greatest pleasure in his pleasure. 
But the idea of inviting John at once gave MreBe another idea and he 
forthwith invited our pastor and his wife to also take a three weeks trip, 
as his guest all around,they to come back with John,-at which those dear 
people were so flabbergasted that they were speechless. 
Imagine the consternation that was theirs for ,(as Mrs Gehring immediately 
suspected) they had no clothes to weart This defect Mrs.Gehring immediately 
made good in part out of a modest fund she had at her disposal for such purpo= 
ses,so that they are now comforted and can at least go about without notice. 
So you see there are great doings in this modest village when seven of 
its denizens betake themselves at one fell swoop away on a trans-continental 
journeye Were it not for the Flu we should have been modestly pesging away at th 
this time ,cheek by jowl with other modest people,and probably getting more out 
of it in some ways since there would have been more contact with humanity. 
But since it is just this contact we wish to avoid ,we consider ourselves very 
fortunate indeed in having Providence in the person of our friend,step in at 
the psychological momente 
I think I did have the notion that if we found the experience in California 
attractive over this winter,it mightnt be a bad scheme to try it again and stay 
to hum over summer and do my professional work at that timee I do think it too 
bad were we to acquire the habit of Christmas Cove for every summer and havent 
an idea of going back on this home during the best time of all here,the summer. 
You see the C.Cove idea is but a novelty and may wear off. There are some little 
strenuosities connected with that life that may grow a bit arduous. 
The only consideration that would ever take us away from Bethel would be 
that either of us might have life made more easy and prolonged by such an absence 
in which case it would,of course,be the right thing to do. 
at I must confess to feeling a bit queer at not doing so much professional 
work as usual. At the beginning of the autumn I shooed most of my applicants off 
by saying I should be away after the middle of December. It is true I am still 
carrying three or four who refuse to leave,with whom I have done pretty cood 
work,and it is equally true that I dont hanker after more work,so there I am 
But I think 1 could have a mighty good time had I the greenhouse to play 
withe Would you believe that a few fall chrysanthemums which I put in there 
in the late summer have still a few measly blossoms? It has frozen a little in 
Side,at times,but yet I love to go in when the sun shines as it rises to twenty 
or more degrees higher than ouside. lly sister writes from Cleveland that they 
too have no bulbs and no greenhouse fire,and they are also lost. I think your 
venture with a few bulbs is most pathetic; why didnt I think and be as clever? 
One might have had some Paper Whites anyway. 
ut never mind,dear Billy,we'll all gather together in June and make plans 
for a better winter. It want be that next winter will prove so circumscribed as 
as this onee I'm meaning to take up my work here for next winter and earn some 
money,as well as take care of some shell-shock patients. Did I write you that 
I have just treated one here and relieved him altogether of his night-terrors 
and his sleeplessness? He used to jump up out of bed and cry’ Thats all gone$ 
I've just reread your letter. I must have given you the "wrong Steer",as 
we say in the sporting world. I've just been reading the most hair-raising 
criminal-detective story; "The adventures of Jimmie Dale" by Frank L.Packards 
Get it by all means and read it aloud to Mrs.Brewster. But not before going to 
Sleep. After reading it in bed one night lately,I had occasion to get up again 
and go down stairs,(the family having retired) and found myself imitating the 
hero by "stealing downstairs softly,tweading on each fhoor-board so it wouldnt 
creak,fecling of the wall,rising carefully upon the toes of each foot before 
putting down the other,and with my long,delicate,sinewy fingers delicately 
