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30

but after all, it was Bab's Christmas and we hoped that the next year it would be hers and "Little Brother's" too. Willie said that Brother was kicking almost viciously in protest at his confinement. But he had to wait until May.

And that day we heard the Metropolitan Opera's first radio broadcast--"Hanse1 and Gretel" complete over the WEAF chain. It was beautifully sung by Editha Fleischer, Queena Mario, Manski, Wakefield, Flexer and Schutzendorf. The duets of Fleischer and Mario were exquisite and made me long once more for a phonograph so we could listen to those lovely things whenever we wanted to. I guess I was resigned to wait but I noted that the sets were improving every year as well as coming down in price. It was a great Christmas Day for us--together and happy and comfortable. But thanks to the depression, in 1931 there was a lot of hardship and suffering. To read the stories of "The Hundred Neediest Cases" in the New York Times was to wake one up to the great tragedies in the world and make one wonder just what the real scheme of things was after all. Why all these awful things? But at that time, I did believe there was a scheme behind all of it, and that it was logical, just and good even though we couldn't understand it. "For," my diary says, "how could it be otherwise--a happenstance?" I wish I could have that much faith today.

The news about our prospective salary adjustments in 1932 wasn't particularly à propos for the holiday season. The "cut news" had it that there would be two weeks vacation without pay plus a possible 10% salary cut in the spring if business didn't improve, and from all indications it didn't look as if it would. If all this came to pass, we'd be below where we'd been three years before. It was very discouraging but actually we were lucky to have a job at all compared to a great many--like Ted Elliott for example. I began scheming again how I might supplement our income by cartooning or writing on the side. It was fortunate we never had to fall back on either of these because neither of them ever amounted to anything. To top things off, Mother left for the south on the 29th and, according to my diary and also to my surprise, it says, "We hated to see her go and be left alone. We can't seem to get over feeling like dependent kids, rather sorry to be left alone without anyone to steady us."
 
After some indecision because of "Brother," Willie finally decided that she could go to Hunter’s Lodge New Year's Eve and we had a grand time and were glad we'd done it. The party consisted of Ethel and Harold Ogden, Perk and Marian Sternberg, Hoddy and Teal Lauderbach, Willis Davis and Adeline Macloskie, and us. And thus, while dancing with Marian Sternberg, little Mr. 1932 slipped in for me and I reflected on what it might hold for me. I decided it was up to me, solidly, and there were no real limitations within reason. Before the evening was over, all but Willie imbibed quite freely and it proved to be a very gay evening.