Thursday Dec. 2 11:30

1937 [later added in LP's handwriting]

Oh oh oh-to think of my Paddy being

so often Dim [?]........I've forgotten!

Not the Proc.Roy.Soe.[?]

[this line in AHP's handwriting]

My own darling Paddy:

Thank you sweetheart for the pretty gardenia I wore in my hair tonight. I've just returned from a boring associates dinner where Nevins, Gay + Carver spoke on economics. Gay rested completely on his Harvard reputation and gave a rambling talk completely unprepared-Nevins-a young and earnest man gave a fine well prepared and lengthy speech. He was quite nervous. Carver talked well but not very prettily. I have on my dress that you like and I look very nice with my gardenia. Curtis Crellin liked me any way. This afternoon at Mrs Batemans Mrs Gates said it wouldn't do any good for me to have another girl baby because Mrs. Crellin would make me name her "Amy"-then tonight she said "I see Mrs Crellin has scored one". Meaning my eating with the Crellins. I like Mrs Gates!!

Your letter written Monday came today. I'm glad you liked my Thursday letter. I was eager to hear what you thought of Wiggam [?]. He said other smart things too which I'll relate when you arrive. Just think my darling-a week from now-tonight you'll be well on your way to words [?] Chicago. How wonderful! I'm enclosing a clipping to prove you're not forgotten

[page 2]

in the old home town.

You know I ask everybody to get moral support to not go with you in January but everyone tells me to go. You know that I'll love being with you, in the snow -and everything-but it is complicated. I'd leave Lola with the baby I think and get some one to do the work. I'm hoping that after three weeks at you home you will want to return to Ithaca alone. That would be simpler and less expensive.

Your letter was pretty smart this morning. I saw Mrs Koepfli [?] and Judy holding hands. She is a silly little fool and Joe isn't so hot I've decided. I saw him today. I saw Barrett, Mason, etc, etc tonight. Oh most of these people are horrible. Page is no longer chairman and I told him how we missed him Ruddock is now in Page's job, and Page has stepped into Robinson's shoes. At least he is on the Board of Trustees. Millikan is looking pretty feeble. Poor thing! I mean that. Mrs Millikan, too, looks old. I called Miss Harvard and arranged the Crellins table near the speakers table. Goodnight sweet love. Your own girl.

12 ⁴⁰ , Thursday

Dearest love:

I'm afraid that I'm getting stale - I've written only a few pages today. I got up at 11, came to Lab, read your sweet Monday letter, gave my lecture (which was said to be good), had lunch, returned and read Kemble's book a while, had tea & listened to seminar talk by Murdoch on Laue photographs (I discussed it), listened to Neurath ask me to help him get a job - I said there was nothing I could do -, took Hamp & Spring to the Tell. House for dinner, returned at 8, and have collected data for a table and written a few pages. Then I saw a beautiful candid sweet honest eye looking at me - my papers had got across your picture leaving a triangular opening for it to look out at me through - and I was filled so full of love and longing for that eye and the attached girl that I nearly exploded. I adore you, darling. I do hope that you will come back with me and go to Buffalo and Princeton and Yale and have a good time. Could you not get someone to do the heavy work and leave Lola in charge of the children? I love you, girlie. I love the children, too, but I think that they can spare you for the month of January. The train fare isn't much - I'd sooner have you for the month of January than any other Christmas present, and anyway I'll make enough from my Buffalo and Princeton lectures to pay the fare, without drawing on my salary checks here.

Tonight I thought "One week more and I'll be on my way home", and I was happy, because I can remember when I thought " Two weeks more", and now one of the weeks has gone by.

Coryell was married today. I hope that he is happy now. I'll see that he gets a bigger salary next year.

Tomorrow I drive to Syracuse (56 miles) to give my lecture, returning Saturday morning.

I can't think of anything to tell you except that I love you more than everything else and that you are the loveliest little darling wife in the world. My life seems completely dull without you. I'm going to have a good time when I get to you again! And I'm going to see that you are happy - you have a paddy that loves you, four sweet healthy little children, enough money to have help so that you don't have to work too hard, and can buy the things you want - now we must see that you and Paddy too take time to be happy.

I'm so lonesome that I could die.

I hope a letter comes from you tomorrow saying that you will come back with me and always stay with me. I'll be good to you, dear little girl, always. You are my own sweet little wife, the major part of me, and time is just wasted when you are not with me; it is so much time out of my life. You are my own sweet love, and in ten days from now I'll be snuggled cozily into bed with you. I do adore you, my darling.

I hope that you will be happy at CalTech and around Pasadena. I was thinking that we have fun going to A.C.S. local section meetings elsewhere - why not go to Los Angeles and see the people? I'm sure that some of them would be nice - still, I remember how long and boring they make the meetings. Now that we are councillors perhaps we should do something- get them to shorten the meetings and concentrate on the speaker, getting through in time for us to go to a night club.

I saw an awfully funny book today in Lanby's office - in Dutch, written by Cohen, the first B.L., describing his experiences. He came to Pasadena too - we were in Europe. There are pictures of Dr Noyes and Millikan in the book. When you come back with me you can see the book.

Love, love, love to my sweet girl, and love to all of our sweet babies too. I'm anxious to see them and squeeze them - but more anxious to see you.

Your own husband

Linus.