Wednesday…September 24, 1952Dearest Linda;

Another day, another letter and my damned typewriting doesn’t seem to improve. The two initial fingers of my right hand do all the work and others just go along for the ride. The index finger of my left hand pushes the shift key. I suppose it thinks it’s earning its keep. It just pointed out to me by doing so that it also returns the carriage. Big deal!! Do you know I used a typewriter for about six years before I discovered what the tabular key is for? I felt like I’d just invented it.

I’m on a diet. I found to my horror Sunday morning that I weighed 194 pounds. Pure flab. So when Donn came over I challenged him to a two-week diet: no sugars, sweets, starches, breads, potatoes, butter, milk, salad dressings or etcetera. No beer! We agreed on a $50.00 penalty if either broke it, so I think I’ll go through with it. What a dreadful thing it is to have no will power.

I saw [two of your friends] last evening. They came tripping past the house, giggling and gabbling. They were in bathing suits, had just been swimming. They want you to write to them. Write to me instead, hm?

Has the Senator Nixon controversy struck the school? I hope not. It’s a hopeless sort of argument. Had to do, as I suppose you know, as to whether he should gave accepted $18,000 as a sort of expense fund to help his income. In my opinion he is, at best, naive, and dammit, I don’t want a naïve vice-president. My advice to you, if you need it, is, while over there, to indulge in political controversies sparingly. You’re probably in a nest of children from Republican families so you won’t win many converts to the Democratic Party.

‘Bye for now.