Levack Mine, Sudbury Ont. October 23 1929

My dearest Bennie,

Immediately I "snap out of it" I write to you - As you!

Your letter and the book were fine. Gee-wizz, I didn't mean to sting you to the quick with "make it snappy". Good Heavens, that is about the last thing that need be told to you; I just made it clear that I want to hear all about the happenings at home as soon as it is convenient to you to impart the information. Dearest Bennie, I can just about see the look of surprised annoyance on your august features!

And now a bit of geometry: "the pleasure your letter causes me, though always great, varies directly as the square of its magnitude". Q.E.D. As for the quality of your letter - well, it reminds me of the best advertised tobacco "always satisfies and never varies"!

Yes, that fire at the Falls must have done a lot of harm to your mother. I do hope that now, with all the troubles over with little more independence and responsibility, your mother will improve speedily.

My life so far is O.K. You know, a thought came to me just now (what a wonder!)One thing is to be able to stand with ease the inconveniences and the difficulties of a new environment and quite another thing is to be able to carry on without noticing or feeling them. There is a great difference between the two, and I felt it on my own neck. This life - life of an ordinary miner is full of petty inconveniences which I feel much, but can stand with ease. For instance, I now work on a shift of which the shift-boss is a German-pol and the stope-boss is a Bulgarian. Having got hold of an English student in their power, they proceeded to make a beast of burden of him, making the perspiring wretch do the work of one and a half men if not two. One day, I has to carry three heavy machines, each time with a different man, while my regular job is to carry only one. Any heavy work needing strength and endurance immediately fell to my lot. One day, with two other men, we three carried about three tons of steel (drill bits ranging from 3 feet - 12 feet in length)through a height of about 30 feet. They cursed the job and looked at me as though they expected me to groan and fall over. Sad disappointment was theirs when I came off as fresh as ever.

But after that awful week, Fortune smiled upon me. We have to take stock of all the pipes in the mine: 1", 2", 3", 4", 5" and 6" pipes. There are many thousands of feet on the whole. The job was given to an English-Canadian - a pump-man. When asked whpm he wanted as a partner, he chose me and now we have two-weeks' job of doing nothing but walking about and measuring pipes. I expect to get disgustingly fat by the end of the fortnight! Woopie! And it gives a splendid opportunity to see every nook and crook of the mine. My partner is a good fellow too - and a "white man" (i.e. Anglo-Saxon race ). I guess I am a bit interested in myself...

The book - The Golden Wind - I read in a day. It is really the most wonderful bit of literature. The introduction was right: parts and passages of this novel could have come out of an ancient Chinese manuscript. But it made me think and feel and any book that can do both those things to me is a fine book, worth reading over and over again.

Well, I must go to work. I shall continue this letter to-morrow. Byee.

3. The letter (continued)

Both yesterday and to-day was raining miserably and I stay indoors all the time. I wish the now would come sooner.

I think it is perfectly sweet of Miss Stone to let me have all Reader's Digest was a masterpiece! Such a great variety of subject and so well written. I read them all and found "Our Changing Morals", "Learning how to be black", "Blazing New Trails of Education" the most interesting. The Story of the Eaglet made me very sad. But a lot was said in the "Blazing New Trails of Education" sounded to me as the most powerful common sense possible. By the way, what does "psychiatrist" mean? Have you ever told me before? If yes, I apologize for forgetting it!

I do not know how much I weigh, but I think I must have lost a lot, but the muscles on the arms, torso, and back, and legs fairly ripple when I do a little shadow boxing in front of a mirror. But brain-work and elevated thoughts (don't you know) will, no doubt, prevent me from becoming a more muscular animal! As for you, Bennie, your whole personality impresses me ever so much more than would any huge hulk of bulging muscles! And I don't mean maybe!

I do not know if I have told you about my new room-mate. He is a sampler [takes samples along cross-cuts and galleries to find the varying richness of ore deposits] and is about 20. A fine fellow, English and very interesting to talk to. We are both very keen on mining and talk so much that people in the house dropped hints that a decrease in volume of sound issuing from our room would be most welcome. But we are both very well tolerated here!

