Clara Callan Read Free Page A

and they liked what they heard, or at least that’s what they told me. They haven’t promised anything yet, but Jack thinks I am exactly what they are looking for with this new show that Evelyn is writing. Meantime, as I told Jack, I am in this big city and I have to pay bills for fairly important items like food and rent, but he said that he will find me some commercial work within the next week or so and I should be all right. Good Lord, I hope so! I have enough money to last about six weeks and after that I’ll have to go on the dole or, what’s more likely, they’ll
probably kick me out of their fair country. To tell you the truth though, I am pretty hopeful about all this. I had a very good feeling last Thursday when I was reading for these people. I just sensed that they liked what they heard, particularly Miss. D. So we shall see! Jack and Doris are picking me up in about an hour and we are going out todinner. They’ve been just wonderful to me. So, all in all, I would say it’s been a good first week and I’m not homesick yet, but please write.
    Love, Nora
    P.S. There’s a hallway telephone on my floor and I can be reached at University 5-0040 in case of an emergency. I wish you would get a phone, but we’ve been through all that, haven’t we? So I suppose you can use the Brydens’ if you have to, but I wish you’d think about it again, Clara. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could “talk” to one another once or twice a week? But what did Father used to say about saving your breath to cool your porridge?
Friday, November 16
    This morning I awakened feeling put upon. Over the past few days the winds have blown the first storm of the winter through the village. In other years I welcomed the first snow because it covered November’s greyness. Now the snow is just a nuisance that has to be shovelled away and I have been at it off and on since Wednesday morning. Then too I have been worrying about the last hundred dollars Wilkins owes me for Father’s car. It was due on the first of the month, and all week I had made up my mind that he was going to take advantage and I would have to hire a lawyer and go through all that business to get the money. I am far too hasty in my judgement of others and probably too pessimistic about human nature. So now, look how benign a place this old world seems! An afternoon of brilliant sunlight (for November), and just as I got home from school, Mr. Wilkins came by with the hundred dollars, apologizing for the delay. God bless him! Now I must get Nora’s share off to her; she sounds as though
she could use it.
Whitfield, Ontario
Saturday, November 17, 1934
    Dear Nora,
    I’m glad that you have found a decent place to stay that isn’t too dear. I hope you will be careful in that city. I know it would drive me to distraction just walking out the door into such crowds. How on earth do people earn their livings, and where, I wonder, does the food come from to feed so many mouths? There must be thousands out of work down there. We are surviving in the village, though over in Linden they are really up against it. The furniture factory has laid off nearly all the men and things are very flat with many families now on relief.
    School is fine though Milton and I now have to do the work of three. Because we got on so well in the spring, I think the board just assumes that the school can be run by two people. They claim they haven’t the money this year for another teacher, and that may be so, but I’m inclined to think that they are just being close about it. However there’s nothing we can do. Milton is a pleasant fellow to work for, but he dithers a good deal and he lacks Father’s authority as a principal. I suppose one can’t be too hard on him, but I find he’s not strict enough with some of the rougher children who could benefit from a good hiding now and then. I’m thinking in particular of the Kray brothers who are the bane of my existence these days.
    Mr. Wilkins finally