7 Sep 1928
John Griffin to Mother / Grenoble, France
At the time I wrote you last I would hardly hold my head up, and since then I have been down in bed a day or so. But I am all right now so don't worry. I surely had a hard time holding meeting Sunday. I never felt so low in my life. But I held it anyway and it wasn't the worst one I've held either. Monday I stayed in bed. Tuesday I got up again but went back again in the afternoon. Wednesday I spent all day in bed. Thursday I got up and have been up ever since. Now I feel all right again. I don't know what I had. I had pain in my neck, chest and shoulders, no cold at all, but a bad fever and stomach trouble. I didn't eat hardly anything for over 3 days. I surely felt rotten I surely missed home. I had no one to fuss over me so I felt quite helpless. The saints doped me up with herb tea. I don't know whether that helped much or not, I don't think so. The next time you send anything over here I wish you would include another bottle of aspirin. The aspirin over here is no good. The sisters down at Montpellier used all my old bottle up; I only used 5 or 6 tablets.
Some time ago I asked you to send me some books. I don't know whether you have forgotten....They are books that help me very much in my missionary work, especially in getting speeches. They are The Great Apostasy by Talmadge, Saturday Night Thoughts (I don't know the author), The Restoration of the Gospel by Osborne J.P. Widtsoe, Essentials in Church History by Joseph F. Smith. There is also a Priests Manual around home called Missionary Themes. This would hold me very much now. If we havn't these all and you can't afford to buy them, send me the ones we have if it isn't too much bother.
I suppose I am rather hasty in complaining about not receiving letters. But when I wait for 10 days I begin to think that something is wrong at home. However I will try to be more careful in the future.
Just got back from a visit or rather a cottage meeting. Sometimes I wonder why we get sick and other times I wonder why we aren't sick more often. Tonight we went to a sister's (home). First she gave us two cups of chocolate, then a piece of French pastry, like a pie - two helpings of this, then two big helpings of jam, etc. In the meantime we ate bread and drank lemonade. After this she brought out a big plate of grapes and wasn't content until we had eaten them all. Then later on tonight we went to another lady's home to hold a class. After class she brought out another big plate of grapes and some new-fangled syrup that you mix with water to make a drink. We had to clear the plate of grapes and that wasn't enough so she picked out two big bunches and wrapped them up for us. Then after we drank two more glasses of this drink we were able to go. On most every visit we get some lemonade, etc. On sever visits we get quite a hand out. They fix their best dishes when we come around. We eat them and moan. No wonder most missionaries are on diets when they get home. But it has to be done or they think you are down on them. I think we stand up pretty well under the strain.
I was quite surprised to hear that Rex was married. he is younger than I, isn't he? It is surely bad that he got hold of a girl like he did. When I see all those young kids getting married into these conditions, I am mighty glad I came over on a mission when I did, only I don't believe the girl would have been so bad anyway.
It is funny Elder Cortez hasn't called to see you. He promised me he would. I hope you heard him talk anyway. I was glad to hear that Ben got home all right. I can imagine how he feels. It was about 3 years ago that I got in from Yellowstone. I will warn you not that when I come home I will walk in on you too - you shan't know within a week of when I am coming. I have it planned out already.
I supposed that by now all the kids are installed in school again and that you are somewhat glad of the fact. I suppose Ben is going to Weber. he ought to go out for football with all the hardening he got this summer. Tell him to take French too, also tell him to take every chance he gets to speak it, because that's the thing that counts on a mission. My companion here probably knows more about French technically than I'll ever know, yet he can't speak it. Of course he has yet the time to learn, and he is coming along very well for starting. He studied four years at home.
This morning I received the letter from Fish Lake. I am so glad that you have taken a vacation at last. I surely hope to southern Utah as soon as I return. How would Fish Lake be for a honeymoon stay? Write and tell me all about the trip and the wonderful things you see. Glad you had grandmother along and that she is enjoying it too...
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