

Your girl

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1245 Arden Road,

Pasadena, California

Nov. 16, 1937

Dear Daddy,

Mommy tells me it is very nice around Cornell. I surely wish I had gone. How are your lectures coming?

My school work is getting along quite well. I am a little back in mathematics now, though, concerning my algebra I go over coryell every once and a while. Just as soon as I get a few papers written I will send them to you.

Those stamps you sent me are perfectly wonderful. I am thinking now of buying a new stamp book.

Mommy, Peter, Linda, Crellin, Tyl, and I hope you will come home soon.

Your boy,

Linus

VIII Nov. 16, 1937

Dear Dr. Pauling:

This idea of writing a weekly letter may make the letters . discuss work weakly [sic]. Taylor says that I spend so much time writing you that I do not have time to get any work done. You have not fired me yet, but that may be because that you are too busy.

The apparatus that I got with Webb Tuesday at Corona is in pretty good shape for developing the dialyzing apparatus, requiring only a motor with a good reduction gear and the glass parts, but Webb has not yet set it up completely. I was going to give him the motor from my rotor-stirrer but I have used it a good deal this week, and may want to go on with it. Webb has gone today for more blood although he has a stock of two liters from our last visits that is not used. Ithink [sic] that I told you a little last week about our plans to get the isoelectric point (rather important to determine) and simultaneously get some data on the effect of salts on the pH and solubility of globulins. I think that we have worked out a pretty good method that will not be too difficult to put into practice. We will take a suspension of dialyzed (isoelectric [handwritten annotation: "net charge zero"] and isoionic [handwritten annotation: "equal amounts H⁺·OH^- bound"]) hemocyanin, and titrate with various salts like NaCl and NaNCS and determine simultaneously pH and amount of protein that has gone into solution. With hemoglobin, NaCl affects the pH differently on opposite sides of the isoelectric point, decreasing it on the alkaline side, increasing it on the acid side (Cohn, paper in the JACS Mar. 1937). This is probably a normal [handwritten annotation: "salt"] effect, and although large, is in the direction of expected effects of ionic strength, or of appreciable absorption of both Na⁺ and Cl^-, not greatly different [handwritten annotation: "in amounts"]. With KNCS the pH increases on addition to HB⁺ solution on both sides of the isoelectric points, pointing to absorption of NCS^- far greater than of K⁺, the effect partially-offset by taking on of protons from the solution. Of course with hemocyanin there is the added effect (sofar as I know as yet unexplained) of salt in bringing the protein [edit: "globulin"] into solution, but a treatment of the type you gave to Carpenter's experiments on gelatin may be significant. The order of ions in the lyotropic series in bringing globulins (or any colloid) into solution is the same order that prevails in salting out, which indicates strongly that the effects are due mainly to the same forces.

Taylor has been working very hard the last few weeks, and has three complete determinations of the absolute moment of hemoglobin (whole blood) worked out, involving the ordinary (but very precise) magnetic measurements as well as both oxygen and carbon monoxide capacities. I got blood for him twice last week and will have to go twice this week. I determined some time- ago that there is absolutely no change of Δw of Hb on laking corpuscles with saponin, but you may recall in our work that the moments of ether-laked Hb solutions C and D may have been lower than moments of whole bloods A and B. Taylor and I are laking with toluene, and find it satisfactory on 24-48 hours standing in the refrigerator. The method used by Mirsky based on work of Henderson (1921) (vol. missing from biol. libr.) involved diluting the washed corpuscles with an equal volume of water (which in itself brings about considerable laking) and then allowing to stand with toluene overnight. Taylor could find no intact cells and very few 'ghosts' microscopically in [edit: "a solution from"] some corpuscles [handwritten annotation: "without water"] that I had shaken with toluene, allowed to stand 48 hours, and then centrifuged. This improvement allows us to obtain the more concentrated solutions, and is free from objections inherent in peroxides or peroxide-formation in the presence of ether. Of course we shall check the ether-laking but for future work probably use the toluene.

Taylor is interested in getting the best value of the absolute moment of Hb, and finds considerable difference (up to 5%) between concentrations calculated on the basis of carbon monoxide capacity and oxygen capacity. (This would be predicted from the work of Barkan.) The moment calculated from magnetic weighings and the former capacity is accidentally very close to the value that we used (within several hundredths of a Bohr magneton) so we will not have to make a serious correction in published moments, since they should be referred to this standard rather than to one based on oxygen. We shall have to think hard, when all of the data are ready, to explain the probable source of some of the apparent differences.

Taylor is, by the way, waiting to hear from you about what to start next, as he is near the end of this work.

I conceived the idea of fortifying Dodson's work on the magnetic titrations of HbO₂ with Na₂S₂O₄ with similar work based on the following reaction:

2 Hb + 2 NO^- ₂ + S₂O⁼ ₄ = 2 HbNO + 2 SO⁼ ₃, adding standard nitrite to Hb in the presence of excess S₂O⁼4. In two carefully made titrations I ran out of reducing agent before I reached the end-point, but the curves had a very nice linear early portion. After adding an excess of nitrite I could get the final Δw by adding another portion of hyposulfite (I prefer this name now to hydrosulfite). The only difficulty is that, with identical initial volumes of Hb⁺ reduced, etc., the slopes if the linear portions differed appreciably. The slope for the second titration was less, which may indicate that the nitrite-had decomposed somewhat, although that does not seem too likely to me. The chief objections have to our earlier work with Dodson are that the hyposulfite decomposed during the course of the reaction, which would lead one to expect a curvature of the opposite nature to the one expected, and that transformation of oxyhemoglobin to ferrihemoglobin occured spontaneously to a large enough extent to cast doubts on the validity of the work. Palmer's uncle-in-law, Baumberger at Stanford, told me once of the great success he had once reducing oxyhemoglobin at a constant rate with bacteria (yeast, I believe works too). If I could get a culture that would eat fast enough that the reaction was over before multiplication of the beasts became serious, this would be a good possibility. I believe that in the presence of organisms ferrihemoglobin would be reduced as fast as it formed. I shall write him for advice. We sent him a slug of sodium azide recently for his work, and I have met him several times.

I have a paper half written (and typed that far by GraceMary) which I want to submit to you for approval on the acid-base functions of the heme of hemoglobin and myoglobin. As long as I had all this material worked up for seminars, I thought that it would be advisable to see how it would look written up, but I do not intend to waste a great deal of time on the matter because there is no experimental work of mine in it. It consists merely of a thorough correlation of all of the work I can lay hands on, interpreted from a structural viewpoint. There has been a lot of uncorrelated work done in this field, and a fair amount of wrong mathematical treatment, but of course, a fair amount of correct handling of isolated parts of the problem have appeared. I shall leave the matter up to you.

I gave up my projected trip to Davis and Deep Springs because my passengers backed out. I found that they were having only the morning session at Davis and thought that the place was too far away for a trip for so short a meeting.

Mrs. Pauling said that you are staying at the Telluride House. I hope that you don't get tellurium poisoning there. From what she says both lecture and book are progressing wonderfully, for which I am very glad. However, do not forget to take a little time off from work for relaxation once in a while.

[handwritten annotation: "Yours, Charles Coryell"]

[written on back of envelope:] PS I corrected proof on my eyamalurate paper too.

November 16, Tuesday, 1 ²⁰

Dearest love:

I received a nice letter from you today - not this morning ( I was disappointed) but this afternoon. I got up at 10 ⁴⁵ , came to the Lab, did a little preparation and gave my lecture, had lunch at Telluride. (Pace takes me down and back in his Ford on Tuesdays + Thursdays), returned here, wrote, had tea, wrote, had dinner at T.H., listened to the T. public speaking (four boys), returned here at 8 ¹⁵ , and wrote. Since two o'clock this afternoon I have written 39 pages on Chapter III! Isn't that wonderful? I think it is over 1/3 rd of the chapter- in one day! I have a bit of writer's cramp. My wrist (the left one) is now getting well fast - I use it freely, but it is still a wee bit sore. My Chapter III is on bond orbitals.

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You and Peter are rascals to catch the poor old Paddy in a mistake.

At Public Speaking at the T. House Christopher Morley [?] Jr. (you may remember him - a tall blond boy with horn glasses + a sort of baby face) gave an excellent + polished talk on "The Sermons of Bishop Latimer." At one point George arose + said he would like to hear from me as to whether discoveries are all accidental or not + I gave an extemporaneous talk (about 8 minutes, I guess) which was well received.

Now that it is after 1 ³⁰ I shall go home to bed. I get a great deal done here alone at night. I think about you and our Itzies all of the time, and want to be with you. I love you with all my hearts. Loves and kisses and uzzes from you own

Linus

Wed. Nov. 17, 1937

My sweet darling,

This morning I visited Peter and Linda at school. Peter is grown up all right. Miss Newton said she wanted to thank me for giving the world a boy like Peter- that he is a brilliant child and thrives wonderfully on organized work. She said it was all right for him to work ahead in his arithmetic book-to let him finish it if he wanted. This school is a fine one, especially in these low grades. I'll tell you in detail when you come. Writing is so cumbersome. I saw Linda's teacher too. Linda apparently has her own ideas and sits without paying attention ^ but just thinks doesn't disturb the others Mrs. Randall says [sic]. So that she is unable to repeat a story for example.

