Lorenzo Swensen (1887-1955) and Beatrice Eloise Wride (1893-1979)

Incoming Correspondence, 1942

Paul [to Folks], 1942 Jan 11

January 11, 1942

Greetings—

I’m sorry that I haven’t written sooner but we have really been busy. The package came and was O.K. Thanks a lot for everything. I have already put the clothes to good use, and we have done a little practicing on our violins. We haven’t very much duet music yet but will get some just as soon as we can.

We had another missionary meeting down to Elmira yesterday. It was just as good as the last one, or maybe better because there were more of the missionaries there. We had some very inspirational meetings. The traveling expenses are rather high but it has to be done so there isn’t very much to do about it except go. We had an invitation to go to Rochester instead but we had to turn it down. I have been up there once but that was at night so we didn’t get to see very much of it. We want to go up some day and see just what they have up there. We were going to go with one of our friends. He is a Dentist out to the Vetrans Hospital, and she is an R.N. (Registered nurse) They certainly treat us swell. We have had two waffle suppers out there, and they are really good. All the Waffles, sausage, and eggs we can get away with. They are all luxuries so---- . Next Sunday is the Dr.’s birthday, and also Elder Fish’s so we are going to have a nice dinner for the two of them. It will really be fun.

Have you heard about the proposed change in styles of men’s suits? Cutting out pockets, andmaking everything shorter. My blue suit is getting pretty tight and the pants are getting thin. What do you think? It is an expense but—what I have won’t last very long. I wish I was back home so I ould get one tailored as cheap as by Brown one. It looks like everything is going up. They are discussing, here in the state, of raising the price of milk up to 14 or 14 ½ cents per quart. This new price control plan also will probably hike everything up so high we won’t be able to see them. Will you have to pay Income Tax this year?

We heard yesterday that no more missionaries were to be called. That the group who are in the home now will be the last ones to come. We heard it from the D.P. so it should have a little truth in it. If that happens, we will soon be undermanned in all branches. We will lose five or six in just a few months. That is just in our district. One of Della’s cousins has been called home from his mission to go into the Army so----.

I had a very nice letter from Marriner and Della. Della told me all about her niece, not knowing that I already knew her. June (wright) and I have written several letters so we beat them to it.

You didn’t mention about the Williamson’s dying but I read it in the paper. It certainly surprised me when I read of the “Old Man’ dying as he always seemed so spry but I imagined that when his wife died, it would go pretty hard with him. The way things are now, it might be the best thing so maybe we should feel glad for them and not sorry.

Everything you have sent has arrived. All the money and both packages. I can’t imagine where the mitts are but I suppose I will have to get along without them.

We have really had some cold weather. There was a new all time low recorded at Buffalo and we had it down below 20o-. It has made skating very good, so I don’t care. There is just a little snow but there is enough to make it look like winter. It looks like it might snow just a little today. Most of the people don’t like this weather but I do. Elder Fish nearly freezes all the time. He is from Arizona so----. One of the Elders down in Elmira is from Los Angeles and he really hates the weather.

The past week we have been visiting most of our friends. We spent one morning talking with the Catholic who took us to Mass. We had quite a chat. She was very friendly to us, mostly because we asked her a lot of questions about her own church. That flattered her so now we feel thatwe can go back and maybe tell her something of our church. We have met one old fellow and his wife who are really interested. He said that if he lived in the west he would join the church right away. when I told him of the Welfare Plan he really ‘ate’ it up. He thought that it was the most marvelous thing he had ever heard of. We were out there for dinner one Sunday afternoon and her brother was there. I really gave him the ‘1-2' and he took it and seemed interested. They are from Elmira so we are going to go down and see them one of these days. He is definitely down on Protestant ministers so we got along swell. While I am on the subject of Protestant Ministers I’ll tell you a good one. We are very friendly with the Methodist minister and have sung in his choir and were his guest at a dinner. (I believe I told you about that). During the part I arranged for us to give a lecture to their young peoples league and also to sing with a mixed sextet. We really thought we were doing O.K., and we were, but the next day he called us in to see him. He said that the minister out to the Vetrans Fecility was a Methodist and resented our presence very much. We didn’t know the man until he told us how ‘sour’ he was and then I remembered that we called on him one day and he told us that when he was ready to quit Christianity that he would let us know. He also said that if he had his way, he would have us run right out of town. We didn’t want to start a fuss so we left. Rev. Keeling (the friendly one) said that at the banquet, he sat there with blood in his eyes and nearly blew up. He told Rev. Keeling that we were out here for the sole purpose of getting all the young people here to fall in love with us and then to take them out to the west to marry us. The Rev. admitted that he was terribly old fashioned and had some very crazy ideas and that he wouldn’t even talk to us. The rev. was very nice to us BUT-----he was thinking of number one entirely. He said we should use our own judgement in our relationship with the church but he intimated that he was very desirous that we stay away so it wouldn’t cause him any bother. We might stay away from his church but we won’t give up our good contacts with him members. Many of our best contacts are members of his church and we are going to give them all we can. Maybe that is the wrong attitude but we have just been using him as a means to an end and we have nearly reached that end so it doesn’t matter so much now. We will concentrate on one of the other churches possible the Episcopal.

I’ll answer the ‘Kid’s’ very welcome letters in a day or so but for now I’ll close.

Love and with it
Paul