In 1994 Florence salvaged several sacks of letters from the basement. A wet floor and dampness had taken their toll, and some were illegible. Others, however, were in good shape. I have been reading some of the letters–correspondence between Florence and Aubrey in the late 30s and early 40s. During these years the family lived at their first house, 2717 Westwood Avenue in Nashville, TN. Aubrey was on the road much of the time as a consultant for Training Union work at the Sunday School Board. In the fall of 1938 he even attended Southern Seminary for a semester, coming home some weekends.

As you can see from the excerpts which follow, life was very difficult for both of them. Florence had live-in housekeepers or a maid–most notably Annie Lee and Ruby–for part of the time. She also allowed Kermit, Aubrey's brother, to room in the house when he came to town to manage his district for Compton's Encyclopedia. The presence of these helpers, particularly Annie Lee, allowed Florence to help at a kindergarten three mornings a week (she helped with music activities in return for Charles' tuition) and to continue her piano lessons. Still, she did not have a car or her own bank account. Aubrey's travels, though more interesting than the life Florence lead, took him away from his family and his office. Both of them wished for a more stable family life.

Florence and Aubrey did not consider telephone calls an option. They tried to write each once or twice a day (since mail was delivered twice) when they were apart. I hope you find these excerpts interesting.