This afternoon you can't guess what we did Peter, Linda and I went with Mr. Castleman [?] all over the Kinneloa [?] Ranch. Oh it is wonderful! When you come we'll get him to take you. They'll sell acreage but want too much. $5000 per acre. Castleman took us home by way of the Wilcox point and we saw old Mr. Wilcox who is looking awfully feeble. I talked to him for awhile. Poor old fellow! He said he is completely broke and only expects to get $.35 on a $1.00 for his property. The Kinneloa people (Lack hart [sic]) are only asking a third of what they put in-they say. Well, you never never saw such California holly and Mr. Castleman picked a huge arm load for me.

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He gave me a big bunch of Chrysanthemums on Monday. This holly looks well on the piano.

After we three returned Coryell came and talked with me and said he is to be married in three weeks! Imagine! I said he must be sure-that he shouldn't let this become a habit. I looked at him carefully and I'm sure he is a grand person. He looked so fine and spoke so well. He had to go back to stand by LuValle who is talking at the seminar. He likes LuValle and says he is getting along well.

Paddy, you bring some of that New York champagne (great western) and lets not have a great crowd Christmas-but just a few people we really want. I thought I'd plan a little party for Coryell when he comes back since he has been so awfully good. Perhaps a little shower party with people he knows best. You will be here then.

I have a strange wound-but a painful one, at the base of my spine. I realized a day or so ago that I was feeling very tender and remembered the previous occasion but I continued to feel discomfort and so looked tonight and found a raw

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sore about like a quarter. I don't know when this happened or how. I hope I haven't picked up anything on the train. This is the coccyx area. I was careful in Chicago, etc.

I was happy to get your letter today. written Sunday [circled in AHP's handwriting, with an arrow inserting it after the word today] I've been at home a week today. The children are better off I think although they seem to have gotten along perfectly. The baby is in much better shape, though.

Coryell said he was going to write to the "Old Man" He said if you weren't well or worked too hard or weren't happy. I should go back with you. He doesn't know that you are glad to be rid of me.

I saw Miss Greenlaw, etc. They all rave about the children. Coryell too said they had been just perfect when he had them; that his mother couldn't believe three children could get along so well and behave so well. Coryell is a dear. I do hope this girl is worth something. She is Mrs. Longs cousin you remember. Good Lord! I'm certainly going along in great style

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tonight. Soon this letter writing will be my only occupation. Coryell thinks Crellie is perfect, too, and says he has never heard him cry. Crellie laughs and sings so beautifully. Lola just worships that baby, too, you should see her.

I'm glad your wrist is better. You must be careful. You are the dearest love in the world and I love you. Still I do remember that whack on the nose! I'm going to ask the Wilcox's to come down to Atheneum to dinner next week. I feel so sorry for those poor old people. He looks quite horrid too with his misshapen nose-really repulsive. poor [sic] old thing. He said he ought to be dead. He gave me a long story. This is positively the end and I think I won't write tomorrow. You'll be flirting with Mrs. C anyway and wishing she were your wife!!

Good luck at Geneva! Ava Helen Pauling [written on side of paper]

Wednesday, 1 ³⁰

My own dear love: I am sorry to learn that you have a cold. I hope you recover soon, and that our Crellie does too - both from his cold and his peanie. I trust that you are not suffering in this way too. Crellie is surely a wonderful baby. I'm glad that we have him, and all of our children. I love them and I love you. I'm glad that Peter is reading so well, and that Liny knows such big words as compe-tit-or.

I am happy when a letter comes from you. None came this morning and none was there this afternoon when I looked - although usually your letter comes in the afternoon. But I had looked too soon - after seminar when I looked again it was there!

I got up at 10 this morning, bathed, came to the Lab at 11, worked till 12, and then held from 12 to 1 a discussion group - yesterday I announced that those who wished could meet with me once a week for informal discussion and about forty came! Various ones asked questions, which I answered extemporaneously. At 1 I went to

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the T.H. for lunch; then back to work, preparing my seminar talk (the preparation consisting in writing the corresponding section of the book) and giving it from 4 ³⁰ to 5 ³⁰ - I gave the seminar myself this week. Then I went to dinner at W. Str. with the club of which Gibbs is President, and afterward listened to a long talk - and rather boring, though with an interesting point or two - on the sweet-potato starch industry. This lasted till 9 ⁴⁵ , when I came to the Lab and have worked till now - four hours - getting altogether about 20 pages written today. I think that the book is progressing well, and I have some new ideas.

At the club meeting (that is, while leaving) Papish asked if a permanent arrangement couldn't be made for me to come here to lecture every other year, say, or if at any rate the next visit couldn't be arranged now. He said something would be done about a larger salary. I didn't say much. He said that the whole family should come. I won't leave you again. I love you. Your Linus

Thursday, Nov. 18

[added later in LP's handwriting: 1937]

Sweet little Sugar Plum:

Well, I wish you could have listened to Mrs. Gates! She said we had to call the baby Gates - Crellin. She is a sweet one thing. She had a grand dinner at the Town Club. You remember we were there with the Millikans and Phoebe; and another time when the Weyls were here. Poor Mrs. Dickinson! I think she didn't like it any too well to see poor little me at the foot of the table - Mrs. Gates being at the head!

Roscoe asked about you. Dr. Bates asked to be remembered to you. He said he missed you. They took me and were sweet. Madeline is a good fat husky energetic haus frau. She is vital and intelligent in a not very penetrating way. She giggles and says "Uh- huh" in a girlish way which is really a sign of the menopause. A Dr. + Mrs. Hudnut [sp ?] were there elderly people who have been married only five weeks.

[page 2 starts on the back of the sheet]

He is a retired minister. He asked what your lectures were about and I told him. - then later Mrs. Bates said she had had only one course in chemistry and so I said I'd begun my chemical training with my present husband. (past and future one too) Then he said "so!" And I said "now you know what that Chemical Bond is I mentioned a moment ago." Well, it was cleverer than this sounds written out because I haven't written all of the steps.

We all had a pleasant time. I wish you were here. We are all very well and happy. Mrs. Gates would love you. Wills [?] lake [?] Morse is her son-in-law you remember. I hope you come home soon. I was happy to get your letter with my coffee but since I don't like my coffee sweetened I'll have to postpone my mail getting. My Male getting, too. You and your dreams about "affairs at the Institute." Pooh for you! Pooh - Pooh- Pooh. Or Foo - Foo - Foo if you like that better.

Love,

Ava Helen

Thursday night

Dearest love: Today I haven't a letter from you. I left before the mail came. I got up at 9 ³⁰ , was at the Lab at 10, prepared and delivered my lecture, had lunch at Telluride, went to the Lab. to make some changes in Chap. II & gave it to Mrs bean to type, and then started for Geneva in the Com. Fellows car. It was a beautiful ride - cold (below freezing - a few flakes of snow fell this morning and an inch this evening) but very clear. I drove fast, not having my little love with me for company. I talked with Carpenter about his work, had dinner with 12 men, gave my talk to 40, returned to C's house with 3 guests (men) where Mrs C gave us whiskey and soda (I drank Bourbon). When the men left we had Venezuelan coffee & cookies and now, just after midnight, I'm going to bed. I love you, and am anxious to be home with you

Your own

Paddy

Friday 11.30- 19^th

[added later in LP's handwriting: Nov. 1937 ]

Dear sweet Paddy:

This afternoon I took my brood and called on the Crellins. They were pleased and couldn't say enough about how nice, clean, etc. they children were. The children were just perfect too and we had a nice time. They served grape juice and cookies which the Itzies [?] enjoyed. Margaret Laing asked me to go to dinner (Athenium) and to the play tonight but Lola is out having remained in yesterday and I didn't have the energy to find someone else and I thought of leaving the children with Linus but decided against that.

Chester and Margaret came this evening. We had a lot of fun. I went at 10.30 to the Athletic Club and had a whiskey sour! They send you their love and want me to tell you that they have certainly missed the crepe suzettes. Chester said as much as he loved me he loved the Suzettes more. Mr. Crellin said to tell you how he missed you and how proud he is of you. Mrs. Crellin, too, said she missed you.

My, my, you are a wonder to get so much done in a day. You are working too hard though and

[page 2 starts on the back of the sheet]

you mustn't. Why do you go back up at night? I realize that you have a good opportunity then for uninterrupted labor but it isn't good for you to sit such long hours.

It is good that you will have a good rest at Christmas time. You must take the fast train since the slow one which stops at every station would be too nerve racking I'm afraid.

Sigrid Ward came over this morning. We had a good talk. She doesn't look young any more and has quite a bad complexion. I wonder why. Perhaps she doesn't eat properly. She asked me to Sunday breakfast, but I refused since I didn't want to leave the children on Sunday. Our Thanksgiving plans are still unmade. Coryell's getting married rather spoils things.

