Charles E. H. Bates Family Correspondence, 1899-1930 - 2

727 Paru Street June 4th 1918

My dearest Edward,

It was an intense relief to get your letter this P.M. Your father was on the phone from S.F. [San Francisco] (when the postman came) to know if there was a letter & Aunt E had rung me up many times in the last few days to know if news had come of you because we feared you were ill – the last letter was from Coronado – Sunday a week ago & you had a very

bad cold & so when we did not hear as often as usual we began to fear you might be ill or had been ordered to France or something of the kind – Hence the relief –

Today letters have come from Richard Bates. One for you which I will forward. I hope you don't mind me opening it but we could not resist it – & thought you would not mind it will save your sending it back but be sure I let Les see it. Dick has had a letter from A.D. personally I am very glad she had the

decency to let him know. I feared she had not from the way the whole thing was conducted but dear old fellow my heart aches for him I know he feels it keenly – However they were not engaged & she had a perfect right to do as she saw fit in the matter. Of course if she had a lot on the string just waiting to pick the most desirable that was not so nice – I am very glad you & Lesley Bates can see each other & go around together it is some [underlined] consolation – Les wrote a very [underlined] interesting but hair raising

account of the trips he has made in the sky – they sound pretty bad to me –

I am delighted that you hope to be at that camp all summer dearie. I hope you will be – Jocelyn registers tomorrow. He has an affidavit from Dr Eaves which I hope will keep him from getting called out for a year at least. He Dr. E. has enlisted & asked for an immediate assignment he hopes to do "reclamation work" bone building etc. He says the Govt [government] wants that kind of men

Nurse Drs. who can do that work. So he hopes to get into it.

I am very stupid this afternoon have had a headach [headache] for several days – will you ship this over to Les as I fear I can't get off a letter to him tonight.

Jocelyn Bates went up to the rice fields with L. last week & is offered work up there which he wants [underlined] to do. Can get no U.C. work this sumer [summer] – has tried all ways to do it – i.e. get some courses either here or at Davis that could be worth while – they won't allow him to go to Davis because he has had none of the prerequisite work you see