You say that 'See Naples and die' was very light. I hope it wasn't too light, otherwise -- shame on you, Bennie, going to such entertainments! But you know an actress in the play! What is she like? Pretty or fascinating in any way? Eh!?

So your joint engineering was not destined to stand? That is touch luck. Of course, if you had me, the results would have been different. Poor Owen, I hop he'll take it well.

Well Bennie, I must stop. I do not know if I have said much, but you now have all the news and most of the thoughts such as assailed me lately [not much of an onslaught!]v
Please give my love to your mother and Aunt Lydia.

My best hug and kiss to you, my dear pal.

Your loving Guigui

Levack, Jan 24

  My dear Bennie,

The day before yesterday the post office turned in your letter. At the sight of it, I quaked in my boots with nervousness and apprehension. I knew that you wrote the letter before you got mine! What crushing things you had right to say! But how sweet you were; gee, it made me feel like dancing and hopping about - that's an absolute truth.
The only way you can lose me is to leave me out with a great violence. No girl in the world can possible change me towards you: it all depends on you.

Did I say I would write to you before the end of the week? Disgraceful! -I mean, of course - disgraceful not to have kept my promise. I must have forgotten all about it. Well in the letter before this, which you much have already received (Jan 23). I make exactly the same promise - but this time to keep!

My dear Bennie, I have not definite idea as is when I can leave this "happy land of pilgrims". So far my plan are to leave Levack on the middle of August. How does that suit you? I am not at all sure though. It would be wonderful to be in Farmington again. I feel so happy there, with you and your mother and Auntie Lydia and all your friends.
I've been skiing yesterday afternoon but fell all the time and come home disgusted. I seem to have deteriated (spelling?) so I am now going as wake up. To-day I couldn't go because I worked two hours overtime, but to-morrow, and on Sunay I'll brush things up a bit. I'll show 'em!

Now our cage goes right down to the seven level and we needn't walk any ladders at all, which is just too slazzy!
How is your work getting on? Have you got any interesting personalities under your tutelage? Any freaks of the same preposterous calibre as myself? If no, my heart doth rise toward you in tearful compassion and through the hypnotizing intricacies of telepathy do I transmit my most powerful thought to you - take courage: dense skulls are as stone wall to a penetrating mind: the machine-drill of understanding will sink long longs into the solid man; the dynamite blast of the right words and action will then shatter these walls; crumble even unto dust and by the right hand will then lead thy pupil in the path of light......AMEN,

Sorry Bennie to hand off with this awful bilge, but the playfulness of mind shall not be stayed - it can't be!

To-day is a dance, but I do not feel like going. Too much din and no music. How different from those two dances at Lakewood! They were glorious! A delightful orchestra, a dancing floor as dancing floors should be - everything was great! And some little girls!

I haven't received yet any answer to my rather strong note to my girl in Toronto...........I wonder..........

Well, Bennie, I must stop now. Not very long- this letter. It will be a lot longer next time.

Your loving very very much

Guigui

best of love to your mother and Auntie Lydia.

Levack Mine, Sudbury, Ont. (no date: circa 1929)

My dear Bennie,

Well, my dear, here is where I'll have to wake up once and for all. No time or space must now be wasted for futile regrets or poor excuses. Both are useless. So, my dear, dear pal, I shall get to a review of your letter and of my life since the last letter (a very weak on, at that).

You have told me already, I think, of your ape. But it has shipped out of my mind for never had I a chance think of it. Really, Bennie, during my whole story at the Maine, you were so active and energetic that during all our tennis, motoring, dancing and what not, you were an elder brother to me. So reading your letter makes me think that you are a lot younger than you are trying to make out your are! And what are you trying to tell me by saying "...with so little to show for accomplishment". You have completed your education, you have attained such a position as to be able to take care of your mother, your home; to have a good time in New York; to go to theatre concerts: you have a car of your own - Good heaven's you are hard to please!