Good-night sweet darling. I love you very, very much.

Your girl, Ava Helen

Friday, 11 PM.

Dearest sweet little wife:

Today it has been snowing! The weather had been good, with only a bit of rain, until recently - it has been cold, however, down near freezing for some time. I mentioned in last night's letter that it had begun to snow, and this morning the inch of snow was still on the ground. I slept well - the Carpenters' bed was good, as is indeed the Telluride bed. I got up at 8, had breakfast with the C's (Roman meal with dates in it, scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, and coffee) and started for Ithaca at 9. It was clear, and the landscape, part green and part white, was beautiful. Along near Ovid I ran through a light snowstorm for some miles. Back in Ithaca I put my bag in my room and came to the Lab, getting yesterday's letter from you, which I liked - none came this afternoon, the first afternoon missed for a week, but There'll be one tomorrow morning, and then I must wait over Sunday. Dwight told me that Stock asked at W. Straight, where he was staying, for mail on Sunday, and when told that none was delivered said "But I am the Herr Professor". After that he was given mail on Sunday - part of Saturday's held over.

I have written a bit - perhaps 15 pages - today. I have a callous on my little finger (where it rubs the paper) from having written so much.

The big envelope you sent had been opened & was stamped "contains first class material - 6¢ due".) I forgot to tell you that before.

At noon I went to lunch with Dean Ogden, who asked about the Dep't and about possible men. I said Mack was better than Johnston, but neither first-class. Then I returned to the Lab and wrote some more, talked with a student or two, had tea, wrote, went to Telluride for dinner, walked back (the paths are free from snow; so far I have got only a thin layer on coat and hat) and wrote a bit more, with Jack looking up some references for me in the library. I feel rather tired and am going to be earlier than usual tonight, although I'm afraid I won't go to sleep. I have trouble in getting to sleep without my little love with me. I hope you always stay with me after this. I don't want to come back here again. I am to get up early in the morning to get Landsteiner from the train - the one we came on. I got the key to the English car, which I planned to pick up in the morning in front of their house, and then they let it be locked in the court! I'll use Pace's little car instead.

I'm glad you like seeing real estate with Mr Castleman, and that you had a good dinner, and that Mrs Bates was pleased that you are to go with her (or did you go yesterday), and that your cold didn't develop.

I wish I were back with you. I'm going to stay in Pasadena after this. It hasn't been any fun here, except when you were here at first, and you and I could have more fun somewhere else. We live a fine life with our dear little children in Pasadena, and I think that we should enjoy it. Everyone here who has been West wishes that he could return.

I am putting some new ideas in the book, which I hope are correct. There is still much to be written, but I am pretty well satisfied with my progress. Chapter II is being typed, III is about half written, and some other sections are written. I'll rest from writing when I get back with you - and try something that one doesn't tire of.

I love you, my own dear Ava Helen, with every bit of me. Life doesn't mean anything while you are away - I live in a sort of daze, with nothing worth while. The only thing I can stand to do is to work. I think that you should stay with your own

Paddy.

Saturday 11.P.M.

Nov 20, [in LP's handwriting] 19387

My own sweet husband;

There! How is that? I was happy to get your Wednesday letter today and to learn that the Cornellians like you so well. I believe that it would be very good for your in years to come to get away systematically from Pasadena. Perhaps not to Cornell though. Never the less they seem eager and certainly are appreciative of your talents.

This morning Lola was ill so I have done the work today. Coryell came in this afternoon; took the children for a ride and I asked him to stay to supper, stuffed hearts with dressing, cauliflower, pickles, jellies, etc. Apricots (my canned ones) and cakes. He enjoyed it I think. Then Shomaker, Eyster and Levi came over- I supposed to play records- but they just talked to me and we all had a good time.

Shomaker must go to Deep Springs Thursday or Friday and we've made the plan to take out car and all of us go. Eyster the three Itzies [?] and me. Would you

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have any objections? I am going to wire Kimpton [?] to see if it is all right. Of course we'll camp and not bother the deep springs people but just tkae Shoemaker there and then settle ourselves some where. Don't you think that will be fun? The children want to go camping badly. I hope you will think it is all right because I won't have time to get an answer from you. The car hasn't been driven and the battery needs recharging- it wouldn't start for Lola. I guess I'll get Fortner and Loud to come and get it. These boys are so responsible I think it will be all right to go with them, don't you?

They told me many amusing things especially about Epstein also a trick they were going to play on Palmer, when Beech was running palmer slides he was going to run in a nice purple French postcard with the proper things on it or rather improper things and then some women came to the seminar and they couldn't. They said you always have trouble with this women. You see how things will out!! We are all well. Good night sweet darling, I love you.

Ava Helen

[written on back of envelope in LP's handwriting:] Shomaker [?] is

We will bring Shomaker

Friday after-noon. Dont worry

about us

Mrs Ava Helen Pauling

Saturday night at 12

Dear little love:

I got up at 7 ²⁰ this morning, dressed, & got in Paul's old Ford, which wouldn't start. I got the paperman to push it (with his car) over to the hill, & coasted to the service station - it was out of gas! I got to the station at 8, got Dr Landsteiner, and took him to Telluride, where we broke our fast, I on orange, hot cereal, toast, coffee, & two scrambled eggs (really a little omelet). Then Dr L. & I talked, in the living room, about his work until 11 ³⁰ , when we walked tot eh Lab. to get your letters and say hello, returning soon for lunch. After lunch we talked till 3. Then I came to the Lab alone & worked on the MS til 5 ³⁰ . After dinner we talked till 9 ³⁰ , walked to the corner to get cigarettes for him, and back; when he then retired I came to the Lab & have worked for two hours. Today I have thus written only a little - about 10 pages. Tomorrow afternoon at 1 ⁰⁷ Dr L will leave. I think that he feels he has got some good ideas. A letter came from Coryell today. He had written me before that he would be married soon. I hadn't answered it, I'm afraid, because I forgot about it.

Two letters came from you today. I was glad. I'm surely anxious to see our little darlings again (not to mention you - I'm planning a hot time for you when I get hold of you!); they must be getting along fine. Peter seems to be awfully smart.

I don't know whether I could learn to play a flute or not. I'd like it if it meant being with you (at the piano) more. You surely wrote two fine letters to me. I'm glad to have them to tide me over tomorrow.

I think that you've gone riding with Mr Castleman enough now.

I'm sorry that you have a sore coccyx. Be sure to see the doctor if it continues to be sore.

I'll be glad to see little Crellie again, but most of all I want to see my little girl ...

Your own loving

Linus

[plain cream with gray fibre paper]

Sunday Nov 21. 5.10 P.M.

[in LP's handwriting] 1937

Sweet Paddy:

I'm wondering what you did today. We missed you sadly at waffle time and I'm not any good at all at cooking waffles. Two stuck miserably this morning. It has been a warm sunny day. There has still been no rain here. Imagine that- no rain since last June- the first-.

I'm beginning to worry for fear you won't like us to go to Deep Springs, but you would probably remember to telegraph a night message Wednesday if your objections are violent. I think it would be all right. If only it isn't too cold. We'll take food of course. Lola's Bob will recharge our battery.

Yesterday morning Lena Weinbaum came. She is going to school. She said Sidney was working harder, too. Margaret and Chester brought me a little box, candy. Everyone wants you to return. [Coryell] is lonesome for you I think.

Little Crellie weighed 17 ½ pounds today. He is beautiful little fellow. I don't know what to do about Linus. The New York Philharmonic was fine today- an

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all Russian program.

The boys said that the X-Ray lab was just humming with industry and that they like Buckman very much. Maybe he would like to go with us- still that is too many. Eyster is an amusing fellow. He shouldn't have that moustache I've decided.

10.15 P.M.

My darling sweetheart:

Shomaker called this evening and asked if I would like to go with all of them to Dabney to listen to some records. So, Shomaker, Eyster, Wilson, Levy called for me and we all went and heard the marvelous "Eroica" symphony besides some Glück and Mendelssohn. They brought me home and then I said it was time for them to go to work so didn't ask them in. I wanted to send my night letter to Kimpton and also wanted to write to you. These boys are sweet. Isn't it amusing that Shomaker is the spokesman although Eyster does most of the talking and is more glib? Peter and I saved last Sunday's "Rosie's Beau" for you but then Lola threw it away. The Beau says. Darn he has told Rosie good-by- but he is lonesome- he'll telephone- them he has just telephoned, but is lonesome again so will write a letter and asks the boy to take it to Rosie. The boy says he'll drop by on his way home from work with the letter, but Rosie's Beau says he'll see Rosie himself then. The Boy is overcome by this devotion. We'll send you todays which we also cut out. I'll be glad when you come home to read the funnies to the children. They are awful things. Good night- Ava Helen.

Sunday, 12.

