Viewing page 175 of 547

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

Erie, Pa.,
Saturday, April 20, 1940.

Up twice last night with Rog who had a bad leg ache, so bad in fact he cried and his eyes were bloodshot, tears rolling down his cheeks. It was an obstinate thing and he sat a long time with his feet and ankles in hot water and took asperin before it left him. I can remember having the same session when I was a little boy - sitting on the edge of the washbowl in Mother's bathroom with my feet in water so hot it felt chilly when I first put them in. That was thirty years ago! It doesn't seem so long.

Winter is loath to leave us - this morning we had a wet, windy snow storm with the mercury at about 34°. Thursday it was up near 70 in the morning although a storm dropped it to 50 in about 20 minutes. However it was so balmy, many had spring fever including me. My legs felt a strange lassitude - it was hard to get down to business. I was down in Bldg. 26 with Ken Wolf about 4:15 PM looking at the New York Central cab going up, and we decided we wanted some beer - so we drove to Wesleyville and had a couple - and did they taste good! Somehow you could feel that spring with its warm happy days was close by. To us here in America, spring means largely this year what it has always meant - the green grass and bright flowers, the sweet fragrant air, the sky, sunlight warm and clean, the bright far flung hills and the great blue stretches of the lakes and the sea - all to be seen and felt and enjoyed. In Europe, this spring brings only the prospect of war broadening along lines that can only horrify and seem like the end has come forever to life that is good.