1904*

Secretary, Waterville Inn, Waterville Valley, N. H.

At the end of the first eleven days in April during each of which there has been some snow fall; just able to get our heads above the accumulated drifts high enough to observe whether it was daylight or dark a letter came from Bob Brewer written on the morning of his return from a few days visit in Virginia where Tulips, Narcissuses, Azaleas, Lilacs, Flowering Almonds, Peach Trees, Plum Trees, Pear Trees, and Apple Trees were all in bloom. To a man who has lived on frost feathers and snow balls four months with no present indications of change, that suggests an imagination wholly out of control, but Bob's honesty cannot be challenged. Bob Junior is finishing at Harvard this year, and expects to enter Harry Chase's Medical School next year. Sally, their oldest daughter, graduated from Milton Academy in 1937, had a year of music at the Longy School in Cambridge, and now is studying piano and voice with private teachers, expecting, if the European situation is favorable, to study music and art next year in Florence, accompanied by her sister, Ruth, who graduates from Milton this year. Anne is also a student at Milton. Here's hoping there may be no conflict in Commencement dates at Harvard and Dartmouth that will prevent the Brewers from attending our reunions.

In the 1939 spring list of books by the Penn Publishing Company, we find "Soft Money" by Henry Barnard Safford, author of "Contraband." A cleverly conceived and worked out tale of a gang who flooded Rhode Island with its spurious currencyfast moving, thrilling, and wholly entertaining. This recalls the pleasure afforded some twenty of us at our annual 1937 reunion for a few hours with this same Safford whom we had not seen for thirty-three years. Congratulations, doctor, we are all looking forward to the pleasure of seeing you in June at the reunion.

Howard E. '05 Jake Smith is State representative from his town of Seabrook at Concord. It was my privilege to enjoy a half hour with him at the Eagle Hotel one evening. Jake has been interesting himself in abolishing a so-called "marriage racket," which has been operating for several years in Seabrook. Here's luck to your efforts, Jake.

Hay and Mrs. Rolfe are sojourning in Southern Europe. This from his characteristic letter of March 10, "There is a lot of satisfaction in being away from the sleet and ice of New England, but many, many times I would give a lot for some Waterville Inn griddle cakes, a good cup of coffee, a decent cigarette, a smokable cigar, a good game of bridge, a confab with a Dartmouth man "Many places I have been were colder than I expected. Cairo was not warm, now the island of Rhodes, which Mussolini has created into a resort paradise. Istanbul was cold and dirty, but Athens was clean and warmer. Nice beautiful and warm, but Genoa cold as winter. Taormina, Sicily, where Evelyn and I will be for a few weeks, is gorgeous; as I sit here writing I can see snow-capped Mt. Etna, and can look down 2,000 feet to the beaches and small villages. The flowers here are in full bloom, the birds singing, the oranges and lemons ripe on the trees; but whiskey is fifty cents an ounce, American cigarettes fifty cents for 20—and no American cigars at all."

Four days later additional physical suffering and incurable chills caused Hay to break out in a rash of goose pimples and rhyme.

IMPRESSIONS There is a town, Taormina On the Isle of Sicily Mt. Etna in the distance, Far below the deep blue sea. In March, the birds are singing, The flowers are smelling sweet, The oranges and lemons Are falling at your feet. Tarantella, the dance is famous, Mandolins, the music sweet, You'll hear Sicilians singing In cafes, along the street. But the coffee is atrocious, The bread is hard and raw, The cigarettes abominable, And cigars, they taste like straw. It's only warm when the sun is out And that's not often-sure, So you'll have to drink ten whiskies To make yourself secure. H. P. ROLFE.

Bill Kneeland says, "I don't believe there is any statue. It is all fake and hooey, and just a cheap publicity stunt, and 1 refuse to be a party to it in any way."

Here's our real success story for the year; a wonderful picture of the devotion, love,' and accomplishment of "Father John."

Rev. Dr. John H. Nolan has been Chaplain of the Springfield City Home, since 1928 when he was first appointed City Missionary by the late Bishop Davies. After the arrival of Bishop Lawrence, "Father John," as he is affectionately known by thousands throughout the Diocese, became the General Missionary.

In this capacity he has general supervision of all the social service work of Diocesan character and is available to the Parishes and Missions for consultation in their social service activities. With the aid of the Clergy he has compiled a list of social service workers in the Diocese; a list of services being conducted by the Diocesan Social Service Committee in institutions throughout the Diocese; and a list of hospitals and social and welfare agencies in the Parishes. Dr. Nolan is making personal visits to each one of these places and conferring with the Clergyman in charge as often as he is able to.

Outside of the city of Springfield there are more than 170 hospitals and social welfare agencies, while in Springfield there are more than 20. He is a Chaplain at the Hampden County Jail in Springfield and has a Communion service there one Friday morning every month. He keeps constantly in touch with the Juvenile Court in Springfield and with the Probation Officers from whom he receives much assistance. He visits the Colleges in the Diocese and has recently organized at Springfield College a Church Club, which has a membership of some 25 young men who are Episcopalians. Similar clubs are to be organized at American International College and Bay Path Institute in Springfield.

Every week he sets aside an afternoon for a visit to the Springfield City Home where he has, including the Hospital and Infirmary patients, more than 100 men and women under his spiritual care. At times he will take the residents of the Home for a drive. He writes letters for them and gets their children to visit them. He arranges for Protestant services to be held at the Home. He is always on call for emergencies at the Isolation Hospital.

At his office at 37 Chestnut Street, Springfield, Dr. Nolan conducts an informal employment bureau and there he holds countless interviews with those who are continually seeking his advice and guidance. Through his contacts with the personnel directors of many firms in the city, he has been able to place many men and women in positions—where they can earn their own living.

For a number of years Dr. Nolan was Vicar of St. Barnabas's Church in Spring-field, and he was die first Vicar of St. James's Church, Springfield. He is now Vicar of St. Aidan's Church, Springfield, and at present is also in charge of the Churches at North Brookfield and South Barre—these being without a Vicar. And yet, despite all these activities, he is on call to the Clergy of the Diocese for talks and consultation on social service and men's work.

It would seem that this would be enough for any man to do, but Dr. Nolan is one of the founders and a trustee of the Springfield Goodwill Industries, Inc.; a trustee of the. Springfield Family Welfare Association; and Chaplain of the 104th Infantry, Massachusetts National Guard. He is also a member of the Springfield School Board, and was recently elected Chaplain of the Army Officers' Club of Springfield.

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