Dearest sweet little Ava Helen:

I slept well last night, rising at 9, and breakfasting on grapefruit & waffle & coffee. Then I talked with Landsteiner till 12, when he left in a taxi for the train. (Last night as I was writing you it must have been snowing heavily, for when I started home there was a blanket of about 3 inches of fresh snow on the ground - it had cleared, however. This morning I saw it snow heavily for about an hour, so that we have about 4 inches or more now. I haven't walked in heavy ^falling snow, however. The cars have trouble on the slippery hills, so I didn't try to borrow one to take L. to the station.) When he left Professor Shaffer, Philip's father, came and talked to me for an hour. Philip wants to be married, and will be, I think. His father thinks that he perhaps should, since he is so serious - the father had forbidden it before. He says the girl seems nice, but isn't the one he would pick for his boy. Philip has gone with her for four years while she was at Har Radcliffe. Prof. Shaffer says that she is a smart girl, getting better grades than Philip. He let me

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read a long letter from Philip to him - such a serious youthful letter that I felt very happy. He mentioned you and me, saying that we seemed happy together and went around hand in hand, and that he overheard people talking about the love birds on the campus who turned out to be us!

I had dinner at 1 ¹⁵ and at 2 ³⁰ came to the Lab and read the Sunday paper till 3 ³⁰ , and then worked till 6, went to the House for supper, returned here and wrote more. Till Now I am rather cold, so I'll trot home - or rather walk carefully so as not to slip. No one else has been in the Lab today. I have nearly finished Chap.III and have parts of V written. I love you. I'm not going to leave you again, because we were meant to be together. You are my own little antibody. I have found that there is evidence (which I interpret as showing) [this is written in the margin] that antigens have active groups which stick out like this [picture of a round molecule] and that antibodies are formed to fit them like this [another picture of an invagination]. Your own loving

Paddy

Monday Nov. 22 1937

[year written later by LP]

[In top left hand corner of letter; possibly LP's handwriting:]

Barrett - reports - Miss Rooke[?] Roscoe[?]-

James Beckmann; minutes of meetings

Date of return.

My darling sweetheart:

Tonight Linus told me he hadn't mailed your letter today and that he always kept them until noon to mail. I was so angry. I wanted to murder the little devil now. I'm afraid you won't get a letter Wednesday and Thursday is Thanksgiving!

Two fine letters came this morning - One from Geneva and one written Friday! I feel very sad to think of you being so unhappy and lonely. I wish I'd stayed with you.

When you come home we must call on Mrs. Gates. She is really a little jealous. I called and asked her to luncheon on Dec. 1^st at the Athenaeum [?]. I've asked Mrs. Crellin and Miss Hutchispon also and shall ask a few others - Elizabeth Swift, Virginia Badger, etc. I'm doing this because I think you will like it. You know that Madeline Dickinson is a vicious awful person who is mildly insane, I think. I'm going to wait with her until you are on hand. How can Roscoe put up with her? She does annoy him, you can see that. Mrs. Gates said the Hudnuts were very taken with me.

I wish you would be happy! I thought you wanted to be fancy free

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and without a hanger on in the laboratory. I know how bored you get with me there even if you don't. [written in another hand, possibly LP's underneath this sentence is:] "I want my girl and shall learn to work without being disturbed - at home I guess."

It was very warm here today. I thought of several things I wanted to say to you today and now they have left me. Did you read in Time that Heine said he wanted his wife (a very bad one) to marry again so that he would have the satisfaction of knowing that one man at least regretted his death?

You Do you want me to subscribe to Life again?

We are all well. I'll be happy to see you again. Linda says she can't remember what you look like. You know that feeling. I suppose mental images of people fade the most rapidly. I know what you look like though. Why don't you get Papish to let you come the 9^th? If you are holding that discussion group then you would more than make up those two lectures. I have a good notion to write to Papish myself! That was a good story about Stock. He seems to have been pretty much of an ass, doesn't he - Oh! Madeline said people pronounced "harass" - haráss because a-s-s spells "ass" and that's all they can remember. I've never heard anyone say harass [with an accent over the last s] have you. She is an ass - a fat one.

Ava Helen

[no date but is in with other letters from Nov 1937 and mentions Thanksgiving. It is also on the same stationary.]

Darling sweetheart, I love you more than anything else in the world. I love, you darling. I've written this letter just now which seems awfully inadequate. You are so good and sweet. Mrs. Gates will be crazy about you as all females are. I hope you have a good Thanksgiving and are happy and that you aren't too lonely. I think you shouldn't make any decisions now when you are in the unhappy frame of mind. I think that there is certainly something to be said for Cornell. Peter is in a play tomorrow. I shall go. I'm sending this to the T. H.[Telluride House] so that you will get it on Thanksgiving any

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way. Wasn't it fun being at the Carpenters? She must have liked having you. I thought you didn't like dates in cereal.

Goodnight, sweet darling boy, you are the dearest creature in the world.

Love, kissed, hugs, uzzes, tongue touches.

Ava Helen

Monday Nov 22, 2 in the afternoon

Dearest love of Paddy's:

I am writing you a little note at his unconventional hour because I have a surprise for you, which I hope you will consider a nice one. Today Papish talked to me about how successful my lectures had been in interesting the students and in bringing the whole department together, and also about the possibility of my coming again (he says for a whole year, but I said no to that and also that I couldn't give a definite answer now anyway). So I thought that this would be a good time to raise the question of my leaving early next month. He said that he was sure that it could be arranged! I pointed out that I was holding an extra session on Wednesdays anyway. So Now I shall leave here probably on Thursday December 9 ^th , and get to my sweet little wife and darling little children on Sunday! I am happy.

Your own Linus

Monday, 1:15.

Dear love: I got up this morning at 1030, cut my toenails with my broken scissors from the Lab., which I had borrowed for the purpose, and went to the Lab., where I got two fine letters from you. I dictated letters to Mrs Beam - I haven't done that for about 10 days. - and then went to Telluride for lunch, and came back to the Lab, where I met Papish on the steps, with the results communicated in my last letter of this afternoon. Then (3 to 4) I prepared my talk on electron diffraction for the Physics Seminar, had tea with them (400 to 430), and gave the talk, which they seemed to enjoy - Professor Gibbs especially. Then I had dinner, and Telluride House meeting (till 745) and came to the Lab., where I have completely finished Chap. III. I shall now go strong on the net two chapters, since my lecture tomorrow morning is all that there is to worry me.

I'm glad that you got on well at the Gates dinner. Your "chemical bond" joke is a good one. I'll be happy when I get home, and I'll have lots of fun playing with you and the Itzies. I think that it's good for me to be away - it teaches me to appreciate our happiness at home, We'll have a high old time from now on. You are my own dear little wife.

Your own

Linus.

November 22, 1937

Dr. Harry Berman

Dept. of Mineralogy and Petrography

Harvard University

Cambridge Mass.

Dear Dr. Berman:

I think that there is no doubt about the correctness of our structure for chalcopyrite. We began our work thinking that, the crystal had the small unit reported by Burdick and Ellis, and were forced to accept a larger unit. Kôzu and Takané seem to have overlooked the reflections which require an increase in the size of the unit.

Yours truly,

Linus Pauling.

LP:HB

Tuesday Nov 23 9 P.M.

1937

[year was written by LP]

Dear sweet Paddy:

Your Saturday letter arrived this afternoon. It wasn't mailed until 9 P.M. My letters don't reach you so rapidly due to Linus and the three hour lag probably. I haven't depended on him today however.

I'm glad Dr. Landsteiner has been to visit with you. You did a great deal of talking didn't you?

Today I went to school to visit Peter. He was Captain Standish in a little play. He surely did well and was beautiful. Every one raves about him - simply every body. I took the children up to buy the things for their Thanksgiving offering to the poor and on the way back we met Mr. Crellin who helped us. He came in to see the baby who was in the kitchen. We purchased more than we could carry - potatoes, apples, etc. and so I had to send Peter back for his wagon while Linda and I waited.

We are going to the Bells for Thanksgiving and then leave very early Friday for Deep Springs at 6:30. Next week I have my luncheon, a tea at Mrs. Bateman's and the Crellins have asked me to be their guest at the Associates dinner on Thursday. You remember the notice came to us in

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Cornell.

I told Mr. Crellin they wanted you to return every other year and that they would give you more money the next time. He like all rich people, things money isn't of any importance.

Oh, my wound is practically well! Did Landsteiner say any more about coming to Pasadena? It would be nice if he were to come.

I have so many things I want to get done before you get home. I probably shouldn't go on this trip.

Your spirits seemed better in today's letter. I'm glad. There is a very loud car radio outside. It has a very good reproduction.

I'm in the kitchen tonight baking oatmeal cookies for our trip. I have a feeling you aren't liking the idea of this trip very well and perhaps it won't turn out as well as I hope it will. It may be awfully cold. I have the cookies all done now.

I want to do a few other things before going to bed. It is now 9:50.

Good night sweet Paddy, I love you.

Your Girl,

Ava Helen

Tuesday, 110

Dearest sweetheart:

I adore you. I got a nice letter from you this morning (Saturday's). I'm glad Shoemaker and the other boys came to see you. He seems to be discouraged - he wrote me a despondent letter. I hope he feels better now. I'm glad that you are going on a nice trip to Deep Springs and I hope yo have a good time and that Eyster drives carefully. I don't want you or the Itzies to be in an accident.

