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paper xxx on the table and just drew it. It is a perfect likeness and the best Tipsy ever had taken.

Tell me what Hattie is doing-what's she sewing- where does  she go, etc. etc. and does she write her Mother real often? 
Please don't neglect her a bit, because Mrs.Meyers must be dreadfully lonesome- even more so than I am- that longing lonesomeness as though the very soul had gone out of one- the kind that fills your eyes and chokes your throat- the kid that is always there no matter what you do to forget it. If Hattie will send me her mother's address, which I suppose is not the same as it was, I will write her- and perhaps, if I can get Pa to take me, I will go to see her sometime, and maybe soon.  But that's all guess work, so far.

An so you have gone in for society- well, you couldn't please me better- and let me whisker in your ears that if I had my married life to live over again I would get in just as much of the pleasures and frivolities as I possibly could- and could afford- and even as to the latter, I'd stretch the point and have some that I couldn't. I sure see now where Pa and I made a grand mistake by not getting into the habit [[underline]] of thinking that we must  have diversion outside the home.
We have grown stale with work-and now that we see the mistake we are too fixed in our habits to change much. We are worn on the work side of us, like a run over shoe.  But I have quite made up my mind that if we are to be relieved [[strikethrough]] xxx [[/strikethrough]] of our family for a while, I shall make a systematic effort to get out of this dismal rut.  Pa is killing himself with  the grind and I'm going to do something- even something desperate- to break away.
And then in the matter of clothes- if I had my life over again- I would wear good clothes- always. They give a feeling of assurance that hardly anything else will and are always a good investment. But Hattie buys well and you need no advice on that score.
Oh, we would do lost of things differently if we had life to live over, and you will likely feel the same when you travel along towards the end- but if you must regret, let it be along the line of something over which you have less control than the balancing of your work and recreation. Your pleasures are your own reward to yourself for the work you have done and is as much due you as the wages from your employer.
But here is the end of my preachment.
No neighborhood news- you probably knew of Mr.Shoop's sudden death from appoplexy. Mrs.Shoop and the boys will live at Rantoul or Champaign until the boys are through college. Glenn Harding in in the aviation branch  of the  service, but where I do not know- that Suthers fellow on Normal Blvd. too-
Dr.Graybeal will be going across soon now and we shall all have to stay well till he gets back.
It's getting late and I want to run down to the box with this so shall xxstop for tonight.  How I wish I could see you both and if you will only urge me hard enough I might try to make the trip again.

With my love to you both,
Mom