Dear “Grandpa” and “Grandma”:
You ought to have heard from me before this time. It may be some satisfaction to you to know that I am often [unreadable] look forward to your bi-weekly letters and yet do none of the answering of them myself.
Now that this is off my mind I shall proceed to tell you that we on our way to Europe. That comes a surprise, does it not? The St. Laurence is very beautiful. I have made up my mind not to be making comparisons too much. “Comparisons are various.” However, I cannot help comparing our beautiful Hudson with this nobile station. The shores of the latter are incomparable.
But I almost think the St. Laurence, as an expanse of water, is ahead of the Hudson. “The Dorie” is a good ship. We like it very much. Never has a better ship sailed the air. (This last sentence is largely rhetoric as my purpose was to use the word “in air”. It sounds well).
So far we have seen us mermaids “with a comb and a glass [unreadable] in their hand”. But we only sailed since 9:58 this morning. I presume mermaids do not venture with the river so far “up” stream. Which reminds me that I once told a woman in Boston that it sounded [unreadable] to hear people in Massachusetts talk of “down East” in refere to Upper Maine. “Yes,” she said, it is purposely [unreadable] of us. It originally came from Nova Scotia.” (Now I call that down East.) Just about that time I had a nervous collapse.
“The Dorie” behaves in winning medals in the proverbial way -- thru our stomachs. We had an excellent luncheon -- nowadays I cannot for the life of me tell the difference between the modern luncheon and modern dinner -- and at four o’clock while reclining peacefully in a deck chair where we “just set” with out “thinking” -- you will recognize the classic reference to the man who buying our church because the pews were comfortable _ “sometimes he would set and think” and sometimes “just set” -- when some stewards served us with tea, a sandwich + “Lonra Donnes”. Of course, we were not hungry at least I was not but we were awfully rushed to the feast and greatly enjoyed the food and dinner. They also serve lunch in the forenoon. We won’t stave, of that we are sure, and I don’t expect any sea sickness in this family of “riddle rich”. You want to know when we have “supper”? I hardly know that you mean. To tell the truth we don’t have any “supper” here. Our evening meal is “dinnah”. No fried potatoes and dried beef from these “birds”. We have something more substantial. Nothing but a juicy beef steak is sufficient to myself the need of this [unreadable] us life. Now all this means that we are having the time of our lives. It is great. And it is three-fold joy to have the whole family here. If only grand-pa and grand-ma were with me, our happiness would be still greater. What a time we could have together! So far we have not yet met any especially [unreadable] people. But others are “in the same boat” they have not yet met us. With love, I now say “Au river”.
Very affectionately yours,
Harry