I am amused to learn of the trick they were going to play on Palmer.

I carry lots of you letters around in my pocket.

This morning I got up at 1030, prepared my lecture a little ( on aromatic substances and free radicals), gave it, went to Tell. for lunch, read two short stories by Thomas Mann (about the first reading I've done), returned to Lab. and signed letters and corrected MS by Bauer and sent it to him at Penn. State, corrected part of Chap. III before taking it to be typed, had tea, worked a bit, took Shaffer to Telluride for dinner and Public Speaking. This lasted till 9 - two new boys criticized the house for mot living up to their high expectations, and everyone entered in to the discussion, including Shaffer and me. Then at 930 I started on Chapter IV, and have now written one section of 14 pages. - not enough! I'll see if I can't do better tomorrow. If yo were her you could help me, and then we would go and nuggle into bed together. I adore you, my own little darling.

Several people (Jack, Shaffer, ---) have said that my seminar last night (Physics) was lots of fun.

Did I tell you that I have invited the Hoards to Thanksgiving dinner at the House? Only about 10 boys will be there.

Do you know haw unreal everything seems to me without you? I don't feel alive at all, but just as though I were in a bad dream. I love you.

Your Linus

Wednesday - 9:30 P.M.

Nov. 24 1937

[year is written in LP's handwriting]

My darling Linus;

I went to town this afternoon. I saw Virginia Badger whose sister Grace (I saw her too is to marry Brad Lewis some time in December. The sister is sweet as Virginia is. You remember we met her.

I am very disturbed about Linus, I think we shouldn't continue at Poly with him. I'm not sure that it is the school though, but Linus certainly has a shocking attitude. I think we should send him back to Oregon.

I'm menstruating and I suppose that's why I'm depressed and why I spent such a bad night last night. I'm sorry I backed out of the Deep Springs trip too, although I think it is probably wiser not to go.

How are you Sweetheart? How is your wrist? I can't believe that you will be here in sixteen days! I'll be busy getting ready. I've been home two weeks tonight. Mr Crellin sent you his love and told me to tell you six weeks wasn't very long. We won't be separated six weeks though.

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How do you like these new stamps? I purchased them at the post office today.

The children were very happy with their donations for Thanksgiving, but Linda wanted her little box of cocoa back again! [there is a line written on the left side of these last lines along with the word "weather."]

You surely surprised me with two letters today. I'll be happy to see you . The children have all suffered by being able to boss all of the time. They order me around now. I saw Mrs. English and Mrs. Helmholtz today, also separately.

Shomaker is a lovely boy. He has such a sweet smile. They are afraid I'll be unhappy to not take this trip, I told them this morning that you were coming home a whole week sooner so nothing could make me unhappy. You darling sweetheart. I love you more than anything.

You should hear Crellie laugh at Peter. Also Crellie likes Peter best. I haven't discovered why yet - but it is so. He squeals with delight when Peter goos at him. I wish you were her right now, we are invited to the Mielikan's tea on Sunday afternoon. Shall I go? I suppose I should for your sake.

I love you. I mail your letters myself now. Goodnight sweet love

Your girl,

Ava Helen

Wednesday Nov 24^th

1:30 PM 1937

[year written in LP' handwriting]

Darling Paddy:

Your two letters came this morning. What joy! I'm so happy to think that you will come the 9 ^th . You used a different pen for the first part of your letter, and then your own again.

I decided this morning not to go to Deep Springs. I worried last night and couldn't sleep so accepted things as they are this morning and told the boys. They will take the car. I am buying a new battery because Bob says our old one is completely gone. I worried because I thought of your worrying. I am angry though that at another manifestation of what is wrong with me and which I don't seem able to change. I was worried about the weather too for fear it would be too cold for our little ones. Krich[?] said it would be down to freezing.

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Your picture was good. I hope trust our children don't get hold of that letter of yours this morning. They'll think their Daddy is an applied scientist instead of a pure theorist. You and your antigens. I guess that "P" is superfluous. Poor young Shiffer. I"m sorry for him and his father, too. I suppose no girl is even good enough for a father's son.

I'm going to town now and do some errands. Linda wants to go. She is sassy and grabs my pen.

I love you, you darling and I'll be terribly happy to see you again.

Love and kisses,

Your girl

PS I hope you haven't worried. You can't get many men in your bed when there are four children there already.

Love, love love

Wednesday, 12 ⁵⁰ (really Thursday)

[November 24, 1937 (Wed.)]

Dearest sweet love: I had a nice surprise today, when your airmail sp.del.letter came. Pace saw it at the house & brought it to the Lab, not knowing that I was still in bed. I got up at 10 ³⁰ , came to Lab, & talked with Neurath, who is going to talk at my seminar next week and who has been wanting me to see his work; so it was not till noon that I went to my office and found your letter on my desk where Pace had put it.

I have been working and now I have made myself tea & opened a box of our sardines (the sild) and am having a midnight lunch all by myself. I'm going to keep on and finish this letter to you later.

3 ⁰⁵ AM

I am getting along famously now - approaching the end of the chapter (that is, within about spitting distance - or perhaps twice that). I feel that I should quit, but the pages roll along so nicely that I don't want to.

4 ¹⁰ AM

Now, little sweetheart, I am stopping. I have done a fine job - 40 pages written since dinner (since about 8) and about 5 this afternoon. I worked on

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other things mainly today - wrote several letters, including one saying that I would speak in Buffalo in January for $100! How's that? I thought "If I can do this somewhere else, I'd have enough extra velvet to bring my little chicken back with me in January!" (Not that we need the money - but just that its fun to think that we are doing things without cost to us.) I wouldn't want to take these trips alone - to Princeton too - but with you along they would be fun.

My wrist is nearly well now. I've remembered how I hurt it - at Maury's office I fell over backward in his chair - flat on the floor - and I'm sure that I fell on my wrist. Isn't it strange that I forgot that.

I'm rather tired of writing. I surely loved you [sic] sweet letter. I uz & uz & uz & uz & uz & uz & uz & uz & uz & uz & uz & uz & uz & uz & uz & uz & uz & uz & uz & uz & uz & uz & uz & uz you. This is to give you an idea as to what your Christmas vacation is going to be like.

Your own loving

Linus Paddy

[Enclosed with the letter, a stamp and another letter]

[Stamp:]

CONSTITUTION SESQUICENTENNIAL

1787 1937

3 CENTSUNITED STATES POSTAGE3 CENTS

[Letterhead of other letter]

AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY

EASTERN NEW YORK SECTION

[Letter, part of right edge cut off]

Chemical Laboratory

Union College

Schenectady, N. Y.

November 22, 1937

Dr. Linus Pauling

Chemical Laboratory

Cornell University

Ithaca, N. Y,

Dear Dr. Pauling:

Enclosed find check for $20.80, in payment of expenses for your recent trip to Schenectady.

I know that you will be pleased to hear that I have received an unusually large number of enthusiastic comments about your talk. It can be said that the meeting was the best that we have had in quite a few years, and that is saying a good deal.

Thanking you again for your kindness in meetings with us, I am,

Yours very sincerely,

E.K. Bacon [signature]

E. K. Bacon, Secretary [typed]

Thursday, Nov. 25

1937

[the year is written in LP's handwriting]

[written at top left corner:]

Everything bitable has been bitten

Sweetest Paddy in the World:

We had a very good dinner at the Bells although the Turkey wasn't what ours is usually. They were to come for us at 3:45 - have dinner at 4:15 and then we'd come home at six or there abouts to feed Crellie. But I remembered the Bells and so took Crellie's food with me. They didn't come until 4:30 and we had dinner at 5:30 - so it is well that I did take it. He was perfect as all the children were. I fed him between dinner and dessert. Afterwards they listened to this Town Meeting of the air - a debate among various people as to whether or no (sic) "Science Had Contributed to Human Happiness."

It was a little dull - and not at all good but one of sciences proponents was Albert Elbert[?] Wiggam who decided to treat it all very lightly and said to consider how science had increased the scope of man's love-making - how his area had been limited to the territory which he could traverse and get home before daylight - which wasn't far when he had to walk - but the invention of the oxcart - he had not only love but a joy ride as well besides the wider area - then on up through airplanes to radio and television which made the world his oyster - (or according to you his antibody) which had been a

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a boon[?] - certainly to women anyway and no one dared to deny how much more wide spread happiness is. Also - that everyone knew high heeled shoes had been invented by a woman who had been kissed - on the forehead. I simply roared at all of this but the Bells were distressed I laughed so I wakened Crellie who was sleeping none to happily in his buggy in the next room. I thought of me never being able to dance cheek to cheek (except with Pace which was really chin to forehead ) and I was glad that small adjustments as to height are more easily adjusted regulated in bed, probably why beds were invented. Oh someone asked Wiggam a question I've forgotten what but he said "Why everyone realizes this." ...The ignorant as well as the intelligent you as well as I." He said some serious things as well but he was definitely on the gay side.

