to Mr. and Mrs. A. Henderson, 7016 Stewart Av Chicago 21 Illinois from 5726 - 28th Av N.E. Seattle 5 Wa: Friday A.M Oct 29 - 1954 My dear Alec and Evalyn: Sorry I've been neglecting you so long, and there's no use trying to make excuses for they only accuse. Well Robert got back from a hunting trip -- just last night -- that took him clear back to Omaha. He spent some days with a chap that used to live in Seattle whose wife inherited a nice farm some 40 miles from Omaha -- and they went pheasant shooting. Robert reported over the phone last night from his own house that he shot only three. He no doubt is back in the Lab this morning so I'll be down and talk to him. Ive been down most of the time to the Lab while he was gone but I also got time to put in a few extra licks round the garden with the long handled round pointed shovel, which "*on account*" the ground having been dug over several times a year is now very pliable so I can do quite a little stint in a comparatively short time. But the weeds grow so fast that almost before I get back in the house, I need to go back, and back so often. I dont mind the exercise and its good for me and I'm truly thankful I can keep going. Well no doubt you have found by this time the pamphlet of the Media and Parthia Cunard sister ships. They are each only some 13,000 tons, but they have only one class of passenger -- First class -- so naturally they would send for Jim and me. Anyway on a place inside the pamphlet where "X marks the spot" you will see either the exact room Jim and I expect to occupy on the *return* voyage, or a type of it. The Empress of Scotland on which we expect to sail to Greenock from Montreal is a 20,300 ton boat and almost new. We are due to sail from Montreal on June 7 next D.V., and return from Liverpool July 9 for New York. That should give us 3 weeks and 4 days in Scotland. Each voyage will occupy between 6 and 7 days, so our vacation should occupy about six weeks. Then Alec when you have got through examining the "ext" spot will you tuck it in a large envelope and send it on to Jayum, and Alec it definitely is a real grief to me that you cannot undertake even a small trip like this and make it a Henderson threesome. Love always Tom