Monthly Archives: August 2011

August 12, 1925 (Walter)

Jacksonville Beach, Fla.,
Wednesday Night.

My Dear Sweetheart,

Today was my lucky day. Everyday is lucky, but this one especially. This morning I had two letters and tonight I received the third one. They were just as sweet as they could be and, believe me, I was getting anxious for them to come. The other two came yesterday, but we were in Jax and didn’t get them until today.

We have been very busy today and the work is most interesting.

August 12, 1925 (Walter)

August 12, 1925 (Walter)

Had a letter from the Mr. Pettit whom you met at Kerrville. He was spending a while with his brother’s folks in Dallas and said that he was enjoying it very much.

You were mighty sweet about the honeymoon beginning here. I could hardly make up my mind to bring you to this cottage as it doesn’t seem good enough, but perhaps I could find a nicer one down here. I’d like to take you to the future home so that you would feel more settled and I am trying to get the station down here so that we won’t have to move any. The fellows in the colder climates sometimes move twice each year, so as to work in different locations, but the beauty about this work would be no moving. It should be very much like Mr. Parman’s work when it is started, but there are a few things I would have a little different from Mr. Parman. I am not criticizing, but have a little different idea. We will discuss them when we are together for you have some ideas on outward appearances of places that are better than mine.

You don’t know how much I appreciate what you said about where you lived. You are wonderful, Dear, and more and more I realize how very fortunate I am to have such a fiancee. We will try to make the whole married life a honeymoon and I’ll do everything I can to this end. I am sure that it is going to be just what we try to make it, for we can do what we try.

Dear, you said something about a wardrobe trunk when we were talking before I left Uvalde. If you have not purchased it, I would not be in a hurry about it. I am suggesting this because, the Florida creeping eruption studies may be completed this season and I’d rather not do sectioning of tissue in Washington with Dr. White this winter. If I do not work with him up there, perhaps we can come direct to our home down here. Then if I go to Johns Hopkins, we could get the trunk before we go up there. I don’t mean that all of the work will be finished on C.E. for no problem is ever completed, but work under the present arrangement will be completed and the future work will be a sort of a side line of my own and will be worked by myself only. There is more satisfaction in working alone on a problem, as far as individual credit is concerned, though Dr. White was very nice yesterday in suggesting that my name appear first on this summer’s work. I don’t know whether this was just a courtesy on his part or not. We are interested in different phases of the problem and after this summer, I believe we can work separately to better advantage. It looks as though we have the thing isolated, but we can’t tell for a few days yet. It will be kept quiet until we have had a chance to announce it at a meeting. If we are working with the right thing now, Dr. White will probably return about the end of this month and I hope we have it. It certainly looks favorable.

With all my love, Sweetheart, and assuring you that I am true to you, and with all confidence in you, I am,

Yours always,
Walter.

August 12, 1925 (Ina)

Wednesday Nite
Aug. 12, 1925.

My dearest Walter:

Claudelle and I have just finished our evening walk. We didn’t go until unusually late as she did not return from down town in time. It was almost dark when we started and we could imagine all sorts of snakes and things before we came in sight of the house. Our imaginations were so active that when a poor little innocent grasshopper settled himself peacefully on my dress for a rest I accidentally became aware of his whereabouts by upsetting him with my hand. I gave a hop, skip and a jump that made us both almost think a rattlesnake had me. I hereby resolve never to go out for a pleasant stroll in the pitch dark on a ranch road that snakes like so well.

August 12, 1925 (Ina)

August 12, 1925 (Ina)

No, I didn’t get a letter today. I miss them very much when I don’t get them, but I spend the rest of that day in looking forward to the next when I feel sure that I will receive one.

I love you, Sweetheart, lots and lots and would give so much if I could be with you tonight.

Your devoted,
Ina.

Thursday Night.
Aug. 13, 1925.

Dearest Walter:

Yes, sir-ree, I did get it today and I’ve been happy “every minute” since. Mama, Papa, Claudelle and I were on our way to the Neuces River when we went by the post office and found your letter. It was a good one and made my swim a lot more pleasant.

Even Mama and Papa went in swimming so you know the water must have been tempting. There were about 30 people in and everyone seemed to be having a good time. I thought of you a great deal while we were in the water and imagined that you were enjoying the surf at the same time.

I noted what you said of Mrs. Gallagher. I suspected quite a while ago that perhaps she had a deeper interest in you than mere appreciation for the attention you paid the children. I didn’t blame her a bit because I am “rather” interested in you myself. However, I am not jealous, just because I feel that if you were going to fall in love with her, you would have done it last summer, and second, because I am convinced that you truly love me and I know that you will be true to me. From the description you have given me of Mrs. Gallagher, I feel sure that I will like her, and I know the children are cute. I think it will be nice if you have the little boy down on the beach with you to spend a while. It will be a treat for him and you will enjoy it too.

