May 9, 1918.

Dear Marie,

Your letter of the 3^(rd) just came today, so I guess it must have been
lost some way.

I most certainly do think that you should get more sleep, as I said in
answer to your letter of the 5^(th). I hope that you will be feeling
better in a short time. Have you read “Starving America” through yet?
What did you think of it and did you understand the main things pointed
out by the author. I have read many books on food but believe that
Alfred McCann has the only real common sense ideas on the subject. You
will find his writings quite often in “Physical Culture” and his work is
endorsed by McFadden in every detail.

It would be fine if you could join an organization of real outdoor
girls. Wouldn’t it be great if you could go to some kind of a girls camp
for a short time during your school vacation. I had a fine time at the
Phantom Lake Y.M.C.A. camp in 1914, and it seems as though there ought
to be something similar for girls. Let’s talk more about this, you know
I want you to have the best times possible and we may think of lots of
things if we write about it.

Was glad to hear that Morse is coming here, for he will never find a
better camp with a better bunch of fellows. Be sure to have him look me
up.

Are you doing anything with the buzzer yet? Are you sure you are not
getting interested in too many things?

I forgot to tell you about a few elementary things in forming letters.
The first thing to do is to practice making dot letters.

E I S H 5

. .. … …. …..

At first make the dots slowly with a full wrist (not finger movement)
always uniformly and accurately.

When you make an i count 1, 2. That is dot, dot. And S would be 1, 2, 3;
H would be 1, 2, 3, 4; just the same as counting time in music. The
above is simple enough but some amateurs have trouble combining dots and
dashes without having too much space between the last dot and the first
dash.

For instance the letter A = E+T or . _ , but there must be very little
space between the dot and the dash - ._ and not . _ . The count is 1, 2
(the same as in I ..) and not 1, and 1.

In making the letter “S”, which is three dots, the count is 1, 2, 3.
Also the letter U, which is two dots, dash, is counted 1, 2, 3 holding 3
so as to form a dash instead of a dot.

Again, F is counted the same way; .._. is 1, 2, 3 ,1. V is …_ or 1, 2,
3, 4 . and not … _ . Do you see? The point is to have the dots connected
to the dashes.

It’s the same thing in music. Take 4/4 time: You have quarter notes and
whole notes, quarter rests and whole rests. Now a “rest” in music
corresponds to a “space” in telegraphy.

*Forrest draws 2 bars of sheet music: eighth note, eighth note, eighth
note, dotted quarter to represent V (…_), then a whole rest, eighth
note, eighth note, dotted quarter, eighth note to represent F (.._.). He
then draws two more bars: quarter note, eighth note, quarter note,
eighth note to represent C ( _._.), then a whole rest, then eighth note,
dotted quarter, eighth note, eighth note to represent L ( ._..)*

Do you see?

Now do you understand why to count 1 2 3 and 1 when you make F (.._.)
instead of 1, 2, 1, 2?

If you make F like this . . _ . it is going to sound like the word “in”
which is .. _. . Also be careful not to make C (_._.) like double n (_.
_.).

The best thing to do is the connect up that sending board of mine with
the buzzer and battery and then if you use it right it will combine the
dots and dashes with true mechanical precision and will accustom your
ear to the proper sound of each letter. Tell me if you can find this
board alright.

Today, Sergeant Baber gave the First Section a speed test in telegraphy
and I have been rated at a speed of 20 words per minute, which is the
average commercial radio operator speed. Among my magazines you will
find the July 1917 “Wireless Age”. Read the article on page 765,
entitled “What Women Can Do, and Are Doing.” If you can’t find it I will
send it to you.

With love,

Forrest.