January 6, 1951

Dear Eddie,

I'm really glad to hear that you've found yourself a girl and are thinking about marriage. It's about time! A young man like you needs to settle down and raise a family. You need love in your life, and your loved ones are not millstones; they're moorings.

When Hazel died I just about left my moorings, and I'll tell you frankly, I've been moping around ever since. All of a sudden I've gotten old. I can't seem to keep up with things the way I used to. The barn is a wreck. I've let the fences fall apart. I need help, and I need company. The house needs a woman's touch.

And now all of a sudden both you and Keith, Bob's boy in Milwaukee, say you're getting serious about settling down. This looks like what I've been praying for—that is, if either of you two city boys feels like finding out what a good day's work in the country is like. Of course, I can't have both of you, so I had to make a choice. I won't go into all my reasons for choosing to ask you, boy. Let's just say that I have faith in you, and I know you need a job. Now, it's not much I can offer you. No regular salary; I'm just breaking even as it is. No fancy frills, but you'll have your own room, and there's plenty of food, thank the Lord. I hope your girl can cook. There's also plenty of land, and when you want to start a family you can build a new room—or build your own house if you get tired of living with an old man. We've got the timber and the tools, and I've got the know-how. I built this old place of mine.

Now, there's not much to keep a lad entertained out here. Cheyenne's a hundred miles away. None of your fancy city shows and street life out here. You'd better be pretty fond of that girl of yours, for you'll be seeing a lot of her. I hope you like the sky too, for there's plenty of that. Land and sky. You can see for miles in all directions. The sky looks so close it seems you could touch the big clouds.

Well, that's the offer: you come here to settle down, and I'll give you a fair share in whatever profits we can make together, as well as food and shelter, of course, for you and your family. Just tell me the wedding date, and my wedding present will be two one-way fares to Cheyenne.

I've been waiting a long time for you to find yourself a girl, Eddie. I'd have made this offer before if I thought a young man like you could settle down without a wife, but I don't. I want you to come out here permanently. I'm getting tired of hired hands and drifters. I'm getting too old for that kind of thing. But now it looks as if my worries may be over.

Love,

Max