We appreciated the compliment you paid Thelma Lee and Reitha. They certainly think lots of you and speak of you often.

Lots of love from one who loves you more than anyone else in the world.

Ina.

August 11, 1925 (Walter)

Tuesday Night 11PM.

My Dear Sweetheart,

We have just returned from Jax with Dr. and Mrs. K.S. We enjoyed the dinner very much and the drive home was cool and pleasant. She served a roast lamb, baked potatoes, sliced tomatoes on lettuce with mayonnaise dressing, ice tea, peaches with whip cream, and chocolate layer cake. The home cooking was quite a change for us and the evening was pleasantly spent. She served Dr. White and I a Scotch highball before dinner which seemed to be a pretty good appetizer.

August 11, 1925 (Walter)

August 11, 1925 (Walter)

We had some shopping to do and also had an express package containing some glassware from Washington. There were so many bundles it looked like Santa Claus.

I note in the Southern Med Journal that the meeting will be held in Dallas Nov. 7 to 10th. It is possible that we may have an important announcement as a result of our work to make there and would like to know what you think about that time or a date somewhere near that one. Cannot say for sure yet, but this is just a possibility. Maybe it can be arranged for the wedding before that time or after then, giving a couple of weeks margin either way. There is yet plenty of time to set the date, and I am simply suggesting this at this time as a possibility.

It is bed time, Dear & Dr. White is asleep. I must take a bath yet and I guess I had better say “goodnight.”

I love you with all my heart and I wish for you, Sweetheart, real often.

Always,
Your
Walter

August 11, 1925 (Ina)

Tuesday Night

Aug. 11, 1925.

My dearest Walter:

Your Friday night’s letter made me feel so good today. In fact they all make me happy and I don’t think I shall ever cease to thrill at the sight of a letter addressed to me in your handwriting. Claudelle declares that I can recognize yours from the post office door to the car if I am parked there while she goes in for the mail.

August 11, 1925 (Ina)

August 11, 1925 (Ina)

Sweetheart, I am delighted with the prospects of a University at Fulford. Won’t that be fine? I want to congratulate you as a wise buyer. I am so glad you bought it. I am so deeply interested in it, and it is mighty nice of you to keep me so well posted on developments there. It seems like the horseshoe is still doing us good, don’t you think?

How are you and Dr. White progressing? I hope that by now he has decided to pack his belongings and return to Washington. You think though that you don’t care to use the system of going in the surf at mid-day to make him want to leave? I’ll venture to say that he will not make that suggestion again. However, I’ll bet he didn’t admit that he had made a mistake in doing it. I know how painful those blisters are and I hope yours are all right by now. I’ll remember the vinegar remedy – that is, if it was effective.

I am enclosing some rather quaint looking pictures of Claudelle and me. They are made in some old fashioned costumes that we wore to a masquerade Colonial party last February. You see, we haven’t outgrown the pleasure of playing “dress-up.” We had lots of fun making the pictures. You will notice that Mama cut our feet off in most of them. I am sending you these pictures to add to your collection for fear you get tired looking at the same ones all the time. I don’t want you to forget me, you see.

I love you lots and lots all the time and want to see you so very very badly right now.

Yours always,
Ina.

August 10, 1925 (Walter)

Jacksonville Beach, Fla.,
Monday Night.

My Dear Sweetheart,

I was mighty glad to get your letter this morning, but very sorry, Dear, to know of your toothache following the dental work.* I can sympathize with you for I know how disagreeable it is for the first few days. No doubt you are glad that it is all over and that you won’t have to go back again soon. I always feel relieved when I leave the dentist’s office. You should feel better by this time and I hope that when you receive this that you will feel just right again.

August 10, 1925 (Walter)

August 10, 1925 (Walter)

The last time I went to a dentist’s office I showed him a real filling and I told him that it was painful. Then I told him that the dentist was dead now. He was quite small so he asked if I was giving him a warning to go easy.

