Friday A.M. at Home Sept 13 - 1957 My dear Eleanor: It was really nice on getting in last evening from the Lab to find your letter of last Sunday in the box, but the news regarding your father is not encouraging, although I think I can understand how his mentality is changing, - being forced to live among men who evidently never were bright, and their raucous voices ringing out without any seeming provocation. The same kind of condition prevails at the Northern State Hospital out from Seattle some 80 miles, where Aunt Bess is but her mind has changed so much in the last year that in all respects she just seems like a child, and no longer seems annoyed by the shrill voice of some woman incoherently schreeching out some imaginary wrong. I hate to think of either of them passing on under such untoward conditions, and away from their own kin. I was up there Sunday before last. Last Summer -- I mean the summer just passing when Uncle Jim and I were out at Canton your father seemed not in any way to have any mental aberrations, but took pleasure in treating the three of us to a good nip of Haig & Haig (no less). It recalled to my mind the times when Jim and I called to see him at 7016, when we would have a "wee drap o' the Auld Kirk" as the Scotch saying goes. Im so glad that each year since Aunt Flo passed that I have been able to return and keep up the family contacts, but I dont have the staying power I had even a year ago. However if I still am in the flesh, come summer of 1958 I'll try and make it again. No I have never been attracted to T.V., although at Esthers house they have asked me occasionally to come and listen to some particular program, but the eternal commercials and damnable jazz for music put me against the thought of getting one: although of course one can shut the thing off at will. You mentioned that the folks at 11055 hadn't heard from me for some time, and I was surprised when I looked at their last letter which I got on Aug 2 -- and answered just two days later, -- that I hadn't written evidently to them since for I know its hard for Uncle Jim to write, although I surely like to get them, in spite of the difficulty he has of not seeing what he has written he writes a good letter and it is always quite legible. Thanks Eleanor for the reminder and I'll try and write them again over this week end. Always your loving Uncle Tom And of course I'll always be glad to hear from you as often as you feel able after a strenuous day. I forgot to ask if you had sold 7016 Stewart. And by the way although I cannot carry on any conversation with Aunt Bess for her mind wanders so -- she always recognizes me at once, and thats something. [In Eleanor's hand] Ron says Dad sometimes calls him Tom. #