June 23, 1944

6/23/44 Dear family, Got your letter yesterday and am dashing off an answer the next morning which is fri. So dad sort of figures that he got ruped on his hogs. It would be interssting to know whether he did or not, I wouldn’t be supprised if he did. Of course we will never know. I wonder what sort of thought process goes on in a guys mind when he takes advantage of a person when he has a chance. I suppose people get sort of callosed and pass it off and call it good business. I doubt if it is really good in the long run tho. Say Mom, did you ever hear of Ruth Sukow? She is a novelist I don’t remember reading anything by her. She has been visiting some of the western camps. She offered to chriticise any literary efforts of the CPS men. She is a pacifist. Her husband teaches at Cedar Falls. She gave two talks here one about poems writen during this war. She read several good poems written by soldiers and COs. Then last night she gave a talk on words and people. I don’t know as I was awfully impressed by what she had to say. I had a feeling that she really had something on the ball, so to speak, but that talking wasn’t her medium. I imagine she gets her points across much better when she can say it through a story. How’s farming by now? I certainly hope it has slowed up raining a little. The weather sure has done you wrong this year. So you think you stuck your neck out. I hadn’t thought of it like that al all. I figured that you could handle it on an average year. Everyone is working longer and harder now and they expect farmers to too. I don’t know as I like the idea but If you didn’t have so much to farm there would be a much greater chance of one of the boys getting caught in the draft. Incidently I think CPS would be good for both of them. Sure you took a chance, but you thought the stakes were worth it. You’ll still come out ahead. You may decide that it was a bad gamble but that comes under the head of worrying about what is over and done with. You are right, it is good not to get yourself into situations that it may be hard to get out of. I always admired the way Evelyn Lindquist handled things like that when people were always asking her to play or do something or come visit with them she was very careful not to take on more than she had time for, yet she was one of the busiest people I have known and the best like. I still think the stakes were worth it on your farming deal. Say, this has been an awfully serious letter. But I’m an awfully serious guy. Sometimes I wonder if that is good. I seem to enjoy life like everything so I guess my seriousness isn’t bothering me too much. What do you think? I could use a letter from some of the kids. I’m expecting to hear from Harry and Evelyn and It wouldn’t hurt Charles to grind me out one. I’d like it. I intend to write Eileen some of these days. She wrote one to me that I havn’t answered yet. I’ll be durned!! Myrt is really going to get married. I think that is good. I’ll bet they will be happier than the dickens. Warren hasn’t said anything about it yet maybe I can spring a little gossip on him that he hasn’t heard. O boy! Yours with love and stuff Bernard