Sincerely, Joel C. Swisher

Dear Soldier Cousin—

Wie gehts? Und wo bist-du? Nach Deutschland?⁽¹⁾How are you? And where are you? To Germany? We are all wondering since we have not heard from thee⁽²⁾Edith uses “thee” in the tradition of Quaker “plain speech”, which by the early 20th century was used only among Quakers or close family. for so long, at least it seems a long time even tho it is only two weeks since thee wrote to Aunt H. Has the sweater arrived yet? It was quite a patriotic duty for Aunt Hanna. Everybody in the neighborhood knew she was doing it for thee especially. The other ladies knit just for the fellow who may happen to get it.

I’ll not tell thee how cold it is here except that the frost looks exactly like a fine snow this morning. It really does look like winter, for in front of the window there are piles of ice eight and ten inches thick. Thee did not know the river was frozen did thee? Well, it was last winter: This ice happens to be from refrigeration cars we had put in here for potatoes. We have been looking for this car for three weeks and it arrived day before yesterday. Expect to load a car or two of wheat at Conowingo this week. There is just a whole lot of wheat down in that section that has not been bought up so Dad is getting busy. He bought enough for a car in about two hours Monday afternoon. I think in terms of wheat, corn and potatoes now. I truly believe I’ll turn into a “spud” pretty soon (that’s the latest name for potatoes, isn’t it?)

A boat is crossing the river just below the warehouse. Ducking I imagine, They are shooting lots of them up the river above the dam and hordes down the bay. There was a little lame one kept close to the shore here for two or three days but whenever Dad got his gun, strange to say it was nowhere to be seen.

Must close if I want this to go off in the mail. O dear, there comes the train now, so I’ll just keep on writing between weighings and settling up accounts. Joel, thee really should have been here to go to the Y.F.A. social at Penn Hill last Tuesday evening. There were lots of people there and such a good time as we had— played games. Everybody seemed bent on having a good time and we did. And eat! Little cakes, fruit and candy were refreshments. Everybody just ate all they wanted, and Norman W., Rodney, Jo Terrill and “Pas” stuffed their pockets full. But they made me tired. They might as well be at some training camp as the rest of you boys. That reminds me, Aunt Hattie just phoned up and said there is not much use of sending thee anything for she is sure thee must have left Camp Devens. So please write soon and relieve her mind. Aunt Mary thinks thee is on thy way to France. Speak O speak Voice, thru the desolate (sighs) air, and tell us whence thou comest and whither thou art bound. Thee thinks I ought to enclose that in quotation marks? No sir, its original, at least- I never heard it before.

Had a letter from Edith Stubbs this morning. They want Sis and I to spend this Saturday and Sunday over there. Wonder what will be the matter with Joel this time? Nothing we hope.

Have had two nice dreams about thee. Third will be the charm, won’t it, and come true? In the one last night thee had come home very unexpectedly and we had a perfect jubilee. I dreamt we had all started on a long automobile trip, Camp Meade I think it was, to see thee, and I had to go back for “Alva King’s” and my panama hats, and there thee was! Then we seemed to be at Wrightsdale store and thee seemed to have grown a foot, in height——I mean, not another foot, since thee went away. And I thought to myself, “Well, that’s what the army does for them—makes them grow.” Does it?

I am going to keep on writing to thee till I get an answer, so to spare thyself as much misery as possible write soon!

My best wishes for thy welfare and that of the 25th Engrs. May they be long in this land and help to get the Kaiser, too.

Thy cousin
Edith M. Bradley