to Mr. and Mrs. A. Henderson, 7016 Stewart Av Chicago 21 Illinois Saturday Evening Dec 18 - 1954 Dear Aleck & Evalyn: For the life of me I cant think for sure if I mailed you a Christmas Card a day or two ago. I checked off the names and of course you were on the list but it isnt checket, *yet.* Well anyway I have yours of the 12th before me, and its mighty nice you are able to continue that cheerful attitude despite the crackly joints etc. But you still have pipe and books, though those are small comforts comparatively to being able to be up and around. Indeed what a swell threesome it would be if you could be along. Maybe its a bit risky at our ages to be contemplating such a *trayup* but if our health doesn't break and no immediate threat of another World War starting about the time we are due to sail on the Empress of Scotland, we expect to go. A Christmas card I got from one of our Jessies friends in Eugene Mr. & Mrs. Mickelson, recalled the story Ive told many times of when young Pearl Webster about 1882 came over with his Paw and Maw to make a visit to his Onkel Jayum and *Ant* Mart (the Runyans), on a Sunday evening when I was milking in the corral -- and yes he had *caows* to *mayulk* at home, so when I suggested he go in the house and get a bucket, and help me milk -- it offended his ten year old dignity, and he further stated he had on his "good suit fr' nice" and he "didn't *hev* to mayulk no caows" [this would have been when they lived in NW Iowa] So Mrs Mickelson on her card speaking of our prospective trip across reminded me I must "*have* on my *good suit f'r nice.*" It quite thrilled me that she remembered the story. But either last May or the year before I heard from Rose Callender that our hero of the mayulking episode had died only a couple of years or so ago, so he must have been well up in his 70's. The card I'm enclosing has a really good reproduction of Old English Art -- features and figures are really very natural. Flo would have got a real thrill out of such a picture -- yule log I suppose. Well old boy, lets keep a goin', your cheery outlook is a good incentive to the rest of us. Affectionately Tom