When I came to the beach, Sweetheart, it made the mail service between us about a day more, so that probably accounts for one missing day. Too, the letters are not always forwarded promptly from KS office. Dr. White and I are going to Jax tomorrow and after doing some shopping will have dinner with Dr. K.S. and family. Am glad that there will be no card party connected with it nor a movie show, as we will want to come back before it is so late. We are getting into some interesting work right now and I believe it has helped a lot in getting Dr. White off some of his notions. We had some stuff today which makes him feel that we have the thing we are looking for, and I anticipate a more pleasant connection with him during the next few weeks. Incidentally, it is my lead and I think he is more considerate of it. This will keep him occupied and I believe I can keep him off the cold trails for the rest of the season. The time passes quicker since we are on experiments again, but it isn’t fast enough yet, Dear, for I want the time to come when I can be with you. Don’t think that my love is the least bit colder since I left you, for it is all yours and I wish for you just the same. If I could only be with you occasionally it would help some, but the time is coming and every day makes it a little nearer. It is probably difficult for you to wait too, and I wonder if your duties during the day are as interesting to you as mine are to me. Mine help some, but I always have to look at your photo occasionally and wish that I were near enough that I could hug you real hard.

I love you, Sweetheart and Goodness only knows how much I want you.

With a sweet goodnight and with all my love, I am,

Always your,
Walter.

P.S. I have not yet had a letter addressed to Jax Beach, but I guess they will come addressed this way before long.

*This letter might be slightly out of sequence – Walter had a habit of only writing the (sometimes incorrect) day on his letters, and the postmark on the envelope for this one is illegible.

August 10, 1925 (Ina)

Monday Night.
Aug. 10, 1925.

My dearest Walter:

I was sorry today when I read in your Thursday’s letter that another day had passed and you had not heard from me. The trouble must be in the office of Dr. K.S. as I have written you every day since you left with the exception of the Sunday we went to Hondo. It is true that I don’t always get it off on the first train, and I sometimes mail two letters in one, but I don’t see how you could miss two days in succession except through delay in the office. At any rate, when you don’t get a letter, just rest assured that there is at least one somewhere in transit that you will soon receive and that I still love you better than anyone and am thinking of you.

August 10, 1925 (Ina)

August 10, 1925 (Ina)

Tonight is our “anniversary night” – just three months since we became engaged, and it seems like you have been gone longer than that. My, but I have been happier these three months than I have ever been before – just to know that you love me and I love you and that each day brings the time nearer when we shall start out life together. Sweetheart, I would give so much if you could be here tonight and we could enjoy the evening as much as we did that memorable 10th of May evening. We could really enjoy it even more now because we know each other better and really love more deeply than we did then.

I spent the day with Thelma today and we enjoyed it so much. I asked Thelma Lee and Retha what message they would like to send to you and they both said to tell you to come to see us sometime. That is nearly always the message they want me to give you. Perhaps you will consider coming sometime?

Walter, I have just received a letter from Lionel Womack, a young man from Bisbee, Arizona who lived in Uvalde for about two years, but who left here about two years ago for his home in Arizona. I went with him for about six months during which time he fell in love, proposed and I refused. Shortly after we broke up was when he returned to Arizona. I hadn’t heard from him in almost a year until last December he wrote me a letter telling me that he was engaged. I answered only with a Christmas card across the face of which I wrote “Congratulations.” I suppose I have never mentioned him to you as I supposed he was already married. Imagine my surprise today when I received a long letter from him in which he told me that he and his fiancee had already broken up, as he found she was not the kind of girl he thought she was. Also, he said he was coming to Texas in about sixty days and was very anxious to come to see me. He writes as though he feels the same toward me as he did when we were going together, but, Sweetheart, don’t worry one moment about it. I am going to write him the exact situation as it is – our engagement etc. and I don’t think he will even want to come under those circumstances. And, even if you and I were not engaged, and if Lionel were to come and stay until “Doom’s Day,” I couldn’t love him. I made up my mind to that effect a long time ago. He is a good friend but not the kind I could love. Now, you won’t worry about it, will you? I am writing you this because if I were with you I would tell you and I am sure you would do the same by me if you had a similar occasion.

I love you worlds and worlds, Dear, and, as far as I am concerned, no one is going to come between us.

Always
Your
Ina.

August 9, 1925 (Walter)*

Jax Beach, Fla.,
Sunday Night.

My Dear Sweetheart,

Yesterday was a pretty busy day and by the time I had finished rubbing my sun burns, it was quite late. At the time I thought I would write to you this morning, but we had some experiments which needed attention, so the whole day got by us and now I find that I have missed a day.

There is quite a crowd down here today, and I left Dr. White on the Board Walk watching the pretty girls. He admires them anyway, and sometimes I believe he wishes that he had married when he was younger. Tonight he told me that he thought that I ought to get married. Told him that I intended to, but asked him what I would do with a wife at the present time. I guess I could take care of you if you were here now, but I certainly couldn’t make it home like and neither could you. Perhaps it would be all right as a honeymoon, but at the present time I wouldn’t know just where I was going to take you. But it won’t be so very long, Dear, before we will have it figured out and I’ll be the happiest human in the world.

