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Wednesday 18 October 9 pm XXV My darling, When I spoke to you on the telephone I must have sounded as though I was having a fearful time shopping. That was partly because Honolulu is just full of little curio shops (for a large city it's a regular shanty town, anyway - has modern transportation, a lovely library with a court where you can sit and read outdoors, several distinguished hotels -[a?] Waikiki, really 5 miles from the center of town - and other notable features, but the business section itself is quite shabby! Also very interesting, with Chinese, Japanese and Hawaiian signs and a very complete racial mixture. But all that's another story). -and the net impression, abetted by the fact that prices are high on native goods, is that everything for sale is junk. That's not true, of course, and the only thing which decided me not to buy you a native handbag, table mats, [pants?] for glasses, etc. - which I would have done anyhow if I could have afforded everything -was that all your friends seem to have them. However, I may get you a few of those things later on because I don't think they spoil too much in that way; unless they’re very tricky like Bev's hat-purse, they don't have to be unique. And I like the stuff. Well, I picked up one or two little things in town, and also stopped in at the one nice store there with high hopes of getting several gifts. As it was, I found a pair of silver floral earrings (hibiscus design) that were not too expensive and of good workmanship for Mrs. May, and mailed them to her Airmail today - not as a Christmas present but as an appreciation. Also an inexpensive but very nice (Henry and I thought, and between us we've seen lots of junk here) salmon-colored coral necklace [pg 2] for Marcia - also mailed today, as a combination ring-bearer remembrance and souvenir of Hawaii. Those two things were great satisfactions to find (that was after I phoned). However, I was anxious almost above anything to find a suitable silver anniversary present for Mother and Father, for they've been so good to us and I wanted some personal way of expressing appreciation. (if my writing's lousy, it's because I'm using a pile of books in Henry's room). Then I went to Waikiki where there are a number of very nice shops and made faster progress. At [?] I found something for Mother and Father - about the only thing I can imagine even now that would do as a gift for both of them, considering that they have about all the odd silver they need. It was two sprigs of Hawaiian Plumeria fashioned by hand in sterling silver and having that nice, soft old look that well-finished silver sometimes does. They would probably have been more expensive than they were ($10) except that they were cut off a very elaborate floral centerpiece which was too expensive to sell. I thought them appropriate for placing on their dining table opposite some center bowl, etc. For Mother alone I would have selected a brooch of some floral design like that of Mrs. M's earrings - she would like them, I think - but I wanted to include Father in, couldn't think of a thing in silver for him, and decided that even though he wasn't much impressed by the plumeria on the table he’d still [pg 3] feel pleased at the idea. I wanted very much to get a brooch for Muz and one for Mother as Christmas presents but had to draw the line somewhere. I hope you can or have taken care of them. I bought Jean a grass skirt and mailed it to her to be opened Christmas. Missed out on Doug - was going to get him a book but would have been a day late mailing it. So I'm just going to send him one of your lighters in an airmail letter, not as a Christmas present. If you see anything appropriate, write Doug and tell him to write you asking for X (anything you want to name that might take the same size package, but something different from what you’re getting him so as not to disclose what it is) and then mail it with his letter on authorization. At another nice shop I got you one or two little things - one in particular - that I hope you'll like. When I got through, I had spent a good deal of money, and was thoroughly satisfied with the results of the day's shopping. It was such a nice feeling. I didn't get you any gardenia perfume, darling, because on conferring with a lady of evident taste and discrimination in one nice shop and after sampling various island perfumes, I agreed that they are pretty overpowering, very sweet and without subtlety. I may get a small one later for you to sample. [side note: Haven't found a suitable perfume box [?]] Today I finished packing the 2nd and last box [pg 4] for your and Wendy's Christmas and will mail it tomorrow. There aren't as many things, not nearly so, in the two boxes as I would have wished. But I think you'll like everything. So much for shopping (this was on Monday). Because Tuesday was Henry's day off he wanted to come in town to spend the night just to get away. I discovered a very pleasant, quiet little hotel near the beach and was able to reserve a cottage room on the grounds for the night. Armed with half a bottle of bourbon and a feeling of complete [?] we settled down to an evening of undiluted [?joy] and we went for a swim and had the day's purchases (he was glad to hear I had got the phone call through, amused to hear about Wendy's crying and called us cruel); we went out for a stroll and stopped at a couple of places where you put in a nickel and shoot at moving targets, and played peewee golf; then we walked leisurely back and settled down to drinking and talking. I wish you could have sat in on it. I'll try to repeat some of the conversation another time when I've run of ideas (why is it that I have so much more to write these days than I have time for?) We had another swim that night, and went again to the beach after breakfast - talked all the time we were together, and about practically everything. It's been very good to be with Henry here. So much for now, missed hearing from you today, but can't complain after 3 letters and a package yesterday. (I [forgot?] the [brownies?], passing them around when the men were having Afternoon [?] at the [office?], I hastily repacked everything else without peeking) All my love darling, Warren
