September 18,1913.
Dear Helen:
If you will recall, I told you that I had started to write you a letter, but could not complete it. I have it still, and if you want it, I am enclosing it for you. It starts to tell of what happened on Sunday afternoon. After this preliminary opening in which the men (about seventy five in the class)were feeling in good humor and were ready to listen to a talk on any subject—from religion to politics, judging from the remarks, I launched into the discussion.
I had had a very enjoyable morning at the service, had a dandy dinner, and a very pleasant afternoon, and when I began to talk felt very satisfied with things. And as I went along the air seemed to be teeming with ideas, and all I had to do was to reach out and pluck one whenever it was necessary. And here is something to make you show those most wonderful teeth. Do you recall my fingering the "Message to Garcia" to the great discomfort of Butz, and reading a snatch of it here and there-when nobody was looking? As a matter of fact I read it exactly three times that afternoon in your house-once to the accompaniment of Morning Mood-and I used this as my theme. A general outline in rough of how I planned the talk out was as follows: to tell the story of Rowen, with a few remarks by Elbert H.,to talk about some of the remarkable achievements of Christ and their influence, to discuss similar and even greater achievements by the Old Testament heroes and seers, and concluding with the thought that each of these men were sent to deliver a message to Garcia-the world:; and that while it was necessary to do honor to the bearers of all good messages, the essential was to believe the message, carry out its summons, and perform all its commands, and to worship and obey the sender not the messenger. And then some pleasantries and the talk was no more. Of course spread out for three quarters of an hour it perhaps would appear a little better than the crude outline just given; but it gives you a fairly good idea what I raved about-as my sister here remarked when I told home what had happened.
That was some paragraph. And according to Hoyle it is technically correct. It has only one topic for discussion in it. For further reference to this call on Lil-you know your little sister.
As I struck or rather reached the station last night it began to pour. The rain followed us and when I arrived here the town looked like the bottom of a lake.
While typewriting your letter, I was interrupted and had to stop. I expected to finish the letter and mail it last night, but had to attend a meeting of the Board of Appraisal of Benefits and Damages, a committee of our city Council (like your Board of Alderman) and when I finished last night it was quite late. So I deferred til this morning and am sending you a letter written in longhand, typewriting and English.
As you will see from a clipping that is enclosed they are trying to widen a portion of Main Street (our Broadway umbeschrieen)* (God forbid! It should happen!) and our clients (Rogers Clothing Co.) would sustain about $15,000 damages. I claimed that the widening was unnecessary commensurate with the cost entailed on the city, and altho the building inspector originally testified that the damages would only be $501, after severely cross-examining him, he told the committee that I was correct and that it would cost more, in fact that it was not really necessary to widen the street at this point. Ans so the matter has gone over until next Thursday.
I had planned on being in New York today but on account of the hearing yesterday had to defer it till tomorrow morning.
During the last two days, the degree team of our lodge (at the head of which order is Dr. Joseph Silverman of Temple Emanu-El) of which yours truly is chairman, has been invited to initiate a large class of candidates in New London on Monday evening the 22nd, at which time a banquet will be given where Senators Brandegee and Mahan (the latter a Congressman) States Attorney Hull, Dr. Silverman and Governor Baldwin of this State are inviting guests. All of these gentlemen are down for toasts as well as my brother, and another whose name modesty prevents me from mentioning.
And for Sunday Sept. 28, we are to be in New Britain on a similar mission.
And for October 5, my brother and I are to be speakers at a Banquet given in New Haven, at which Ex President Taft will be present.
But here is some real news. Saltman is on our degree team. That's not the news, that happened to come to me then. Barnet - famous little Barnet - what do you think? I'll bet you can't guess. Well, I'll tell you. He started to go to kindergarten yesterday, and he'll be three in October (I will not mention the date). After school I spent quite a while with him recounting the important events in the first day he spent in the building of a great man - I hope. It was an ideal day for him too. The sun in the morning hid behind leaden clouds and as the day proceeded gradually crawled out till at noon it was bright. Isn't that the evolution of anything?
What worried me, if anything was when the teacher would have him count. He can do so up to ten; and I fear he would emulate the new "poopil" in the "Girl of the Golden West". There when the new pupil is introduced, the teacher asked him to count. He began laboriously, one, two, three, four, five, six, the class applauded, seven, eight, nine, ten, again prolonged applause. He is about to speak again. If you have tears prepare to shed them now. "Ten, Jack, Queen, King, Ace."
At eleven I have a court matter, and being ten twenty now, must get my"poipers."
I enclose a very snappy letter, an ad really, composed by Hubbard, that shows real literary style. At this late hour let me thank you for your kind invitation the other evening, and for the generous hospitality with which I was welcomed. You have entered on your second score in the game of life. When the three score and ten have rolled by and He is kind enough to add plenty more, my hope is that one word will sum up your efforts whatever they may be "Success."
And a word for this year. I know you will get all A's in your work, but remember college affords other things in addition to books. Take advantage of your opportunities in all college activities that are possible so that some day you will be able to sing, as we of Yale do of "those happy golden by-gone days."
Sincerely, Your
Joe
It is interesting to note that 62 years from this day in 1975 Joe died at the age of 89 in Fairfield, Connecticut.
The next letter will be on October 3rd.
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