Haddock and Dill: April 2, 1955 Too Wide and Too Big, The Good Audience and The Literary Agent

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"I've been sewing most of the day and am getting tired of it. My suit is almost done but the coat has a dropped shoulder--a yoke. It makes me look so wide and makes the coat look too big. I think I'll have to change it some way even if it makes the sleeves 3/4.

There are always a lot of school affairs after our spring vacation so I'd like to have something new to wear. Ann needs a spring coat but we may just buy one.

Next week is supposed to be vacation but if it is like always we won't get much vacation. B has another article he has to write. They wanted it before vacation but he simply couldn't do that so they are waiting for it. We'd like to come home Easter but we can't this time. If we go anywhere at all it will be to the museums in Chicago. We have so little time just for Bob & Ann that we hope to do something with just them this week. We always have a horde of kids around.

Too bad the store made a mistake on your T.V. Ours was $180. plus our radio. The cabinet ones were almost $400. and we didn't want a cabinet anyway until we can have one made for radio, phono and T.V. How long will they take to get your new set now?

B's Cleveland trip was to the Philosophy Society meeting that he and Jim Wheeler attend every year.

My speech last Sunday was to a crowd of college students from Normal and Champaign-Urbana. The young people's group at the University Christian Church were entertaining the Urbana crowd at supper and with a program. They had short devotions and then my part. I thought it was going to be a smart aleck crowd at first but it was a good audience. They all had fun--including me.

Maxine had better take the $25. for her story. She probably worked more than that on it but that would be a beginning. She may wait a long time before someone pays what she asks. Woody took my manuscript to N.Y. and asked one of his editor friends about it. His publisher does not print children's books (except school books) but he told us what to do. He is going to send us an agent's name. I can send it to her. She will read it and if she thinks it's worthwhile, she will try to sell it. If she does not like it she will not show it. The man said if she turned it down that it probably wouldn't do any good to send it anywhere myself for she works with a lot of companies. We haven't seen Sorensens in a long while so I don't know if Woody has the name yet or not. He has been sick and then B was gone.