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Date: June 7th 1942
To
Jean
From
Gerald
Letter

Dear Jean:

This has been another busy Sunday. This time it was the final retyping of my article for the Geographical Journal. Have gone through it pretty thoroughly, stream-lining a lot of the sentences and paring off quite a number of surplus adjectives, it is really surprising how much chaff goes into the first draft of an article like that. It is in such shape now, that I feel it is the best I can do, and as such they can use all of it or cut out whatever they consider of minor importance. Before there were quite a few paragraphs which I felt if they did want to use them, they weren't quite the best I could do. It must be a wonderful gift to be able to write really well, first off, ab initio so to speak, to have it concise, full of meat, with a pleasing and logical arrangement of the main idea, and the ideas contributing to it. With me, it comes the hard way, with repeated rechecking and revamping after the first somewhat confused plunge. I find it helps a lot to put the whole business on ice for a while, and forget about it, then take it out, and its amazing how much easier it is then to think of just the word or the phrase or arrangement required. I've surely put a lot of work on this article, but one doesn't get a chance to appear in the RGS Journal very often, and once in, it almost becomes history, so I don't want to regret forever that I didn't do my damdest to have it to the best. Anything by an Andrews has got to be that way. It will be a great relief to get it put over, and finished with.

I seem to have got off on a tangent. The past week has been a glorious 7 days of hot sunny weather. I think even you would have been warm enough. I was able to get out on our bike for several good long rides, and it makes a world of difference. The other evening I went out after supper and explored a new bit of country nearby which I hadn't looked at before, as it was just too far for walking, but a cinch on the bike. I had to stop several times, on the narrow winding road to admire the loveliness of the countryside bathe din the warm light of the low sun. Solid old farmsteads which look as though they have been permanent fixtures since the days of Caesar. Each time I wished you were close beside me to enjoy it together. Yesterday afternoon, it was hotter than ever, so I put on shorts, and one of your nice cool shirts, and cycled up to Shapperton on the Thames, where my old lawyer friend, Bill Bevan and his wife have a summer cottage by the water. I hadn't been up there for over a year, and they were just the same, insisted that I have a swim, and tea. Will try to go up for the day the next time I can get away on a hot spell. Mrs B is the aunt of my old girl friend, Marjorie Plowman, who is now Mrs McGliesh living in Vancouver. Don't think you have met her. But I have spoken of Mr B in earlier letters. He is an interesting old character.

Got a good batch of mail last Tuesday. Two of your carbons of airgraphs which arrived earlier, one with Leila's letter in it. I wish you could take Mary and visit Leila, if only for a week or two. After the hot weather is over in the summer it would be quite enjoyable, and Leila would be thrilled. I can guarantee that you would think Leila 100%. Letters from Hugh Hodgins, and Frank Swannell, and an airgraph from Gert were all in the same mail, so I had quite a session. Tell Frank I enjoyed his letter tremendously, he seemed in better spirits. Gertrude's airgraph was dated 19 May, and she seemed alls et for the big event. I will be waiting anxiously to learn how everything went for her.

Its now midnight, and guess I had better think about getting into bed. Hope to get up to town this week, to take my MSS into the RGS and make final arrangements with them for the illustrations etc. Hope I can find something to send for Mary's birthday then. Three is one of the sweetest ages, Bless her.

Love, Ger.

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