Letters Home IV ~

The next correspondence I find

 is written in

 December of 1938.

The writing is small and cramped

 as he crowds his thoughts onto a penny postcard.

“Dear Folks,

I received your letter this morning Mom

 and was very glad to get it.

 I know you have been expecting me home every day

 and I should have written to let you know how I was.

 It looks now as though I won’t be able

 to get home for Christmas.

 I still can’t keep any food or liquids down,

 so until I do they won’t let me out of here.

So I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas

 and please go ahead and have a very good time

 even though I don’t get home.

 I’ll be thinking about you.

If I should suddenly get better,

 Ilene said she’d be willing to wait

 and come home with me on the train

 on Sunday morning.

 Otherwise she’ll be home on the train

 on Saturday night.

It seems to me the doctors haven’t been doing

 very much to try to cure me.

 Their idea seems to be that my stomach

 ought to get better by itself.

 I’m tempted to come home and see 

what Dr. Olson can do about it,

 but probably that would be foolish.

 It would mean a lot of inconvenience

 when I did get home.

Well, I hope the old stomach

 straightens out pretty soon.

 And I hope to be able to see you soon."

Merry Christmas

Sincerely,
Gordon

*  *  *

His parents will travel to be with him

 for Christmas this year.

 Their youngest daughter will join them.

 His oldest sister and two brothers will remain on the farm.

*  *  *

Spring will come, then summer,
 and with summer will come Gordon’s passing.

 Cancer will have claimed his young life at the age of 22.

Sincerely, Gordon