lad. There are NO mosquitoes! Haven't met
up with but three and THEY are not COMING BACK.

I send you a picture of my room from the outside. From the inside the
view is so "pretty." Across the square is the cathedral and the trees
are filled with birds that sing all night, and statues, and pretty
globes. The band plays every night and when it plays "Hello, Winter
Time," I CRY for you. I paid the band-master $20 to play it, and it is
WORTH IT. I sit on the balcony and think of you and know just what you
are doing, for there is only an hour and a half difference. That is,
when with you it is ten o'clock with me it is eight-thirty. So when
you and Louise are at dinner you can know I am just coming in from my
horseback ride to bathe and "nap." And when at eight-thirty you are
playing the Victor, I am drinking a cocktail to you, and shooing away
the Colonels and Admirals who interfere with my ceremony of drinking to
my dear wife.

VERA CRUZ, May 20th, 1914.

DEAREST WIFE:

I got SUCH a bully letter yesterday from you, written long ago from the
Webster. It said you missed me, and it said you loved me, and there
were funny pictures of you reading the war and peace news each with a
different expression, and you told me about Padrigh and how he runs
down the road. It made me very sad and homesick, but very glad to feel
I was so missed. Also you told me cheerful falsehoods about my Tribune
stories. I know they are no good, and as they are no good, the shorter
the better, but I like to be told they are good. Anyway, I sat down at
once and wrote a long screed on Vera Cruz and the sleepy people that
five here.

We all live on the sidewalk under the stone porch. Every night a table
is reserved and by my orders ALL chairs, except mine, are removed. So
no one can sit down and bore me while I am dining. Another trick I
have to be left alone is to carry a big roll of cable blanks, and I
pretend to write out cables if anyone tries to talk. Then I beckon the
messenger (he always sits in the plaza) and say "File that!" and he
goes once around the block and reports back that it is "filed." If the
bore renews the attack I write another cable, and the unhappy messenger
makes another tour. The band plays from seven to eight every night.
There are five bands, and I saw no reason why there should not be music
every evening. After a day in this dirty hotel or dirty city a lively
band helps. Funston agreed, but forg