Dunbarton, Gordonsville, Va.

Sunday, November 10th, 1946

My darling Lee,

It was grand to find your letter waiting for me when I arrived two nights ago, and yesterday the second one sent by air mail came. Just think you wrote it Sunday night and I got it Saturday. So I don't feel so far from you after all. They were such nice long letters too. I certainly do feel sad that my going away upset everything. What had you planned for us to do? I do hope you have the new glasses by now. It would be bad for you to wear them stuck together with adhesive. Be sure to have those fixed so you will have an extra pair. Take them home at Christmas time and ask Claudia to get some new frames.

I am also wondering about the riding. Claudia was going to send Robin's pants for you if that was all right.

We had an exciting time getting to New York on the plane. Hugo got up at five in the morning although we didn't leave Trinidad until twelve o'clock that night, but he slept to Puerto Rico which took us three hours. We all had to get out there and have our temperatures taken. That's an American place and they are very particular to see that no sick person comes in. It did look absurd to see forty people sitting in a row, each with a thermometer sticking out of his mouth. That being over with, we filed back into the plane and had our belts fastened when we were told something was wrong with the plane and we had a two hour wait. It was as hot as Hades, and three o'clock in the morning, and not at all a pleasant time to be waiting around. However the air conditioning in the plane was started up fairly soon and Hugo and I slept fairly well in our seats.

Morning arrived, and still the plane wasn't ready, so we were all taken in taxis to a large hotel and given breakfast, and more waiting, then back to the air field again, but that was a false alarm so back we went to the hotel. All this time we were dressed in clothes for arriving in cold New York, and about to die in this very tropical place. Hugo was lucky. I let him go swimming naked while I waded and got even hotter out in the broiling sun. It is a lovely hotel, absolutely right on the sea, in some places built over the water, but to one side there was a nice beach. You can't really go out because of sharks, but you know how Hugo swims. Finally at twelve o'clock we were taken to the plane, and everything was fine and off we went and boy, was it grand to get up in the air and feel it cool down. This was a different plane, as they never got the first one fixed, but it looked the same. I think it was a C-54. Anyway it had four engines and carried 44 passengers, so you see how huge it was. It carried three seats on one side, two on the other. Hugo and I each time had the three seats to ourselves. The arms between the seats could slip out and make one long seat where Hugo could stretch right out.

It was mighty pretty looking down on San Juan (the city in Puerto Rico) with the sea a light blue near the shore line and fading to a deep blue farther out. Everyone was exhausted by this time and soon went off to sleep, but within an hour there was a state of excitement, oil dripping right across a wing, and back we turned for Puerto Rico. We were fully loaded with gasoline, three thousand gallons for the twelve hour hop to New York and apparently much too loaded to land, so they opened something or other and two thousand gallons of precious stuff poured out to the ground. I am told it was a very dangerous thing to do, for one little back firing from the engine would have blown us all into smitherines. The other alternative was to cruise around for four hours to use the excess weight of petrol up.

Anyway, all was well and back we got into taxis and went again to the hotel, this time for lunch. By this time we all knew each other quite well, and it was quite fun laughing and chatting about it all. I sat next to a man who is quite famous. He was chief of staff to General Eisenhower during the Invasion of Europe - Royal Lord is his name. Isn't it a funny one - he was the youngest brigadier-general in the American army, and he told me he had a cup given him for flying further than any man during one year - a hundred and fifty thousand miles. Don't the Americans give cups for funny things.

By this time we didn't think we would get off at all that night, and were most surprised to be taken back to the port right after lunch, and this time, in still another plane, we actually reached New York. We made very good time, and got in at 12:30 so we were just over ten hours. If you will look at the map, you will see that going from Puerto Rico to New York you don't go over any land. We did pass some tiny islands, and the colouring of the shallow waters around about them was really spectacular. Such brilliant blues and greens, as though you had streaked a piece of paper just for fun with a line of green and a line of blue.

We had a hard time getting a bed in New York, for the hotel gave our room away when we hadn't come by six o'clock. We waited around and finally were taken way upstairs to a small room, but the beds weren't made up, so up we went to another room, and still the beds weren't made. By this time it was half past two, so I said for heaven's sake bring some sheets and I would make the beds myself. The next morning, although I wanted to stay in New York and do lots of things, Hugo was so worn out and tired, that we came straight on down to Virginia. Scotty was here, and Joan turned up the next day. Nich came over the next morning with her whole family, and I did wish you could see them. Elaine is huge, much bigger than you, and almost a grown-up woman. Piers and Hazel have also grown a great deal, but of course are still little kids. Elaine asked so many questions about you, and wanted to know if you still had your good ideas!

I will get the books together. But Claudia doesn't know where you will keep them, that little house is so crowded, and she suggested they weren't sent to you until they have a bigger house. But I will send any immediately that I think you badly want. She has Flicka and one or two of the books you have. Just So Stories had been found. That is a valuable book so be sure to take good care of it. How did you like the one we bought in the station?

Little Ellen (Joan's) is mighty cute and still looks more like an Indian than she does like a white girl. She and Hugo seem to be having a grand time together. Hugo will go to school with her tomorrow. He doesn't want to go. She is in the first grade too, though she is seven and a half.

I haven't been anywhere yet, so I don't know what the position is with regard to buying things, but everyone is discouraging and says everything is difficult. But I will try very hard to find you something nice. I don't know about an electric train, but neither do I know where you could set it up.

I will certainly try to find pictures of Dunbarton and the family. I haven't been out to Nichiko's yet, but I am told the lawn and garden are in a big mess, as she has no servants inside or out, and does everything, including the laundry. Nobody can get anyone to help them. Apple Peel is still going strong. So is Machi's Fraulien, who won a cup for having the best litter of puppies in a show.

Wasn't it a pity about your bonfire being put out by the rain. The rain in Trinidad was most upsetting. You never had any indication that it might begin, and suddenly there was a downpour. The only thing rationed in American is sugar, but that is so scarce that you can't always get your ration.

The 2nd 11 you are in. Is that the soccer? I am glad you like it. Why is it nicer than rugger?

I haven't been in any dime store yet. So far the only thing I have got for you is some rice. We had fried chicken today and I did wish for you.

Goodbye my cutie. I certainly will stay whole until I see you again.

Love from your affectionate mother,

Mollie