April 1, 1939 
Dear Dr. Schmitt; 
I got your letter of the "^Oth today. It is wonderful what 
air mail can do! I hope you received your eai*phone cord yesterday. 
We figured that it should reach there hy then. 
I was certainly shocked hy your news of Mr. Deveneau's death. 
What in the world happened to him? I wrote Mrs. Deveneau a little note, 
hut there is so little one can say in such a situation. I certainly 
feel sorry for her, left with the bringing up of those children. I 
suppose Phyllis will have to he more or less self-supporting from now 
on, hut the younger ones still have a lot of schooling ahead. Poor 
Phyllis, she was looking forward to college next fall! Mrs. Deveneau 
is an accomplished pianist; I wonder if she can make a living for ibhem 
in that way, I believe she worked before she was married, which ought 
to he some help, hut I am awfully sorry for her. They were a particularly 
devoted couple, too, 
Mrs. Cheney called up today. She came hack for the week end 
after her first week in Harrisburg. She is awfully happy in heriiew 
job and says that it all seems just too good to he true after the had 
times she has had. She will take her little girl up with her tomorrow 
when she goes hack. She is living with another woman who works, and who 
has a small daughter. She has a white housekeeper who will look after 
the children and give themlh^ lunch. Mrs. Cheney thinks it is a very 
satisfactory arrangement. 
Mr, Bryant says that Mrs. Cheney’s parents are losing their 
house and moving into an apartment. It is too had. 
Miss Rathhun seems to have given up coming down on Saturday 
mornings. This is the third Saturday that she has not appeared. In 
fact, I guess she hasn't been here on a Saturday since you left. Don't 
you hope she gets the habit and doesn't start coming again as soon as 
you come hack? We wonder if she doesn't come because you aren't here 
or whether it is because she finds getting home on Saturday too diffi- 
cult. Seward has been sick, so the hoy has been coming for her alone. 
If he is the least hit late (and lately she gets her hat on at a quarter 
of three instead of three o'clock) she thinks that Seward has probably 
told her not to come for her and she gets all upset and annoyed. Yester- 
day she had me call Seward to make sure that they were coming, 
Wednesday night I finally asked Jane outright if she wouldn't 
do me the favor of getting out promptly without making me chase her out 
every night. She said O.K, cheerfully, and last night again left at 
4;U51 What can you do with some one like that? I didn't mind last night 
because I had planned to work a little late myself, the only trouble being 
that she talks so ra-uch that I can't work much! I told her Wednesdav that 
