April 20, 1957

(Letter addressed to "Mouthwash College")

Dear Thom,

I am finally getting to write you letter.  I intended to write it last Wednesday night, but I just
never got around to it.  I got in late Tuesday night hoping for a peaceful two week rest.  So
what happens?  Wednesday morning at 9:30 sharp a bucket of water and a sponge are
placed lovingly at my bedside and I've been washing walls ever since at the fantastic rate
of one room per day.

There has been a good deal of action around here since I wrote you last.  In my last letter
I believe I told you about Germany's surrender, or was it the bombing of Pearl Harbor?
I don't think we are going to finish our chess game in my lifetime but I have made provisions
in my will so that the game will continue through my descendants.  I don't think the
responsibility for the delay in moves rests entirely on my shoulders.  However, I doubt whether
you could be as dilatory as JM, if you tried.  I wrote to him last Feb. and I'm still waiting for
an answer.  I'm going to look him up in the next week and see what's wrong.

Mt. Carmel News - - Unrest in the Nest!  The Eagle's little empire was struck a staggering
blow last month when the underclassmen for some reason refused to buy lunch room food.
From what I hear it was an organized revolution.  They even stationed guards to make sure
that no Royalist or Tory bought anything.  Naturally this rising of the proletariat did not ride
well with an absolute monarchy such as at Mt. Carmel H.S.  At any rate the riot was broken
up after a couple of days by the combined brown robe forces, who stood guard over the
young revolutionaries while they ate and would not allow them to say word one.  Thus
liberty was crushed and the oppressor triumphed.

The boys "naaaked" JD once too often while he was walking in the corridors.    He
wheeled around, bellowed a few well-chosen phrases, and flung his copy of :Why
Johnny Can't Read" at them (in reality he threw his Gen. Lit. book at them).  I don't know
what came of that little incident, I only know it happened.

Fr. Thomas broke his ankle a few weeks ago.  He probably tripped over a pile of chance
book money.

I picked my room for next year a few weeks ago.  It is a single on the 4th floor of
Howard, 405 to be exact.  At last I shall have some privacy.  It's not a big room and what
it lacks in size it makes up for in its antiquitous nature.  But it's mine and mine alone!
(sentence fragment skillfully employed to give joyful effect).

I must admit that I did not notice your misspelling, unintentional I suppose, of the fair name
of my glorious University.  However, since I am not accustomed to scrutinizing the
envelopes, I do not feel that I should be held completely accountable for my oversite (sic),
Henceforth, I suggest that you place all material which you wish me to read on the inside
of the envelope.

Have you heard about the World's Fair that will be held in Belgium in 1958?  I have been
thinking about it for a long time and have decided that it would not be a bad idea if we
could get a summer job there.  About 40 nations are going to have exhibits and the
U.S. is putting up a $20,000,000. building.  Since you are about 1000 miles closer to
Belgium than I am, I figure that you can get some information easier than I can.  I think it
might be an interesting trip.  Find out what you can, eh.

I am enclosing the program of Aquinas' brilliantly executed play, or so I am told;  I
didn't see it myself.  I took the trouble to underline the names of several of the cast who
you will recognize.

How is your "fuzz" life coming?  I've almost forgot how to spell the word.  It's getting pretty
bad,  but then man can not live on fuzz alone.  Yet on the other hand...............  Ah well,
"Piece in our time",   if I may quote the immortal words of Prime Minister Chamberlain
on his return from Berlin in 1938 or was it '39.

I will be home for the summer by May 31 at the latest.

I met Fr. Myles last Monday.  He was driving past N.D. on his way to Niagara and he
stopped in to see the boys.  He said Steady Eddie lost twenty lbs.  I'll believe that when
I see it.

Has the glacier retreated yet?  Are the roads open?  Did M go back to Chicago yet?

Bob