Have you had a good day, Sweet Love? I check off days now - to think that you will come after two more Sundays - I could even hug Papish - I bet he'd like it, too. Mrs. Papish must get kissed only on the neck or necks I should say (not a bad place!) since she is taller than Papish. You would better burn this letter. You're too careless with mail. Do my letters lie in that pile on your desk?

Love

Ava Helen

IX Thurs. Nov. 25, 1937

Dear Dr. Pauling:

I am enclosing a letter that I received from Barnard, College of Medicine of the Univ. of Ill., as well as a copy of the rather lengthy answer that I wrote today. This guy formulated in '32 some rather screwy structures for oxyhemoglobin and analogs, and in a lengthy paper [edit: "1937"] on the reactions of nitrite with hemoglobin derivatives he proposed a nomenclature for Hb derivatives. He has the hemoferrons for ferroheme and nitrogenous hemochromogens, as well as ferrohemoglobin; the hemoferryls are polar valent compounds of hemoferron and oxygen-containing gases. Ferriheme and ferrihemoglobin are hemo-ferrins; complexes with electronegative ions (Cl^-, CN^-) comprise hemoferrides.

Tuesday evening I am leaving for Flagstaff. I'll stop the first night about Barstow, and get in the following afternoon. GraceMary is due at 9 A.M. Thursday morning. We will be married the day she arrives. I have taken some tine off for house hunting. In spite of this being the worst time of the year, I feel that I can get something not too far from Tech (ca. 2 mi.) for $25 or less. I wish that my gal were here to go house hunting with me, though.

I do not know whether I have said anything yet or not about the paper I am writing, 'The Acid Function of the Heme of Hemoglobin and Myoglobin.' It contains no work of ours except a treatment of the acid properties of ferriheme. I thought that I should correlate all of the hours of calculations that I have made, and see if you think it is significant enough to publish. I will try to finish it up right away, so that you can read it on the train on the way home. There turns out to be a very interesting contrast between identical hemes on hemoglobin and on myoglobin.

I received a pack of reprints from Redfield recently. There is an interesting one by Joseph Shack on the difference in base binding of oxyhemocyanin and hemocyanin. These results demand the postulate of a dibasic acid whose constant is increased on oxygenation. I know of no other case in physical chemistry where two protons have to dissociate together, that is where an intermediate product does not exist. [handwritten: "The analogous effect"] does occur in oxidation and reduction, though. Could this be a structural peculiarity due to interactions between the two copper atoms of an individual prosthetic group? The acid-base relations of hemocyanins are further complicated by the observation in many bloods of the so-called reversed Bohr effect, that is, that the oxy-form is a weaken acid than the non-complex form.

I am very sorry that your wife dropped her plans for the camping trip [handwritten: "near Deep Springs"] with Schomaker said Eyster this week end. I do not think that it will be very cold. I urged her to leave Peter and Linda at home, and go with Liny. A sleeping bag fortified with extra blankets would keep them plenty comfortable, for rain was not expected. I am afraid that she was partly influenced by the fact that I couldn't go too.

Last Saturday I dropped by your home to give the kids a ride, and was invited to stay for supper. Lola was sick, so while Mrs. Pauling put the kids to sleep, Liny and I did the dishes. Schomaker, Eyster, and Levy came over for the evening. I had a very pleasant time. I am having as hard a tine as your wife in getting time to march on. I never have seen tine pass so slowly, even when I work like the devil.

I gave Mellor about two hours on the nature of the chemical bond and the value of magnetic criterion of structure of complexes. He found a note by an Italian saying that the monovalent cyanide of Ni, K₃Ni(CN)₄ (red) is diamagnetic. He is going to prepare some and check up on the solution. He seems very interested in possibilities in this field [handwritten: "and I would like to have him working for me. I may not have a chance to write you again before you get home. We all certainly would be glad to see you, though. Pleasant and speedy trip!

Yours Charles C."]

Thanksgiving, 11 ³⁰ PM

[November 25, 1937]

Dearest little love,

I'm glad your letter came for me yesterday. Have you missed your Paddy today? I missed you terribly, because I'm so used to being with you and enjoying things with you. I got up at noon, shaved and bathed, and went downstairs at 12 ⁴⁵ . Hoard + Mrs. H came to the Tel House at 1 (at my invitation). There were also 8 boys and Gurrell's girl - a flat faced chicken named Thomas. We had a good dinner - two turkeys! - but not to compare with your Thanksgiving dinners - it also included pumpkin pie and plum pudding and Great Western champagne, which was my present to the boys. -I don't yet know how much it will cost me, since Pace arranged it - probably about 10 dollars. Pace proposed a toast to you, which we drank. The champagne was pretty good.

After dinner we talked for about an hour and then I went with Lynn + Florence to their place (for the first time since you left) and saw little Davy, who walks with gusto. I stayed until about 7, not doing anything. Then Lynn + I came to the Lab; he is working in the x-ray room (I expect that he has now gone home). I wrote 18 pages, finishing Chap. IV. I'll start V tomorrow. Each of III + IV has 80 pages (II had 120, I 90). This probably makes about 125 book pages altogether.

How's your little coccyx? I hope it's well.

I am working hard now so that if you do come back with me in January I'll have more time to play with you. We would have fun going to Princeton and Yale (also Buffalo - we would go to Niagara Falls again). I liked having you in the Lab. with me, but I did get worried about you, thinking that you were bored while I was trying to work. If you come back with me I'll work in my/our room and you can read or go to bed. We used to do that in Munich. You have forgotten what it is like to have Paddy with you working.

I love you little darling girl, and I'm glad that soon I'll come home. I looked at the clock at 6 ³⁸ exactly and said "Only 2 weeks more." Your loving Linus

Friday Nov. 26 10 p.m.

[added later in LP's handwriting: 1937]

Dearest Linus:

This morning Lola sent Peter in to ask if she might have a three day holiday or rest as she put it. I decided to let her go since she had been awful good to help me with the baby - but I was annoyed at her not telling me sooner. She didn't get home until 1:30 a.m. this morning so she needed a rest. I had planned to get a good bit done but it can wait.

Your Monday and Tuesday letters came today. I was a little sorry I'd decided against the Deep Springs trips.

I hope that you had a good Thanksgiving and that the Hoards [?] liked it as well. How is little Pace?

Coryell called and said he'd asked to take us somewhere Sunday and he'd be hurt if I made other plans that he liked being with me. I was a little surprised at this. I had thought of going to the Millikan [?] tea but don't really want to go so guess we'll all go for a ride with Coryell. He said you were too lazy with him, and I said I'd make him work! I said this the other day. I hope he doesn't say all of this to his girl. He is getting impatient for the 2^nd of December to come. He is a very sweet boy, but perhaps not so sweet as Shomaker who has really won my heart this past week. I thank you for the subtle compliment of thinking he'd feel better after seeing me!! Well you are the one I adore and I love you. I've been working on some thing for you for me too.

This book by the Gurmas pair is rather amusing. It is called "Man Must Eat" or something like that. It is very glib though.

I hope you aren't working to hard. How many chapters will your book have? You mustn't make them too long. I'll be happy to see you - just two more Sundays-and then the Sunday!

I am rather sleepy tonight. I'm alone with the children but I'm not afraid. I love you. Frances Kennedy asked me to go to the Philharmonic this afternon but I had just tokd Lola she could go so I didn't accept. I felt a little abused, however.

I can read in your letters that you are happier now. I'm glad. Do you like being at the Telluride House? They probably all worship you by this time.

I had a nice talk with our postman who told me what a fine man Dr. Noyes was and how grand it was that you had taken his place. Postmen do read the mail of course. How do they know so much? Besides I used to see the one in Portland reading Mamma's mail. This is an awful letter. I love you.

your girl. Ava Helen

Sat. Nov. 27. 8.30 p.m.

[added later in LP's handwriting: 1937]

Dearest sweetheart:

You are an awful boy to try to work all night. Your Wednesday (really Thursday) letter came today and I'm mad - hopping mad as Peter says. I told Mrs. Crellin that you worked until 4.10 a.m. (She took us all riding in her electric car this morning for an hour) She said you were shortening your life and that you owned it to your family to take care of yourself. It is wonderful that you were able to get so much done but I do worry about you.

Oh! I'm sorry the letter arrived Wednesday, I thought it wouldn't arrive until Thursday and would be a Thanksgiving present. It must have reached you in something less than 36 hours. That is really extraordindary isn't it? You would have received it on Wednesday without the special delivery stamp, wouldn't you?

Peter said that he was mad that Christmas was on Saturday - because on Sunday they would be busy with their toys and forget to get the "funnies" - Then he said "Oh well! We can send Daddy!"

Mrs. Palmer called on me on Friday. She is a funny person but rather sweet.

How strange about your wrist. What were you doing in Maury's office?

