Free Dancing In a Jar by Poynter Adele

Laurette’s wise counsel: “Glory be to God, girl, ‘tis only a bit of fun.”
    I’m glad you received my valentines. We had lots of fun here on Valentine’s Day. The Giovannini children were preparing for it weeks ahead—Walter made thirty-six valentines. I drew some cartoons with poems for each child and dressed some lollipops in skirts and trousers. The six girls here for the card party helped dress up some pillows in Don’s clothes. We put the figure in a chair, placed an antique Chinese pipe in the mouth, and waited for Don to discover his double. He got a good laugh from our antics.
    Thank you for the chocolate too. I will ask Leonis to run this letter straight to the Glencoe so you can know I received your generous gift.
    Love,
Urla
    St. Lawrence Corporation Ltd.
St. Lawrence, Newfoundland
    March 25, 1934
    Dear Pop,
    Mother has written to say you will be closing your New York sales office at the end of March. I know this is a blow, but I suspect a lot of small companies have pulled in their horns in this Depression. Maybe you can find something suitable near Nutley so you’ll still have a place to escape Mom’s chore list.
    Pulling in horns is the order of the day around here. In fact, the Government of Newfoundland has just been replaced by a Commission, established by Britain, to get our financial affairs in order. Nobody seems very happy about this and it does seem rather colonial and high-handed, but the truth is a quarter of the place is on the dole. People are hungry and will do anything for a dollar.
    For some people this has chiselled away at their self-respect but not everyone. I am always amazed at how many people are clinging to at least that.
    Speaking of self-respect, I barely managed to hold onto mine the other day. I took a small team surveying on a beautiful clear day. We were crossing a small harbor when the wind changed, leaving us stranded about twenty feet from shore. One minute we were on solid ice and fifteen minutes later we found ourselves afloat on small ice pans. One of the men slipped off the ice and I had to fish him out with the transit tripod. In the end, it was a case of sink or swim so swim we did. It was only ten yards but a cold ten yards with all of our equipment with us. Of course, I asked if everyone could swim and all three assured me they could. They just didn’t mention that they swam like cats.
    We followed the telegraph poles home and I was sure pleased to get in the door. As luck would have it, there was a bottle of Saint Pierre’s best in the house. The next day I woke up without even a cold in the head but a mighty fine hangover.
    Both of us are feeling in perfect health and despite the cold have had no complaints or aches and pains. Urla has gained weight and I have lost it. Averaging about eight miles a day by Shank’s mare back and forth to the mine has kept me very fit. Urla walks every day too, but then finds a house with fresh bread and jam and something good to talk about.
    Hope this finds everybody thriving at your end too. I guess this will be all for the present and I will make a concerted effort to get off a longer letter for the next boat.
    As ever,
Donald
    . . . . . . . . . . . .
    Dear Mother,
    I will enclose a quick note for you with my message to Pop.
    I am sorry you are troubled by some of the outstanding debts. Believe me, so am I. Siebert’s promises are wearing pretty thin, but I am hoping that once this shipment of ore is paid for I can finally get paid. I had no idea I would be this long getting a paycheck from him. I only just found out from Doc Smith that he has not been paid by Siebert for eight months. I can’t imagine his situation as he has eight children in Germany. All will be fine when the ore sells, but now with the ice in, we are hard up against it until the weather changes.
    I have written everyone we owed when we left explaining our circumstances. Bambergs is the biggest and they seem okay waiting until the end of April.