October 12, 1923 Cleveland to Northhampton, Massachusetts

 Oct. 11, 1923

Dear Helen :

I received your letter several days ago and it certainly was good to hear from you. I realize that I should have answered this letter a long time ago, but school has kept me so busy that I have really not found enough time to answer your letter as it should be answered.

    Your mention of inviting me to Smith dances if I were close enough to Smith so that you could do so certainly was a great compliment to me and I want to thank you for wishing to invite me if it were possible. As far as I am concerned nothing would suit me better than to go to some school where we  could see more of each other, but that is impossible, I am afraid. There are so many boys around there who beat my dancing all over that you will not miss my ability any, what little there is of it.

    At present yours truly is out for the football team, trying to make it, but  with little success. Anyhow I get to sit on the bench at all the home games, that  is something. This being my first year in football I could expect nothing  better next year there may be better luck. If nothing else it provides me with 2 hrs. of exercise every day.

    When I mentioned in my letter to you that seeing you and Mary Louise at the depot  that evening reminded  me of ancient history, I did not mean it the way you took it. What I meant was that it reminded me of the days a year or so ago when we were all together. You probably knew that was the idea and are just trying to kid me a bit.

    Without a doubt you are having a wonderful time there at Smith besides studying. There is nothing like trying to go out a lot and study at the same time. We do not get so much practice at that because there is not so very much doing at Case but every once in a while we do, so I can appreciate how busy you must be.

    I am truly sorry that my mention of Jim upset you so very much. I did not believe the matter was quite as serious as that and surely hope you will excuse me for  having caused you any displeasure. You know that I would not upset you for anything.

    Thank you ever so much for giving me a space in your picture gallery. It certainly is nice of you to give me a little space along with the rest of your slaves. However your picture remains as the only one besides Jim's in my room and is a great inspiration to me while studying, spurring me on to forgetting for the nth time to forget what I am trying to study.

    Have you heard much from El Paso ? Doubtless various young gentlemen have written you and if Jim is among them, as I have no doubt he is, and you are answering  his letters when this arrives please tell him to answer my letter some time, as I have not heard from him for a long time.

    It is too bad that Mary Louise was not able to enter Smith, but as you are close together it is not so bad as it would be if you were going to school in separate places.

    My course here in in school of Civil Eng. keeps me outside a great deal, surveying the campus and it certainly is a lot of fun to work out in the open several hours a day, it relieves me so much from the indoor world.

    I doubt whether you have lasted thru this siege  until now, but if you have you should be congratulated for the patience you show towards me. Please answer me soon and I will answer real soon too because my school work has slowed up some now. (I'll answer soon anyway, whether you do or not).

As ever

Fred

P.S. Eleanor address is

1884 Page Ave.

    E Cleveland

        Ohio