Tuesday [21 June 1913]

Dear Husband:--

I thoroughly enjoyed the letters and the paper that I rec'd yesterday from you. I am so proud of you. The professional card in the paper looked good to me, also your cards. I suppose you have seen the DAILY distress by this time. I really think the editor, Mr. Swain, tries to do alright. It is when Pearl N. gets the news first. She does as she pleases about putting it in the paper. I'm glad Mr. H[arrison] sent the Herald here, as I was glad to see the write up about you both in it. I am glad he is getting along so nicely in Harrison, but it is terrible that he and the children have to be deprived of their wife and mother, as the little children will never find anyone that can fill a mother's place with them. Tho' I think their grand-parents would come the nearest.

Oh! I do hope you can come in August if Mr. H. sends the children with you. That would save him a trip here, besides the time he would lose away from his work, which I imagine must be heavy now.

Tell him that I said, as my little boy was a few years older than his little girls, that I thought it would be alright to send them all four alone, but to be sure and tag you with your name and destination. Also to put you in care of the conductor when you change at Neosho [?] Then for Mr. H to drop a line to Dr. C. E. Still, the mayor here, and ask him if it would be asking too much for him to meet you with his New Electric at the Wabash and see that you were all taken to the right place. Tell him if he will do this, that I will be very grateful.

I rec'd a letter from Margaret Linton Howerton yesterday. She doesn't think that she can come to the convention, as she has been suffering with acute neuritis, but said she wanted to come when it was cooler. I am so sorry she has been ill, but I know we would enjoy having her more in cool weather; and then if you come, we will have more time by ourselves, I hop. When will you know if you are sure coming?

I am glad you sent your list dear, but I couldn't make out the names of the towns in Nebraska. Was it Dorne or Dome? And the one in Wyo. was it Single? Honey, you always write plain, but the letters in those two were run together, and I am not familiar with the towns out there, so please write those 2 again, or print them for little baby, she hasn't learned how to read writing very good yet. of course we won't send out the announcements for quite a while, but I wanted to have the list ready.

Say, honey dear do you know one of your majestic friends, Dr. Heiny is just passing. I wish it was Dr. Lay.

I believe this is about all for the present. I'd assist you with your office if I was near you. I wish we would have two or three rooms where your office is for the year or so that you stay there. That way, one phone would do, and I would be there to answer if you were called when you were out of the office. Maybe we might mange this after Xmas.

With best love,
Clara

Sunday Afternoon [22 June 1913]

My dear Husband:--

Everything is o.k. except I am so very lonesome without you. But, honey, you will have to turn a deaf ear to what I say in my letters about missing you. And don't let it worry you dear. You will have to do as Ulysses did in mythology when the sirens sang to him. Remember? Someone is singing "The Perfect Day." The days will all be perfect when we are together, won't they dearest? I hope your "walking advertisement" will help you a great deal.

Mamma's brother, Uncle Billie Beck in Wichita died Thurs. and I have been trying to keep Mamma in good spirits. There is only three of her family left: aunt Bess Gupton in Palmyra, uncle Frank Kiggins in Bozeman, Mont. and mother here. You know there was thirteen in her family counting Grandma and Grandpa; the same in yours and the same in papa's. Isn't that a coincidence? I know of one couple that the number in their family is not going to exceed the speed limit of TWO, in addition to the other two. Now, honey, don't ask who they are because you know I never did like to be personal. Ha! Ha!

Don't forget to answer what I asked you about the announcements. Mamma thinks if you come in August that we should announce our marriage then, and of course I will stay home then a few months longer, but she said if you came, then we wouldn't have to be on a nervous strain keeping people at sea, and could feel free to act as we cared to to have the best time.

Blanche Rogers was talking to me the other night. She said she had been hearing terrible things about me. That an osteopath had been camping down of our house. I said, "the idea of an osteopath. I thought they were all gone, aren't they?" And I don't think she knew what to say next. I think that she got her information from "Mother Magpie" (Mrs Selby) across the street from us. Blanche lives where Dr. J.W. Martin lived on Mc Pherson, and I can't see where else she obtained her news. Mrs Selby was over here last Sunday, and we were all in the swing. Mamma said Mrs. S. would think she was ruined to think she was so close to such a great secret and didn't know the truth about it.

This is a rainy Sunday. How I wish you were here so that we could love each other and none would disturb us.

Hope I get a long letter from you in the morning. If I do, I shall be delighted. Your letters are dear, dearest. And what you tell me in them, especially some things, make them sacred. I truly appreciate them, and they help me while away the time sometimes when I am lonesome for my darling boy.

Your loving wife,
Clara Gibson Lay

We will learn how to operate an oil stove some time won't we dear? Of course, I am used to gas, but I don't suppose there is a great deal of difference in the coal, oil and gas stove combinations, are there?

Has Mr. H decided to send the children here?

With love,
Clara