August 9, 1925 (Walter)

August 9, 1925 (Walter)

I can hardly wait for the time to come when I can come for you and can then have you with me always. I look at your photos many times every day and have them handy where I can see them often. Then I think of the many happy evenings of my stay in Uvalde and the swing where you and I spent most of them. Tomorrow will be three months, since you said “yes” and it seems longer, especially since I left you.

Tuesday, Dr. White and I are invited up for dinner with the Kirby-Smiths again. They will drive back with us after dinner. I haven’t seen Mrs. Gallagher except the one time, and I feel a little mean about it for she left word at Dr. K.S. office for me to phone her and later wrote a note to the effect that she was leaving on a vacation. I’ll see her again, but am in no hurry about it. After Dr. White leaves, I may have her little boy to come down here and spend a few days with me. He is a nice kid and I think a lot of him. When I saw him he wanted to know when I was coming back to their house to live. The little girl is mighty sweet too, but not nearly as pretty as Thelma Lee or Rietha. I haven’t seen any as pretty as Thelma Lee anywhere.

I didn’t get a letter yesterday or today but tomorrow will probably bring one. I love you, Sweetheart, with every tender affection and I am continually wishing for you. You can bet that I am true to you every minute of the time, too.

With all my love and a real sweet goodnight, I am,

Always your,
Walter.

* This one got out of sequence in the file, so I’m putting it on the blog in the right spot.

August 9, 1925

Sunday Night.
Aug. 9, 1925.

My dearest Walter:

Claudelle and I left before the League service was over tonight as it looked like it would rain and we were not crazy about the idea of coming over our road after it was wet. It was mostly false alarm as it only sprinkled a little. There seemed to be enough thunder and lightning to make the Noahs of Uvalde think seriously of building an ark, but perhaps past experience has taught them better. However, we haven’t quite overcome our Mississippi ideas of the weather.

August 9, 1925

August 9, 1925

You really did seem distressed in your Wednesday’s letter over the Dr. White situation. Sweetheart, I am awfully sorry you are having so much trouble with him, and I wish so much that I could do something to help you out. I know just about how you feel and I don’t blame you a bit. I surely do wish I could be there to try to help you forget it. I know that when you are so constantly and closely associated with someone who is so oldmaidish, particular and slow about things that are often of minor importance or things that you have already thoroughly investigated yourself it is no less than nerve-racking. But aren’t you glad you found it out before you got deeply into some kind of partnership work with him that it would be harder to get out of? Maybe he will not be with you much longer, and then, won’t you feel good! I think you will be better able to appreciate your own work and the pleasant dealings you have had with Dr. K.S. and others than you would have, had you not had this experience with Dr. White. Sometimes these experiences are rather bitter while they last, but we often profit by them. However, Sweetheart, I am sorry you have had to endure this one and I hope you will not have to do it again. I am glad you are writing me about it because I like to know what you are going through even when you have to write it, because, if I were with you, I would certainly want to know, and I like to feel as much like I am with you as possible. I want you to feel free to write me anything you would want to tell me if I were with you. I will be so glad when we can be together and each evening can discuss the difficulties as well as the pleasures of the day. That is the way a husband and wife are drawn closer together and into a more complete understanding of one another. I don’t see how I could love you more than I do now, but that is what I said at first and I know I love you more now than I did then. Isn’t it wonderful how one’s capacity for loving can be increased so much?

You spoke of my photos. I still wear yours on my dressing table and I get lots of pleasure out of looking at it. You would really be surprised to know how often the expression of your face changes. When I don’t get a letter from you and I can’t help but be disappointed, I look at you and you look solemn and almost call me “Mama,” but when I do get a nice letter from you, I look at you and you almost laugh. I don’t know what I’d do without the picture. I love it. (and you).

Always, your,
Ina.

August 8, 1925

Saturday Night.
Aug. 8, 1925.

My dearest Walter:

