Ohio State University
Columbus， Ohio
26 April 1922
Dearest Mum，
I am hoping this will arrive on April 27 to greet you on your 42nd wedding anniversary①， but I am a little late in starting it as usual. Your letter reached me at Mansfield， O. a couple of days ago where it was forwarded from East Aurora. I guess I told you in one of my previous letters that the way to reach me by mail is via 159 Park Place， EastAurora. Mr. Cushman does the forwarding.
So you’ve been gay for forty years
For forty years and two—
Been jolly all through smiles and tears
So you’ve been gay for forty years
A thing one very seldom② hears
I send my love to you
So you’ve been gay for forty years
For forty years and two
I hardly think I have written you since we left East Aurora a week ago Monday in the afternoon. We remained over Easter at the Cushmans and had Easter Sunday dinner at the Roycroft. The next day we left， clanking merrily out of town with our bed upon our back as goes the turtle.
Spring has arrived in Ohio. This is a flat state where red pigs graze in bright green fields and where farms are neat and prosperous—not like New York farms. We roll along through dozens of villages and cities whose names we never heard. They are typical of the Middle West. The oldest inhabitant is generally standing somewhere pulling a long white beard， the smithy door is generally open and the sound of the anvil③ to be heard， the village flapper is generally flapping up and down along Main Street in front of a group of jobless youths who help hold the drug store up， and somewhere there is always a housewife sweeping off a porch or carrying a spadeful of manure to the garden. Toward evening the country scenes become idyllic④—the sort of thing you have seen in the moving pictures and never quite believed in. Sheep come drifting up long green lawns where poplars throw interminable shadows， come drifting up and stand like statues beneath white plum blossoms， while far down the lane and off in the fields a little Ford tractor moves like a snail across the furrows. Lilacs are in full bloom and the lavender⑤ ironwood blossoms are coloring all the roads.
I’ve given up cigarettes until I get to California. Isn’t that a good idea？Cush thinks it’s great. I also am looking forward soon to giving up clean shirts. They’re worse than cigarettes. I’m on my last one now.
The Ford is a tremendous expense. Repairs have cost up 75 cents since we left New York—50 cents for a busted radiator and 25 cents for a fan belt. Pretty heavy going.
New York is the state for roads. Here there are pikes， which are cement on one side and direct on the other. When you meet another car if you are on the cement side all is well， and when you are on the dirt side you steer to one side， sink down indefinitely， and then you must get out and lift the car back onto the road again. That’s why Fords can go places where heavier cars have difficulty. Whenever your Ford shows signs of weakening， you can lift it back where it belongs.
Tell Father he ought to read Benchley’s Of All Things if he wants a good time. I read it the other day in Mansfield. It’s about as funny as anything there is on the market today with the exception， of course， of the Cushman White’s travelogues⑥， which are simply killing.
We’ll be leaving for Kentucky on Friday morning. This place is so beautiful we want to stay for a day or so to become acquainted with it.
Congratulations again on your anniversary. Have a good time at Atlantic City honeymooning. Love to Father—tell him I received his letter and thank you. I mailed the slip to the Trust Company the other day in Mansfield.
Yours，
Andy
① anniversaryn. 周年纪念，周年纪念日
② seldomadj. 不常有的，很少的，难得的
③ anviln. 铁砧
④ idyllicadj. 田园诗的；牧歌的
⑤ lavendern. 薰衣草
⑥ traveloguen. 旅行见闻，讲座，旅行记录片，观感
艾温·布鲁克斯·怀特致母亲
亲爱的妈妈：
我希望这封信可在4月27日到达您手中以庆贺您结婚42周年纪念日，但如往常一样我这封信发得晚了一点。您的信几天前在曼斯菲尔德到达了我手中，是从东奥洛拉转来的。我猜想我在前几封信中的某一封信告诉过您，给我寄信可以通过东奥洛拉公园路159号的库什曼先生转交。
四十年来您一直是如此快乐
四十二年了——
一路撒满了喜悦的微笑和泪水
四十年来您一直是如此快乐
于此，人们难以相信
我多么爱您
四十年来您是如此快乐
哦，四十二年了
我根本没想到，自从一个星期前的星期一下午我们离开东奥洛拉后我还会给您写信。我们在库什曼家呆到了复活节，在罗伊克罗夫特家吃了复活节晚餐。第二天我们就离开了，脚下迈着欢快的步子从城里走出，肩上背着我们的铺盖，宛如乌龟一般。
春天已经在俄亥俄州降临。这里是一个平坦之州，红猪在翠绿的田野上一掠而过，农场整洁，呈现出一片繁荣景象——不像纽约的农场。我们驾车向前奔跑，穿过了许许多多的村庄和城市，那些村庄和城市的名字我们从来还没有听说过。这里是典型的中西部地区：最年长的居民通常站在某个地方，拖着长长的白色胡须；铁匠店的门通常是开着的，可以听到铁砧的声音；村里的妙龄少女们通常在一群没有工作的年轻人面前沿着大街来回走动着，那些年轻人帮助照看药店；不远处总有一个家庭主妇打扫着门廊，或运一锹肥料到花园去；黄昏时的乡村景色是一派田园风光，您在电影里才能见到的那种，您是不会相信的；羊群沿着长长的绿色的草地飘来，草地上的白杨林投下了数不清的阴影，羊群飘来了，站立在白李子树花下像一尊尊雕像；沿着远去的乡间小路去看田野，一部福德牌拖拉机像一只蜗牛横着犁间慢行；紫丁香盛开，熏衣香铁树的花儿把每条路都装点得五彩缤纷。
我准备在到达加利弗尼亚之前把烟戒掉。这难道不是一个好主意吗？库什认为这很棒。我也期待着很快放弃干净的衬衣，他们比香烟还要糟糕。我现在穿的是最后一件。
福特牌汽车花费很大。自我们离开纽约后维修已花了75美分——50美分修理炸裂的水箱，25美分修理鼓风机皮带。开支的确不小。
纽约州是一个公路之州。在这儿有收费的公路，它一边是水泥路，另一边是泥土路。当一辆车与另一辆车相遇时，假如其中一辆正好在水泥路这一边，那还没什么问题；可当其中一辆在泥土这一边，要转上水泥路一边行驶，就说不定会遇到车轮下沉。于是你必须下车，把你的车抬回到路上。这就是为什么我的福特车能去的地方而重型车有困难。无论什么时候你的福特车有抛锚的迹象，你都能把它提回到它原来的地方。
告诉父亲，如果他想过得愉快应该读一读本奇利的《万花筒》一书。几天前我在曼斯菲尔德看过它。它差不多和当今市面上所有的东西一样有趣，当然除了库什曼·怀特的旅行观感，那简直令人倒胃口。
我们星期五早晨准备到肯塔基。这个地方如此美丽，我想再多呆一两天去了解它。
在您的结婚周年纪念日之际再次祝贺您。祝您到大西洋城度过一个愉快的蜜月。向父亲问好——告诉他我收到了他的信，谢谢您。几天前我把那张便条寄到了曼斯菲尔德的信托公司。
您的，
安迪
于俄亥俄州哥伦布
俄亥俄州大学
1922年4月26日