Your third paragraph was most amusing, and it brings up an old subject of our discussion - the power of observation. In your place I would not look at those around me: I would study the contents of the plate under my nose - a quick study prior to exploitation! I would be interested in the stories the old man and lady-friend were telling to each other; they themselves would fail to interest me - I am pretty positive of that. The funny old man would probably escape my notice. If not so, I would wonder how some people get away with imposing on other people's patience - they must appear important and of strong personality - I might even envy him - that is if I was in a dejected mood. If I felt well, I would think very little of him and pass him with distain.

The old maid would make me burst out snickering and gippling. The vow the very young man made would attract my attention for a moment - it would annoy me immensely if I was at that instant swallowing an oyster.

Your opinion on modern fiction is is not of a very high order, and I cannot criticize it because I know nothing of modern fiction. As for the lives of the Saints - I think you shall find it rather dry reading - except from a historical point of view.

I have read some parts of Well's "Outline of History" - but mostly parts that explained illustrations. I think it is very good on the whole - judging from what I read in it. There is at least not sexual orgy about it and therefore it would at least work well as an antidote!

I always read all your write more than once or twice. You better remember that is future, ahem.

Where did you get hold of the idea that I am a materialist? I think I am a bit of a materialist and a bit of an idealist. In my idea everybody should be half in half. The former should keep the latter. The idealist in the man ought to have high and noble ideals for the good of everybody; the materialist in him ought to determine the best method of putting these ideas into practice - and go ahead. [As regards correspondence in general, I am a pure idealist - no moi......................]

I thought your little story was jake! By the way, I have grown a mustache and everyone calls it "baseball mustache" - three out - all out! Have your heard about the absent-minded professor who went up to a fellow called Sandy Mc. Pherson and asked him if he [professor] owed the latter any money?

My dear Bennie, I would love to come over, but you see, it is so far away and I can't get any more leave than four or five days - at the very most - a week. Think of the whole day wasted at Montreal trying to get the fools at the Emigration Office to let me into the "land of milk and honey"! I shall stay here in Levack or go to Toronto where my girlfriend has invited me. I haven't answered her yer, though, and it's over a week since I received her letter.

Last Saturday, my room-mate and I went after deer. I got a rifle at Eatons which is an Austrian military rifle made into a sports model. Quite a powerful thing: shoots 300 yards without a trojection etc. But we haven't seen a thing. Followed tracks of one deer for two miles around a large lake called Moose Lake . Snow covered the groundand most of the lake was frozen. We started out at 8 o' clock in the morning and came back at 5 o' clock at night. It was quite interesting. We had to do some rock-climbing as well. Ice cracked all the time as we crossed the narrow parts of the lake from time to time. Snow storm on a small scale got up and we had a chilling race around the lack to get back out of the bush before dark. We made it because the wind blew in the right direction so as to freeze that part of the lake by which we had to come back. We have both enjoyed ourselves immensely and were very sleepy and tired when we got back. We tried the rifle and it shoots very straight and gives me a feeling of power. I have ordered skis from Eaton Co. Ltd., and ought to get them this week. this is a glorious country for skiing, and my friend here is very keen on it too. So he is senidng for his skis as well, and we are both looking forward to an interesting and active season.

And here I come to a subject over which I shall try to linger as little as possible. It is for me something like walking on nails - the sooner I hop off, the better. Every sentence you put down hit me on the jaw, in the eye and on the nose - but most of all pounded me on the solar plexus. There was no firm jaw - no thin lips or hard expression. I was completely shamed.

There are times - little spasms - in my life when I become absolutely passive - PASSIVE - in every meaning of the word. I am awake, yet I sleep. I stop to think - I dream. I hear dimly the sound of conversation around me, I look but see not...

Am I doomed to go through life hurting those I love and those who care for me - and be powerless? Private property be blasted! There is no such thing as private property of mine as far as you are concerned - but what can you do with this property when suddenly it turns into a vacuum!

And what must your mother thing of me? Do not write a word to her about this letter, please. I must do everything myself.

It is getting late so I must go to bed. Good night, Bennie. I would love to kiss you goodnight now - but would be ashamed to come near you - really, Bennie!

Your very loving,

Guigui

Renette's address

C/O M.K. Peacock Esq.
175 Kitaiskaya
Harbin
Manchuria