Bless your heart, your Tuesday’s letter was mighty nice, and I enjoyed every minute of it. It almost made me feel like I had been talking with you. It made me want so very very much to be with you. The cottage, the surf and everything sounded so good. Yes, I think a honeymoon there would be fine. My disposition is not so “high strung” that I would want more excitement. I prefer the quiet spots where I can be with you most. No matter where we spend – shall I say the “beginning” of our honey moon? – I know it will be ideal because we love one another so much. I am looking forward to going to the different places with you that you have mentioned. You describe them so well to me that I think I shall have an “at home” feeling when we arrive. I like the idea of the life long honeymoon. It is true that it can be made that way if each of us will resolve to make it so. I hereby resolve to try to do my part in making our married life one great, long happy honeymoon. No matter where we spend it, in a home of our own, here, there or everywhere. I hope and believe that we can keep that spirit. Of course we will have our problems, but I think we can work them out together, and, with love guiding us, can come out safely on the happy side. With our understanding of each other I can’t see why we should ever have a fuss. I believe that when difficulties arise we will both have patience and come to an understanding without any cross words. Sweetheart, I love you more than anyone else on earth, and I trust you in everything. In sincerely hope you trust me, and, if you do, I am going to try never to betray that trust. I believe you absolutely when you say you are true to me, and I hope you will believe me when I say that I am true to you. I haven’t had a date since you left except the one I had with Mr. Savage of which I wrote you. I wear the ring all the time except when I wash dishes. I don’t care anything for dates with others, and am looking forward with the greatest of pleasure to the time where I can have one eternal date with you.

August 8, 1925

August 8, 1925

I believe I failed to tell you that I have received two letters from Mr. Cavitt and two from Mr. McCreless (the young ministers I met in Kerrville). I have answered one of each, but haven’t decided yet whether I shall answer their last ones. If you don’t want me to, I will not. It was merely as a matter of friendship that I answered the others.

Claudelle and I went to a kitchen shower on the church roof last night given by the League, honoring Mr. and Mrs. J.B. Lee. They have just recently returned from their honeymoon and are starting to keeping house. We had lots of fun. The gifts were presented in a unique manner. One of the boys, dressed like a Mexican girl, suddenly appeared at the top of the fire escape with a big laundry basket and interrupted our games by calling “Madama, Madama Lee, aqui estan las ropas de Ud.” – “Mrs. Lee, here are your clothes.” The basket, of course, was filled with kitchen utensils. The bride and groom seem very happy but are not silly about it. They act just like they did before they were married.

I am glad the Florida climate agrees with you. I have gotten down to 119. However, I always lose weight in the summer. It is plenty warm here during the day, but the evenings are usually cool. I suppose it will continue being warm thru August and September.

It is getting late now, so goodnight and sweet dreams.

I love you now and will love you always.

Your
Ina.

August 7, 1925 (Walter)

Friday Nite 8/8 – 1925*

My Dear Sweetheart,

This was a wonderful day for me. I had two real good letters from the dearest little girl in the world and you can bet I enjoyed them. I have read them several times already and I’ll probably read them again before I go to sleep. Dr. White is already in bed. He goes to sleep early and usually wakes pretty early. We have just finished using vinegar for our sun burned backs. They are pretty tender tonight and I guess his is equally as sore as mine. I have never used vinegar before but he says it works fine and that it prevents the skin from peeling. I have an idea that he knows, as it is difficult to get a positive statement out of him.

August 7, 1925 (Walter)

August 7, 1925 (Walter)

I was amused at what you said about your battery. They usually last from 18 to 24 months, but as yours has been used so little it hardly seems possible that you would need a new one at this time. Am glad that they found it OK. I usually figure that the bad luck in breaking a mirror consists in the purchase of another. The number 13 is unlucky if some one happens to count that way for a dozen. But I believe in horse-shoes. We have had luck with them, haven’t we? The Fulford lot is Lot No. 13 (block 9) and I can’t help but believe that it is a lucky number. I am enclosing a circular which was enclosed with my receipt this month. It looks as though they may have a real university at Fulford. The tract is evidently in a new addition they are opening, but it is bound to affect the value of our lot. I only wish we had more lots down there and located as well as this one for we can use the money very nicely and we want a good one for our own home, whether we live there at first or not.

Fulford University Story

Fulford University Story

Honey Bunch, it was mighty sweet of you to say what you did about dates when Mother Lewis asked you, and I appreciate it. However, Sweetheart, I feel that I have unlimited confidence in you and if you want to go with others it will be perfectly all right. You are real sweet about it.

Dear, I never had an idea that you were of such a lovable nature and you don’t know how happy I am over it. I was a bit afraid that you were naturally cold and I have thought of this some, but not since I left Uvalde. I feel that I know you pretty well by now and the idea that we can live happily together is well fixed in both of our minds. We can’t help but be happy, or at least I can’t be otherwise. You were mighty sweet to want ot know my troubles, and that is what it takes for a good understanding and happiness.

I certainly do wish for you, Sweetheart, and the past month has been the longest I have ever spent. But as you say, the time is a month nearer and that is mighty encouraging. I hope that before a great while we can set a date, for I want you, Honey, and I love you with all my heart.

Yours always,
Walter.

The 8th was a Saturday – I’m assuming Walter got the day right and the date wrong.