beta theta pi house

　　ohio state university

　　columbus，ohio

　　26 april 1922

　　dearest mum：

　　i am hoping this will arrive on april 27 togreet you on your 42nd wedding anniversary，but iam a little late in starting it as usual.your letterreached me at mansfield，o.a couple of days ago where it was forwarded from east aurora.i guess itold you in one of my previous letters that the wayto reach me by mail is via 159 park place，eastaurora.mr.cushman does the forwarding.

　　so you've been gay for forty years

　　for forty years and two—

　　been jolly all through smiles and tears

　　so you've been gay for forty years：

　　a thing one very seldom hears.

　　i send my love to you.

　　so you've been gay for forty years

　　for forty years and two.

　　i hardly think i have written you since we lefteast aurora a week ago monday in the afternoon.we remained over easter at the cushmans and hadeaster sunday dinner at the roycroft.the nextday we left，clanking merrily out of town with ourbed upon our back as goes the turtle…

　　spring has arrived in ohio.this is a flat statewhere red pigs graze in bright green fields andwhere farms are neat and prosperous——not likenew york farms.we roll along through dozens ofvillages and cities whose names we never heard.they are typical of the middle west.the oldestinhabitant is generally standing somewhere pullinga long white beard，the smithy door is generallyopen and the sound of the anvil to be heard，thevillage flapper is generally flapping up and downalong main street in front of a group of joblessyouths who help hold the drug store up，and somewhere there is always a housewife sweepingoff a porch or carrying a spadeful of manure to thegarden.toward evening the country scenes becomeidyllic ——the sort of thing you have seen in themoving pictures and never quite believed in.sheepcome drifting up long green lawns where poplars throw interminable shadows，come drifting up andstand like statues beneath white plum blossoms，while far down the lane and off in the fields a littleford tractor moves like a snail across the furrows.lilacs are in full bloom and the lavender iron-wood blossoms are coloring all the roads.

　　i've given up cigarettes until i get tocalifornia.isn't that a good idea？cush thinks it'sgreat.i also am looking forward soon to giving upclean shirts.they're worse than cigarettes.i'm onmy last one now.

　　the ford is a tremendous expense.repairshave cost up 75 cents since we left new york——50 cents for a busted radiator and 25 cents for a fanbelt.pretty heavy going.

　　new york is the state for roads.here thereare pikes，which are cement on one side and dirton the other.when you meet another car if you areon the cement side all is well，and when you are onthe dirt side you steer to one side，sink downindefinitely，and then get out and lift the car backonto the road again.that's why fords can goplaces where heavler cars have difficulty.wheneveryour ford shows signs of weakening，you can lift itback where it belongs.

　　tell father he ought to read benchley's of all things if he wants a good time.i read it theother day in mansfield.it's about as funny asanything there is on the market today with theexception，of course，of the cushman-white travelogues which are simply killing.

　　we'll be leaving for kentucky on fridaymorning.this place is so beautiful we want to stayfor a day or so to become acquainted with it.

　　congratulations again on your anniversary.have a good time at atlantic city honeymooning.love to father——tell him i received his letter andthank yon.i mailed the slip to the trust company the other day in mansfield.

　　yours，

　　andy