HYDE PARK, Wednesday—By six o'clock last evening we settled down to really hearing returns. Very quickly the people who can compute percentages seemed to be confidant that the verdict of the people was in favor of the President. But I, who always feel that you must wait until every thing is in before you can be sure, was not so soon convinced!

As the night wore on, however, it seemed evident that the returns were becoming more and more favorable and finally in the early hours of the morning there came from Governor Landon the type of telegram which typifies the attitude of one who believes in a democratic form of government. It was a fine message and from now on let us hope that any bitterness engendered by the heat of battle will be wiped out, and there will be real cooperation on the part of friends and enemies to make the nation as a whole prosper.

I have been deeply touched by the small contributions which have been sent to me to transmit to the Democratic campaign fund. They represent more sacrifice perhaps than larger sums of money and are often accompanied by letters which make one realize even more keenly the weight of responsibility on a man who has the confidence of so large a part of a nation such as ours.

We finally induced my husband and the children to go to bed somewhere around 3 a.m., after talking with our son Elliott and his wife in Texas. They sounded very jubilant in spite of the fact that I think we woke them up by calling so late. We could not go to bed without talking to them, however. A little after eleven p.m. some of the people who have worked so hard at the New York State Democratic Committee office, arrived by train. They were so much elated by the results of their labors and the success of Governor Lehman and the state ticket and of Mrs. O'Day that they did not leave until about two a.m!

Instead of growing more sleepy as the night advanced I seemed to grow more and more wide awake but I suppose by tonight I shall feel as though I had never been to sleep before! We are all busy today getting ready to go back to Washington, packing trunks and getting the mail done, as far as possible. Miss Nancy Cook is having a luncheon which the President and I are attending and by that time I think we will have very complete returns and will be able to call it a victory party.