5 Nov 1928
John Griffin to Mother / Grenoble, France
The night arrives early now and so we can't spend so much time out of doors. As a result we have more time to write and study. It is 5 o'clock now and pitch dark, and has been for a half hour. In the middle of the winter they say it gets dark here at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. You need a light to read at four now.
The other day I received your letters written on the 15th. They were both good encouraging letters, especially the one I got yesterday. Today to top things off I got the cargo you sent some time ago. When I first saw them I though that maybe you were moving the book case and a confectionary store over here. Anyway I was surely glad to get them; thanks a thousand times. I had to pay 21 Fr. duty, but that isn't much, especially when you consider what is in them (the packages) At the same time I received a package from Dot and I've been trying to figure out ever since then what her idea was. Her package contained three phonograph records. They cost me 17 Fr. duty and I can't imagine what I'm going to do with them. I havn't a phonograph, neither has Frere Middleton. Frere White had one but it is more than 5 months since he left. She knew all these things and yet -- well, I'll save them and maybe someday I'll be lucky enough again to get a companion with a phonograph.
The cake arrived in good condition; also the candy. All the decorations came off except the "John", but the cake and candy were nice and soft. I'm afraid I'll be sick tomorrow. The books arrived in good condition - they ought to have, being in that strong box. I suppose I'll be alble to find something to read for the next few months and again thanks an awful lot. What was the English Grammar for; is that a hint? I guess by the time I return home I'll surely be in a bad way, not being able to speak French or English as it should be spoken.
Heavenly Father is the best consolater ther is in the time of trouble. The lady with cancer is still at the hospital. I don't know yet whether they will operate or not. The rest of the saints treat her very well. They go to see her and take her things and do all they can to help her. Last night we had a good meeting. We had 3 new ones out again and that is what I like to see. We had 22 attend in all. I was quite content. I just hope that it continues. Right now we are worrying about our conference next saturday. We have put out 5,000 handbills and have 1,000 more to put out. I am a little afraid that it will not be so well attended as they have already shown these views before. Anyway I will be glad when it is all over with.
I would surely like to have been to the big game there. I suppose the Thanksgiving Day game this year will be some game. Oh Well, I've only 16 more months. It seems ages since I been to a football game, and I suppose it will be ages yet before I'll see one. I was glad to hear that your excursion to the temple was a success and that everybody enjoyed thenselves. I don't suppose I'll hear the "Singing Fool" for at least 16 months. They don't have "Talkies" over here. It will certainly seem good to go to a good American show house where there room between the seats for your knees, and where smoking is prohibited. However there is one thing that they have here that they havn't home. That is their municipal Operas. Last saturday night we went to an operetta here that was very very good. La Traviata is playing tomorrow night, but we have a visit. Anyway I'll bet I've seen more Operas than you've ever heard of.
They send us the conference manuals once each year abut Christmas time. I have read all the speaches for 1927 but we have not received the manuals for this year yet. Thanks again for the one you sent, I bought something to send home last summer about your birthday time and it has been up in Geneva ever since waiting for a missionary to take it home. I told Chuck that if no missionaries came through before the 15th, to mail it.
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