Aunt Maude Writes To Camp

Letter from Maude Thomas
Bowie, Texas

September 2, 1918

My dear Heywood,

You may not belong to Bowie and Montague Counties but we won't have it any other way, and I am sending you under separate cover a Comfort Kit, the gift of the Montague County Chapter, American Red Cross. The kit contains a few of the things you will find necessary now to do your mending, darning, sewing on buttons, washing dishes, etc. We hope that you will get as much pleasure out of using it as we have got in fixing it for you.

Your mother spent last Monday night with me and I enjoyed her so much. We talked until the wee hours of the night and until we were both hoarse.

I was down at the station the afternoon you came through to meet mother, and was so sorry that I didn't see you. Why didn't you have your head sticking out? I imagine you did but I just didn't see you. Tommy had a letter from Otis yesterday. He is at San Pedro. June Donald is here and is the finest looking thing in uniform. He is an ensign now.

Hope you like your work and with best wishes, I am,

Sincerely,

Maude Thomas

Aunt Maude included the following news clipping with her letter:

A Novel Dinner Party at Silk Home Friday

An exceptionally novel dinner party was given at the W.W. Silk home on Friday evening, honoring the birthday of the man of the house, to whom the affair was a complete surprise. When the guests arrived and the greetings from their unsuspecting and surprised host were over, Mrs. Silk invited them to the dining room, informing them that as the weather had prevented them from going to the center of attraction, Burkburnett, she had tried to bring Burkburnett to them. There, centering the table, was Burkburnett in miniature, the oil derricks, boilers and storage tanks crowded in between cottages and store buildings, while the Katy passenger train was on its way to the station, the midst of the busy scene. This centerpiece was quite apropos, as host and guests alike are interested in the oil fields to a large extent.

A six course menu was served. The place cards contained questions and toasts from Kipling, the men reading their cards aloud. Those enjoying the dinner, and the evening of chat that followed, were: Messrs. Norris H. Martin, John Bland, John O'Donohoe, Orville Bullington, C.W. Snider, T.B. Noble, W.B. Hamilton, H.F. Weldon, and Dr. J.C.A. Guest.