My luncheon on Wednesday now includes twelve - enought chemists' wives to satisfy

Mrs. Gates Mrs. Gates-Crellin - but enough others so that I won't be accused of

Mrs. Crellin having a chemistry party - but I'll remember those I've left out this

Miss Hutchinson time and have them next time. I'll have the private dining room and

Mrs. Bell take over some extras so that it will be a nice luncheon. I'm going to

Mrs. Yost tell Mrs. Gates that she had to pay a lot to get a building named after

Mrs. Lacey her and if she'll endow me to a like extent I'll have a baby and name it

Mrs. Swift after her - Ha Ha ! Say if you have so much extra velvet your little

Mrs. Badger chicken will buy herself some velvet flowers - she's been molting for

Mrs. Bennett for a long time now and looks bare. Besides some velvet feathers Mrs. Laing would be just the thing. I think you are much sweeter ans better and Mrs. Porter smarter than Chester Stock [?]- than anyone for that matter. We Mrs. Pauling purchased some hamburger for Tye and some ground round steak for us and then couldn't tell the difference! $.15 as opposed to $.35. I think we gave the right stuff to Tye! Tomorrow is Sunday so I'll catch up on all your old letters! My Sunday reading! If you work so late you don't need to think I'd stay up with you I'd go to bed. I'll wager its cold in that building too! Goodnight little love. The radio is a tune called is playing a tune called "Smarty" and thats you!

Ava Helen

Friday, 11 ²⁰ AM.

[November 27, 1937]

Dearest little sweetheart:

Three fine letters came from you today — Sunday's, Tuesday's, and Wednesday's — and I'm starting to answer them now. After writing you last night I read that old M. Dole M5. (The one Coolidge had refereed - do you remember it?) and wrote to Lamb saying that it should be rejected, so it was 2 AM after all before I got started home. Then I slept soundly until 11 this morning ( I hadn't slept much the night before).

You are wrong about my using a different pen. I use only the nice one which you gave me, but I am troubled with writer's cramp and hold it in different positions.

You are on the way to Keep Springs now. I hope that you are careful.

Landsteiner still has one more year at the Rock. Inst. He may come to Pasadena then.

Now I've read your Wednesday letter and learned that you have decided not to go to Deep Springs. You mustn't think that I would object for any silly reason, little love; but the boys at the Tul. House say that it would probably be too cold for

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camping. I don't worry about anybody's getting in your bed — I know that even without four helpers you could hold the fort for Paddy. I hope you don't worry about Paddy. I'm not interested in any girl but you.

2 ⁰⁰ AM

After correcting proof of my chapter of the organic book this noon I walked down to professor Karapetoff's house at 1 for dinner — he had invited me to come to see his atom models — although he is Professor of Electrical Engineering he comes to all my lectures and spends time on atomic structure as well as many other things. Do you remember him — a pudgy broad smiling face with white curly hair above? We had a fine dinner. A woman — about 35 or 40 — was there who knew some chemistry — Miss Cobb. She buzzed for the maid and played hostess + called old Karap. "Kara" and seemed

[page 3]

to know all about his affairs, and I was interested in their relationship, but then she said that he lived in this big house all alone + she would go back to some place ( Mass., I think.). I looked at his models. Then he played for me — three pieces, including "Forgotten" (do you remember it) — with phonograph accompaniment, on his five-stringed cello — his own invention. He had an immense structure in his living room, with many vacuum tubes and several phonograph turntables, and the Telluride boys said that he used it with three records (separate) of himself playing piano, violin, and viola, and accompanied it on his cello, so that he could be his own quartet. He said that he thought the Chem. Dept. would never get over the impetus it has got from my visit. At 4 ³⁰ I left, and came to the Lab. again, and read a magazine, called "The

[page 4]

Stocking Parade", which I bought when the store I went in did not have "House Beautiful." Hers' a joke from it.

A. "What's the difference between a swell young doll and an old maid?"

B. "You've got me there." A. "The doll has a lot of handsome men in her wake + the old maid has them in her sleep." Also "I'm a bad, wicked girl. Will you marry me and reform me?" "No, but I'll marry you." I'll show you the magazine if you come back with me in January.

At 6 I went to the house for dinner (only about 10 boys here now). At 7 ³⁰ I returned and got to work. I've done 43 pages on Chapter V tonight, but about 30 I had written while giving the corresponding lectures; they needed only to be polished a bit.

I'm glad that another day has gone by. Soon I'll be coming home to you. Be happy, sweet little wife. Don't worry, but do whatever you think is best. You are my sweet little love, whom I adore. Hugs and loves and kissed and tongue touches and uzzes and uzzer kisses from your own Paddy

Linus

Sunday - 28^th 10.15

[added later in LP's handwriting: 1937]

[added later in AHP's handwriting: Pasadena peeling apple.]

Darling Paddy:

Today Dr. Buchman called and brought a box of salted nuts to the children. He asked to see Crellie and was really very moved. I feel a little uncomfortable around him - he is so adoring. Coryell came and took us all riding. He started up a very steep dirt road along the crest of a hill and frightened Linda and Peter badly. I got out with them and as the wheels spun badly I told Charles he would better not go to the top. Linus got in the car with the baby and Peter screamed and said "Don't take my baby - he'll be hurt, etc." I was sorry to have frightened them - there really was no danger, but I soothed them an d reassured them Little Patty Lou or rather large Patty Lou was down. She calls Charles - Charles but calls her stepfather "Daddy" and says he name is Patricia Bowler. I feel sorry for Coryell and I'm glad he is getting married. How funny life is. Sometimes I feel that I'm near to the fundamental hypothesis of life but it always vanishes before really appearing. Oddly enough, I always think again of these queer thoughts which I had under the anesthetic. I'm sure now, that I thought then that life was at last revealed.

[page 2 continues]

Well, I mustn't get moody! I think of many things to tell my love when I'm lying in bed but then forget them.

The boys haven't returned with the car. I rather expected them tonight. The weather has been wonderful.

I talked with Lacey and told him you would leave there the 16^th. I said you were on leave of absence too! He said you were never free from a job like yours. Howard Lucas has so much to do he doesn't want to go east.

I was very busy today so didn't read any of your letters. I hope you're not back there working away. Two weeks more and you'll be home. Coryell borrowed our double sleeping bag and mattress. Where is our blanket - the camel hair one. I thought it was in the sleeping bag, but it isn't.

Have you been reading about Elysian Park sliding down? I suppose so - the papers are full of it.

You are a sweet sweet Baker Lecturer and I love you - the non-resident part is what I don't like - Say - I counted those meaningful scrawls you made

at the end of your letter. Love and kisses

Ava Helen

[enclosure is a letter to LP about Neils Bohr]

Universitetets Institut BLEGDAMSVEJ 15, KØBENHAVNØ.

for

Teoretisk Fysik DEN......NOVEMBER, 8......198...7...

Professor Dr. Linus Pauling

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, Ca. U.S.A.

In the spring of 1938 there will have passed 25 Years [sic] since the publication of Prof. Bohr's first works on atomic theory in the Philosophical Magazine. On this occasion the present collaborators of this Institute have thought that they might please Prof. Bohr by presenting to him a collection of pictures of all the former collaborators of the Institute. As this collection should be as complete as possible, you would oblige us in sending us your photo with your signature on it as soon as possible.

Thanking you for any inconvenience

Yours sincerely

J.C.Jaebrca [?] [illegible] Rasmussen

[above are signatures]

[in LP's handwriting]

I sent the one you like.

Paddy

[LP's letter on lined paper]

Saturday, 2 ²⁰ PM.

My dearest (and only) little love:

A nice letter came from you this morning. I'm anxious to hear what you think of coming back with me in January. I'm sorry that you are worried about Linus. I have just driven to the station with Pace to get a Sante Fe time-table. I shall come home on the Navajo, reaching Pasadena at 8 ⁴⁵ Sunday night (Sante Fe Station). This is a fine time to be getting home - we'll have to go to bed soon. I'm saving up a big present (really several) to give to you.

2 ⁴⁵ AM

Just think, 12 hours & 25 minutes have gone by! I got up at 11 this morning. Came to Lab, corrected proof, went to lunch, went to station with Pace, wrote a bit on the book, and took the proof to mail at the corner toward Lynn's - where the stoplight is. Then I had dinner and came to the Lab, where I have now finished Chapter V! Not a very long one - 65 MS pages, 22 written today. Tomorrow I shall start on VI. You can see that I lead a very uneventful life. Hoard dropped in at 12 ³⁰ , on his way home from a poker party. He had won 90¢ in 4 ½ hours. I said that that was too low pay. Rhodes lost $5.50.

I'm sorry that you are menstruating and feel bad. We should have removed your menstruator [sic]-no, I wouldn't have liked that. I hope you feel better soon. I'll be with you before very long. I adore you.

My wrist is all right. Give my regards to Mr. Crellin if you see him and kiss all our Itzies for me.

I like your new stamp. I'm returning it.

Sunday afternoon, 2 ⁴⁵ .

I kept your letter (this, I mean) because it isn't collected until; 4. I slept till 12, bathed, had dinner at 1 ¹⁵ , read the Reader's Digest, and am getting ready now to go to the Lab. I haven't told you about the weather for some time. The snow evaporated in about 2 days, and it has been rather nice for four or five days. Today is warm & pleasant. It rained hard last night (early this morning) as I walked home.

