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                                  Written at Hadley Field
                                 on one of the four days 
                                    we work.
                                      May 23, 1932

Dearest Mother:

                Report on Peter is not altogether encouraging as the boy still has a temperature and two doctors calling and a nurse in attendance and all three of us worrying whether we admit itor not. I've sort of lost track of the sequence of events but anyway Dr. Cott came over when we reported Pete complaining about his right ear and the doc lanced it right away. It is draining copiously and all I pray now is that it won't be altogether like mine and run into a mastoid. Pete is too wasted to stand another operation now and we all feel that this last is a crowning bit of misfortune.

                   The nurse has been staying with Peter whenever it is necessary for Ruth to do other work andin spite of that arrangement Ruth has been doing most of the work, so after more than two weeks of nurses I guess we'll get rid of them and have a breathing spell at least before we have to wait on another of the species. They, themselves are an awful nuisance in the house and the particular on leaving today(I hope) would eat us out of house and home if she staid because, no fooling, she has an appetite like a horse!

                  Poor little Pete has taken it all like a valiant soldier and I'm afraid that for a long time afte he gets better he is going to be spoiled and taging onto his mother twenty-four hours a day. He incessantly calls out, "Mamma, Mam-ma, I want her, I want her," ad infinitum.  He is not himself at all and looks dopey and all in. Dr. Smith came yesterday to see if his coughing had got into his lings but he said "no" after the examination. We were kind of afraid of pneumonia. This ear trouble after the infection is bad enough without worse, goodness knows!

                     He was perfectly wonderful after the first operation and was running around the hospital. I really was taken by surprise at the second one so soon(a week) and the worst of it was that the doctor had to leave for a day right after and that is where the trouble started, as the infection got in its work before he got back. After retuning home Pete was good enough except for the temperature and was even out of doors in the warm sun. The ear trouble and a cough came along and bopped him to bed again where has been since.
                      Lord knows we all try hard enough to take the best of care of him and it is waful to see him thin and uncomfortable. All we can do is to keep on with the care and leave the rest to God. I'm done if anything happens to that boy.
Love from your son,