5 November 1918
Dear Don,
Well you are a dandy you are. I’m quite peeved but I guess I'm too far away to do any good. While I'm waiting for dinner I'll scratch you a line because talk about being rushed. Schools were closed today because of influenza and the Washington building has been turned into an emergency hospital. We only have two doctors and the people in the homes around here can't get good care so that is why they have formed this plan. Then too, the teachers have to go out as nurses. The whole town, all the locations, have been divided up into territories and the teachers have to make a canvas. Then also the teachers have to nurse the patients. My work is to prepare meals for the teachers at noon, to plan the dinners at the club at night and now the doctor at the Hospital has put me in charge of the Dietetics Kitchen. Edythe has been sick in bed all day. I don't know whether it's the flu. I think only a case of tonsillitis but she's too sick to be out of bed so I’ve been nursing her. I wear a gauze mask saturated in lysol so I'm getting so rushing the bed pan doesn't bother me in the least. I take my hat off to the guy who invented masks.
This life is giving me a taste of canteen work and tonite I'm ready to drop in my tracks. It would be interesting to be a nurse but it's anything but restful work.
Dinner is over I must go and get Edythe her evening meal. Poor kid, if she doesn't get better I'm going to mine her mother. I haven't written you because I read in the G.G. you were home. I’ll bet Betty is cute but I don't think I'll be able to change my mind about Christmas. I don't see any use of spending all that money going and coming when both last fall and Christmas I could hardly wait to get away. I'm crazy to see Betty but I’d have to break away and what I don't see I don't miss.
I am planning on going to school immediately after school is over and I hope by fall I can land a real good place and get into something real good.
I got an interesting letter from Bid which I will enclose. [listed earlier under October, addressed to "Maggie"]
Must close and go home and study every thing about invalid cookery. Haven't had much experience for several years in that line of work.
The post office is locked so I guess I might as well sit and wait. I guess I told you the Board have leased the downstairs of the Hotel for our club, therefore we sit in the lobby and can see everything going on.
Must close.
Much love,
Leone
Nov 5, 1918