Sunday April 17 - 1955 My dear Alec and Evalyn: Probably about this time 74 years ago we were all pretty busy feeding the fishes over the rail of the Circassia, but thats not so much to the point as that I keep reminding myself that your hands keep you from attempting much in the way of writing, so that I should more frequently drop you a line: -- not the kind that we dropped to the fish over the rails of the boat referred to, however, for except from the companionship of your books, which I'm glad to say you make good use of your days are rather drab to put it mildly. Well, old boy I havent said a great deal about the actual condition of Bess' every day life recently but as of now, her memory is just about as old Aunties was in her latter years. There's nothing the matter I think with her general physical condition for she's always ready to eat, but it would be folly to think of leaving her in charge of the house while Jim and I are away. So although I have told her a number of times that she *wont be in the house while I'm gone,* it always seems like news to her when I mention it. She just doesn't *try* to think, and when I tell her that she just doesn't pay attention to what she is told, she gets angry, but that is just why she is in the condition mentally that she is now. For instance: (or E.G. to be more in keeping with your better "book larnin") this morning I lay in bed till after 8 oclock for all day yesterday though I was working in the garden, I was suffering from a general depression and muscular ache resulting from a vaccination a few days ago -- compulsory in order to be able to re-enter the U.S. after our brief holiday over seas: -- so after a hot bath I went very early to bed and told Bess I wouldn't be rising as early as I usually do on Sunday morning. So it was after 10 oclock when we sat down to breakfast, and as I rested on the davenport after it she came in and asked if it wasn't time to be thinking of dinner. Bess can and does eat at any time. However she does buy her own bread and *nucoa* which she likes just as well as butter. However if I had taken up with her suggestion she probably would have started to do something in that direction although less than two hours had gone by since we finished breakfast. She gets $42.50 per month Social Security. I have made arrangements with a lady in a different section of the city and nearer to downtown to take her for two months at 85.00 or 90.00 per month. Now as I explained to Jayums in a letter, she has $1275.00 Government bonds which were in the Federal Reserve bank of Chicago and recently forwarded here. Most of them in small denomination have already matured, so some of them will be sold and the proceeds used to take care of that two months expense. After *all* of her money is used up, she will be entitled to State of Washington welfare assistance, but not before. Anyway Alec it hasn't been easy to put up with her this past while, as I'm sure both you and Jim know from your own experiences. Well both Jim and I have had our physical examination which at least in my case was only the vaccination, and Jim is now waiting the arrival from Washington D.C. of his passport. Mine came just a few days ago, so I guess we are pretty well set to hit the trail, which would be in my mind and I'm sure in Jims if you were physically able to travel and in that way reduce to some extent that Croesus accumulation of coupon cutting value in storage. At any rate Alec, I must surely bring you back a new Auld Reekie to replace the one you've had for nearly 25 years, but if you can, let me know if a light weight pipe and short strait stem or a curved stem would be most desirable. Then too if Evalyn has something in mind she would like to have from the other side I would be glad to do what I can in she space remaining in the wardrobe trunk Flo and I used in 1930. I do trust this finds you both in fair shape, and if not too much trouble -- just a few words soon Love always Tom Better not to mention Bess' case except to inquire how she is.