Thursday [July 10, 1913]

Dear Husband:--

I didn’t receive any word from you to-day, but will pardon you, as I enjoyed the messages I rec’d yesterday, and I know once in a while it is alright for you to take a day off to write someone else, as you mustn’t neglect your writing to your father, and dropping a card occasionally to Lester, your grandmother, and your other uncles.

I hope your sisters get along alright when they are confined, anyway, it is always dangerous. Your sister is so young that was married last fall. Too bad they couldn’t have been careful for a few years. Don’t you think so honey? So you are too old to marry. Well, well, I didn’t know that you had joined the ranks of the Bachelor Boys, dear. Now isn’t it a shame that you can never be a bachelor, nor I an ancient peach, tho’ I feel like I was a blue dameon plum at present-- Ha! Ha!-- though I feel better today than I did yesterday. I went with Papa out for a drive for about an hour this morning. The weather was more pleasant than last night and this morning. And I got a good night’s rest last night. I just imagine you enjoy hearing all that, but you know I have to fight malaria every year from this time on for several weeks.

I ‘phoned your aunt and she said her father was some better and that Lester had rec’d a card from the Dr.

Do you like Harrison any better by this time?

I was so amused at Papa the other day. I don’t remember of writing to you about it. He said that maybe

After you had been away a while, had the experience, and had seen how things were in other places that you would reconsider and decide to come closer here. You know I had told him about you having to treat for a dollar a treatment. I think he is like I am. If you treat for you had better be nearer here for a good many reasons. The car-fare alone would am’t to considerable in a year. As the climate there is not what I would consider the best, if you get a chance to sell out, do so. Isn’t that what you think best? I’d love to have you nearer here, at least for a few years. Then if you heard of a good opening someplace west, try it. I asked if you know how many there were in Mobesby, didn’t I? And Columbia? You know I heard that would be a good place for another osteopath. Of course, oftentimes it is guesswork, but C. C. Howard, formerly the editor of the Daily Express here, lived in Columbia for some time, and that was his idea that another would do alright there.

Oh! Honey, I wish you were here. I’d love to love you this very minute, and for about 24 hrs, straight ahead. You know what that means, don’t you dear? That we would go to sleep in each other arms. Won’t that be glorious when we do have that golden opportunity?

Your loving wife,
Clara Gibson Lay

Honey, I wasn’t planning to do anything but love you when you came. Mamma thinks there would be no stopping place here for us just to send the announcements out of town—except your aunt and uncle and Ray.

We will have to leave the at-home cards out if you haven’t decided sure what you are going to do in the next two weeks. If we do, sending it out of town, each one will think it was an accident.