Olivia approved of Joel and reported back to Marianne that all was well. Cornelius believes that he has made Cathy blossom and become a real person in herself, but he has no faith in this thing between them lasting. He thinks Cathy was just a part of the excitement of Joel’s discovery of Willard, and that his whole view of life precludes commitment, at least at this stage. I wonder what the army will do to him. Some of that innocence he wears like armor now will get pierced, that’s sure. I wish Cathy could go through college anyway before making up her mind to marry him, but I shall not say so!

The Websters turned up the other day, like swallows, eager for all the winter news. Old Pete talks about getting “home” by August. They will fit his artificial leg this month sometime. He is brave and doesn’t complain, although I have been bad about visiting him. He was concerned about Nick last time I went and talked of little else. “I should have been there,” he said. “That boy had never seen him in one of those fits, but sometimes I could make him laugh. More than once I turned the anger away.” But I fear this is an illusion. Of course we all live on some illusion or other, and Old Pete’s has been that he is immensely useful in ways that he makes up as he talks. What does it matter? The shack looks lonely and it would be good to see smoke pouring out of its chimney one day again. But how could he ever live there on crutches?

The strangest thing about this spring is that Ellen seems not unhappy about Nick. I think the strain of waiting and being anxious, knowing that one day he would get into real trouble again, was a great deal more than any of us knew. Jem drove her over to the hospital once, just to make sure Nick was all right. Her comment was characteristic. “You know what hospitals are. A person gets swallowed up and the hospital takes over. Nick is doing some carpentry and seemed very serene. Couldn’t tell whether he was glad to see me or not. Seemed interested chiefly in his dog.”

She seems to enjoy her two days a week up here. It gets her out of the house, as she says, and is a change from the everlasting sewing. How grateful I am for the help!