Letter from Alice Fite to Katherine Fite

APCHIVES "NATIONAL RECORDS ADMIN.' AND 112 Market Street, Es Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Dearest Katherine,- Your letters leave us breathless. You are cer- tainly having a wonderful time. I don't see how anything could be more interesting. As I told you, I sent your first two letters to Marcia. They have now come back and are in the files. Your third letter (written M'nday night, July 23 and mailed the next day reaching us the next Monday morn- ing) I did not send to her but made a copy. With it I enjoined her not to publish any part of it, as we were not doing here. We certainly don't want you to have to confine your letters home to what can be pub- lished in the Poughkeepsie New Yorker or the Tulsa War Whoop. Your fourth letter, arriving today (written Friday, mailed Saturday, recived Thursday morning - that's pretty good time) I have typed in parts to send to her, telling her that none of this is to be given to the public. I did not tell her that I had edited. It is all great. I won't try to say how delighted we are that you are having this experience and honor. You know your doting parents. I will let Dad add the financial account. The house looks beauti- ful. When he presented his bill, Mr. Yerry had made it $475. We both told him he had said $450 and he said all right then, make it that. Dad gave him the check. As he said nothing about a deduction for cash, and as he had already reduced it below what he thought it was to be, Dad said he hadn't the nerve to ask for a discount. He told us that this was the last private house he would ever do (he had told George Campbell that too) He said he would be bankrupt if he did mor. He told US he lost on Mrs. Barringer's house and that this one had cost him $700. He wasn't disagreeable about it. I can believe it. He says he pays his workmen $10 a day and that insuranceetc. adds $1.37 for each one. Since he had two men working here for almost five weeks we can see bow it counts up. They were about seven weeks at it, but they abandoned us for two weeks. Their work is good, I am sure, but they were slow. I wouldn't want to see it done on anything but a contract basis. All this seems trivial beside Europe, but maybe it is good to get onto trivia occasional ly. Thanks for the birthday wishes. I had a very nice birthday to usher in my three score years and ten. We are both husky as can be. bayart 2, 1945. With much love, very Mother My only misgiving, that you may be working too hard. Does the interest counteract the weariness? didn't here to the Embarry for it. It non just a sofe grand. How long did the letter I sent to State Depit the? l hife you A quor heck, mombor August in Joseph your for $450 for painting house. Received firm Am Secrit Tr. a - their a know ledgments. Ind dated July 27, for 141.75 and Tudy 30, for 136.20 says th about One is din of dist. 1483 4968-100 "We credit your ae- cannt with the : orthn is dis- of dish. 15-51 16115266-100 following chesks- 15251 EDF