I love you, little sweet girl of Paddy's. Loads of loves and uzzes from your own

Linus

[letter written on lined paper]

Sunday, 11 ⁴⁰ PM.

Dearest sweet little wife:

I am getting pretty lonesome for you and tired of this life, and I wish that we were together, either here or in Pasadena. I'm anxious to find out what you think of coming back with me in January. I adore you, little love, and I hope that you aren't as lonesome as I am. You have the little Itzies to keep you company, but on the other hand you don't have a manuscript to help the time to pass by.

We had a good dinner today - nice tenderloin steaks and mashed potatoes. About 12 of the boys are here - the others will be back tonight or tomorrow.

I told you that I got up at 12 noon today. At 3 I came to the Lab and wrote an extra section of 10 pages for Chap. V, finishing it; and tonight I have written the first 10 of Chap. VI. I am tired, and am going to stop, even though it is just approaching midnight, which is early for me. After supper at the Tel. House I waited for half an hour because it was raining hard, but then it stopped. The wind blows very hard through the trees outside of my window, both here and at the House.

Jack has been away since Wed., and so have all the boys (Hamp & Sp. With Chambers at his parents in Reading).

I am wondering whether to write some more or go home and read Christopher Morley's new book and then go to bed. Two weeks from now (even with the 3 hours difference) I'll be with you, and there won't be any question in my mind as to what to do. Time passes awfully slowly - still, its only eleven days now until I start home!

How is our Tyl? I like the picture of us by the front door. You look perfectly wonderful. The baby is cute. I can hardly believe that we have started those little things to growing; it is very hard to see how the development of life has come about. Peter and Linda look awfully sweet in the picture.

Good night, little dear. What do you say to our sticking close together after this? If I had you here we could do lots of interesting things and have lots of fun - and why shouldn't we?

Love (bushels) from

Paddy

Monday Nov. 29 9:30 p.m.

[added later in LP's handwriting: 1937 ]

Dear sweet Paddy:

When this morning's mail came with no letter from you I was disappointed since I had expected not one but two letters. But the afternoon delivery straightened everything out. I'm happy you had such a good Thanksgiving with the boys and the Hoards. It was darling of Pace [sp ?] to propose a toast to me. I'm flattered that he remembers this long. Yes, I remember Karapstoff. It is fine that he invited you. I remember "forgotten" too - a very sentimental song that my family used to sing.

So - one of the sage councillors of A.C.S. of S. Calif - eh. Um mm mm mm !

The boys brought the car home this morning and reported a marvelous trip - Shomaker talked on nuclear physics and they seemed very happy and glad they'd taken the trip. They reported two punctures however which sounds bad for your new tires. The car has a new battery $8.98 - Bob said the other one was kaput. The car looks as if it had gone on a good trip. Shomaker has quite won

[this page also has the tracing (outline) of an adult's left foot]

[ page 2 starts on the back of the sheet]

my heart. He is darling. I have looked at him for the first time since you've been away. I think he does feel better now.

Oh, I wish you wouldn't mention my doing such a thing as going back with you in January! You simply mustn't work so hard. Good Lord - I don't worry about you - except to the extent that you'll work yourself into an untimely grave, and what will the girlie do then, poor thing!

I'm fixing many a surprise for you, my hearty! I had to laugh at your buying "Stocking Parade" when you couldn't get House Beautiful - like buying Boccacio [sp ?] when you couldn't get the Bible - (with the Songs of Soloman left out) What were you wanting with "House Beautiful" ? or "Stocking Parade" either for that matter. You're some Paddy all right. Good night sweet sweetheart. I hope you are not working since it is 12.30 with you. I hope you're sound asleep - and aren't counting blonds hopping the fence. Davy Hoard doesn't compare with Crellie, at least not in good looks. Crellie is such an angel.

Ava Helen Pauling

[this page has the tracing (outline) of an adult's right foot]

Tuesday Nov. 30.

1937 [later added in LP's handwriting]

My own Linus:

You bad boy to keep your Saturday letter all day Sunday. It didn't reach me until this afternoon. I met the postman who said you were wonderful to write me so often. I said you were wonderful all right.

Now I'm very excited tonight because I've spent $100.00 for us and it is a surprise and I hope you won't buy me a Christmas present because I'd rather do this-I mean I've already done it and I'm sure you'll like it , also. I haven't paid for it yet because it isn't ready. Oh dear-such excitement. Now, I haven't even let myself think of returning with you in January. Would you move out of the Telluride House? Would we go back to our little room at the Claussen's [?]?. Would you get tired of me?--Yes! Would it be fun? You are a bad old boy Paddy with a bum box peanie.

Coryell called on the telephone at 7.30 to say good-bye that he was leaving for Flagstaff to be married. You know-he likes me. He talked on and on and so I said "Well you'd better be on your way".

[page 2]

I said I wanted to have a little party for him and his wife and I'd wait until you arrived. I think the 17^th would be nice. We'd invite the people he knows. He is a fine boy and an enthusiastic one. He says I should go with you and that they are going to have four children.

My luncheon will go off well. I trust. I'm going to dinner with Margaret Stock tomorrow night. Chester left on Saturday to be gone until after Christmas. She's angry because he stays away. Well, I don't blame her really. Chester isn't smart like you either. I think he enjoys being away from home. He has a darn good time, too.

You tell Hamp [?] and Spring that I don't think much of them.

Betty Tyler called to see me this morning. (It is getting near Christmas???) I should be ashamed.

I am very proud of your progress with your book but I worry too, about your getting too tired. Of course you do seem to sleep a good number of hours really more than I do. Linus and Peter both had guests today I gave them all graham crackers spread with butter and grape juice (mine). I love you, you darling, your girl A.H.P.

Tuesday, 9 PM.

Dear love:

I am just settling down to work - after dinner tonight we had public speaking: five boys spoke, and I gave a short discussion of one talk (on hitch hiking). Then I stopped at the library and got a book - Ovid's "Ars Amatoria" in Latin & French. It seems rather long-winded - mainly about how to behave in general - send flowers, write letters, etc.; the last page, however, is devoted to how to behave in bed. I send a rough translation:

"I blush at the task before me, but the good Venus said to me ‘This shamed us, but it is our business.' As every woman knows well: chose [sic] such and such an attitude, according to your physique. The chicken whose figure is particularly pretty should stretch out on her back, with her legs apart. Those She who are is well pleased with their her backs should be mounted from behind. Did Lucine let any one repose on her tummy? You, too, must follow the example of the Parthians, who fight by turning their backs. Millanion put Atalanta's legs up on his shoulders; if yours are pretty, you should raise them too. The petite girl should take the posture of a rider,

[page 2]

with her husband, on his back, her horse; only in this way did the Thebean Andromache approach Hector. If your thighs are beautiful, you should rest on your knees on the bed, with head down. There are a thousand ways of enjoying the pleasures of Venus.

May the woman feel the pleasure of Venus beating in the depths of her being, and may the happiness be equal for her lover and for her! Let the murmurs of love never be interrupted, and let lascivious words find place in your whispers. And after these joys of Venus, ask you lover for a gift."

You come in several of these categories, little sweet wife, so I think that you must follow all the directions when I get home. Save this letter for reference.

12:Now I have worked for a couple of hours, and am thinking of going home to read a while (perhaps finish the Trojan Horse) and go to bed, for I slept poorly last night. I made the mistake of drinking some

[page 3]

cups of tea at about 1, and then when I went to bed at 4 I couldn't sleep; I dropped off between 5¹⁵ and 5³⁰ (I can hear the big clock in the Library Tower strike every quarter hour). Time surely does pass slowly. Coryell in his 9^th letter said that it dragged for him as much as it did for you. He seemed to feel sorry for you, little dear. I wakened several times this morning but stayed in bed until 11, and then came and gave my lecture, and talked with Papish about going to Princeton. We'll go after my Tuesday lecture Jan. 11^th, staying till Saturday, & then going to Yale for a lecture "night [sic]. (I say "we" because I hope that you will be along.)

Yesterday I washed my hair at the Tell. House using my soap and softening the water with Calgon, which works wonderfully. My hair now feels fine.

[page 4]

I hope you have a nice luncheon tomorrow (today). I like getting your letters.

Dr. Hu Shih, Chinese ambassador of some sort, is at the house in the big room next to mine. I've seen him only from a distance so far. Collingwood has fun showing his signature (from an earlier visit) in the guest book to people. It looks like Hu Shit. The people are embarrassed.

I'm enclosing a surprise. It looks all right from a long distance.

I caught pace and several others in a trap in my lecture today. It was fun.

Valentine has written asking my opinion of Yost, Brockway, and Cross.

Nine days from now I'll be on the train speeding to you! Whoopee! I've had no accidents yet, and I'm getting loaded to the gills with love for you, so you would better be prerpared to stand a lot (or perhaps better lie, crouch, elevate, equitate, and even haustate a lot. How's your appetite? I remember a little appetizer I gave you in San Diego.) I love you, my darling.

Your Paddy