DIY History | Transcribe | World War I Diaries and Letters | Conger Reynolds correspondence, April-December 1919 | 1919-09-07 Conger Reynolds to John and Emily Reynolds Page 1

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Conger Reynolds correspondence, April-December 1919

1919-09-07 Conger Reynolds to John and Emily Reynolds Page 1

The Chicago Tribune
Paris Edition
September 7, 1919
Dear Mother and Father,--
Your fine letter came yesterday morning. Dee brought it down with her at noon and we read it together at the tearoom where we had lunch.  Gee, it was fine.  What cheered me most was to read in it and between the lines what a good time you were having with your youngsters.  It was great that Ernest and his whole durn family and car could come to see you and spend some time with you as they did.  I don't feel quite such a villain about being so far away from you when I know that you are being kept happy by your other young uns. 
We don't quite understand what is the situation with regard to Ernests.  Have they quit Cedar Rapids for good?  And are they going to Wyoming to live?  And what is Ernest going to do there?  I haven't heard from him at all about his plans -- no doubt because until a couple of weeks ago I hadn't written to him for a long time. 
I am sorry that the report that I was coming back to the University got abroad the way it did.  It was due entirely to an assumption on the part of the University officials that I would accept their proposition.  Because I did not reply at once they took it for granted that I would come.  The fact was I waited until Mr. Gibbons got back here from America to see what the outlook here would be before I cabled definitely that I could not go back to the University.  In many ways I wanted to go back.  But they didn't make me as good a salary offer as I know they could and as I think they should in view of the fact that whatever they might offer would be considerably less than what I am getting here.  Dee and I decided that while we are over here we had better stay with it and get all the education we can out of it before we go back and settle down to being reg'lar married folks.  With the Register proposition to fall back on -- itself a much better thing financially than the University job -- we didn't see how we could make the sacrifice demanded by the University. 
Our plans for the future are not very definite.  We may continue here for a year or so.  We are not uncomfortably fixed. There is much of interest to see here always, and a wonderful opportunity to hear good music, which is particularly fine for Dee.  Working by day I fine my job pretty agreeable, though I am not altogether in sympathy with the men under whom I work.  The job, however, is giving me splendid experience and the chance to make a reputation that will be worth much back in the states.  Something may happen that we shall go elsewhere and that I shall turn to being a correspondent.  That would give us more opportunity to travel and me more advertising back home.  Or things may take a turn that will bring us back to iowa all at once.  We feel pretty free, and if anything goes wrong here we won't hesitate to pull up our stakes and go home. The clipping you sent about the Iowa group was an amusing collection of misunderstandings.  Almer, far from owning a chateau, is having a hard struggle

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The Chicago Tribune Paris Edition September 7, 1919 Dear Mother and Father,-- Your fine letter came yesterday morning. Dee brought it down with her at noon and we read it together at the tearoom where we had lunch. Gee, it was fine. What cheered me most was to read in it and between the lines what a good time you were having with your youngsters. It was great that Ernest and his whole durn family and car could come to see you and spend some time with you as they did. I don't feel quite such a villain about being so far away from you when I know that you are being kept happy by your other young uns. We don't quite understand what is the situation with regard to Ernests. Have they quit Cedar Rapids for good? And are they going to Wyoming to live? And what is Ernest going to do there? I haven't heard from him at all about his plans -- no doubt because until a couple of weeks ago I hadn't written to him for a long time. I am sorry that the report that I was coming back to the University got abroad the way it did. It was due entirely to an assumption on the part of the University officials that I would accept their proposition. Because I did not reply at once they took it for granted that I would come. The fact was I waited until Mr. Gibbons got back here from America to see what the outlook here would be before I cabled definitely that I could not go back to the University. In many ways I wanted to go back. But they didn't make me as good a salary offer as I know they could and as I think they should in view of the fact that whatever they might offer would be considerably less than what I am getting here. Dee and I decided that while we are over here we had better stay with it and get all the education we can out of it before we go back and settle down to being reg'lar married folks. With the Register proposition to fall back on -- itself a much better thing financially than the University job -- we didn't see how we could make the sacrifice demanded by the University. Our plans for the future are not very definite. We may continue here for a year or so. We are not uncomfortably fixed. There is much of interest to see here always, and a wonderful opportunity to hear good music, which is particularly fine for Dee. Working by day I fine my job pretty agreeable, though I am not altogether in sympathy with the men under whom I work. The job, however, is giving me splendid experience and the chance to make a reputation that will be worth much back in the states. Something may happen that we shall go elsewhere and that I shall turn to being a correspondent. That would give us more opportunity to travel and me more advertising back home. Or things may take a turn that will bring us back to iowa all at once. We feel pretty free, and if anything goes wrong here we won't hesitate to pull up our stakes and go home. The clipping you sent about the Iowa group was an amusing collection of misunderstandings. Almer, far from owning a chateau, is having a hard struggle