Dearest Patricia:
I’m sorry I woke you, but when I saw that your window curtain was up I thought I’d give you the extra Spartan Daily I’d picked up for you instead of just shoving it under the door as I had at first intended. I really hadn’t expected to find you home, though I knew you’d be needing a nap. I took one - with much profit. You looked so-o-o tired and sleepy. Hope you had a cgood restful sleep.
The dinner last night was perfected! I lunched on pat of what was left today. It is still very good and tasty but there was much too much for me, so if you do drop in Sunday - as I’m hoping you will, there’ll still be plenty. Im leaving Sunday open in case you do come over but I’ve promised to go to dinner tonight with (a really [?] Hilda Hardcastle’s in Los Altos. She’s famous primary teacher of San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties, who for years included a dachshund dog as in indespensible part of her teaching equipment. She has been such a superior teacher that the most “proper” men I’ve ever known as a principle was glad to get her on his staff - with the dog. Her husband (now deceased about 8 years) was one of the fine piano tuners on the peninsula. He was often called to S.F. to tune a piano when a famous singer such as Lily Pons was scheduled to sing.
Saturday evening, I”ll have dinner with the gales, where I stayed about 3 days before I went into San Jose hospital last year. However, I’m keeping Sunday open just in case you drop in.
When I was last at Original Joe’s - Wednesday eveing, I think, -- my toast to you was:
To my beautiful one, whose beauty defies characterization; to my serene one, whose serenity is revealed not only by her straightforward gaze with which she confronts every one, but by her world which she constructs in such a manner that there is a place in it for everyone whom she judges to belong therin and who dismisses all who do not earn a place in it - a toast. May [page 2] you live forever - or at least throughout my forever and always have a place for me deep within your world - and may I always merit that place - as long, that is, as I can merit anything; and at the least may you look upon me with sympathy, understanding and kindness, so that in a friendly way, you may regret as I shall, that there should ever come an end to so friendly a relationship.
(much later, since my earlier nap proved insufficient and I took a second nap that lasted until I just had time enough to get to my dinner date)
Good luck, good night, sweet dreams and - I’ll be seeing you.
Love - Carl
Dr. Carl Duncan and Patricia Whiting Collection (SJSU)
