Tag Archives: longing

August 9, 1939

Wednesday Afternoon.
Aug. 9, 1939.

Dearest Sweetheart:

You have no idea how happy your letter made me this morning. I shall be eternally grateful to you for taking my last letter as good-naturedly as you did. After I mailed it it began to prey on my mind; I was afraid you might not take it as I intended it. When I received no reply by yesterday afternoon I became desperate. At eight last night I put in a station-to-station call for you at Kenwood 8479, and kept it in until 11:15, but no one answered. You must have already left on your trip. During the few hours that I slept I dreamed and dreamed about you – disturbing dreams. If your letter had not come this morning you would have received a telegram.

August 9, 1939

August 9, 1939

The letter you enclosed makes me very happy. I think it is well worded, and I hope it brings the desired results. I feel that you will never regret it.

We can hardly wait until next week to see you. We have had a good visit, but are ready to leave because we want to be with you. We are looking forward to the Mississippi trip.

The children were proud of their letters from you. Walter White stayed awake as late as he could last night, hoping to get to talk to you. Finally he gave up, and with specific instructions to me as to what I should tell you for him, he dropped to sleep.

You may not receive this until you reach Uvalde, but I just had to write.

I love you ever so much, Honey.

Always, your
Ina.

August 6, 1939

Sunday night – office

My dear Sweetheart,

A copy of my letter to Mr. Gaddis is enclosed and I want to ask you to keep it confidential. The personal reasons are not listed in the letter but were discussed with him. Strong should be back in Washington soon as he was improving rapidly and they thought he might not be away two months. I do not expect to get a reply before leaving here.

August 6, 1939

August 6, 1939

Sometime this week I plan to drive to Ames and see Dr. Drake & Decker. Will leave a car there for a surveyor & drive one of the Bishopps’ cars to Dallas, making stops at Lincoln Nebraska and perhaps Manhattan Kansas for conferences with state leaders. I should get to Uvalde sometime about the middle of next week. We could drive from there to Miss. & return. Have you had time for your visits? Are you ready to return?

I think most of your letter can be answered better when I am with you, if you do not go to sleep. Maybe you won’t be so tired then & we can drive & talk.

With lots of love, your
Walter

Enclosures:

Dear Mr. Snickel Fritz,

Expect to see you at Uvalde about the middle of next week, or about the 16th of August. That is if Mother, Lewis and you are ready to go to Mississippi and return to Minneapolis.

The American Legion is meeting here. About half of them did not get to Europe during the war.

With love
Daddy

Dear Lewis,

It is hot in Minneapolis too. Daddy is at the office now but will walk home and go to sleep. All of the airplanes have quit baiting for grasshoppers but some spreaders are working the roadsides yet.

With love,
Daddy.

August 3, 1939 (Ina)

Thursday Night.
Aug. 3, 1939.

Dear Walter:

I judge from your letter this afternoon that you are considering taking over for another year not only the grasshopper program, but the cricket also – all under Mr. Gaddis. I’m greatly disappointed. It looks like Dr. Strong’s condition would make you realize more than ever before that overwork doesn’t pay. Before many years he and Mr. Gaddis are going out like a flash, and they will be replaced by newer machinery that soon will be doing their work as well as they did. Furthermore, Dr. Strong and Mr. Gaddis will be remembered by many by their failures rather than by their success before they tried to handle too much.

August 3, 1939 (Ina)

August 3, 1939 (Ina)

Your family is getting desperately tired of your devoting all your time to your work. It gets worse every year, but you were that way years before you started on grasshoppers. When all else is gone, you will need your family. Now, I appreciate the fact that you have given us a name that we are proud of; you have provided us with comforts and luxuries that the average family does not have, and you have never complained of any money that I have spent; you have arranged to have some member of my family with us most of the time so that I would not get lonesome – all this I appreciate deeply – but we want you. You have provided everything anyone could reasonably expect except a father for your two fine sons, and a man to make love to your wife. Had it occurred to you that a woman likes the companionship and attention of a man? That feeling is not killed in her, even though she is married; she naturally expects her husband to take the place of her former admirers. I often think of what Mazie told me years ago: “Miss Dove, it sho is lucky for yo husband that you is a good woman with him away from you so much.” I sometimes wonder if you would bother to notice now if I were to let down the bars a little.

You probably will account for this letter by saying that I wasn’t feeling well tonight, but you will just be fooling yourself. These are things I have been wanting to say for a long time, but every time I have started you have gotten impatient because you don’t like to be told, then I started crying and left it unsaid. But make no mistake about it, I feel it just the same.

I do know that you can do creditable work and still take time for other things – it has been done.

Ina.

May 17, 1936 (Ina)

Monday A.M.
May 17, 1936.

Dearest Sweetheart:

We were very much disappointed that you did not come this week-end. Since we did not hear anything to the contrary we were expecting you. I even turned the cover down on Dr. White’s bed Saturday night.

May 17, 1936

May 17, 1936

After itemizing our furniture I telephoned the Fireproof Storage Co. to be sure I had done it correctly. They are the ones who moved Mr. Hall and they already have John’s bid for moving his furniture from Fort Pierce. Mr. Bradley of that company said that the only reason there was any difficulty in getting Mr. Hall’s bids approved was that he was trying to ship both the things that the government was willing to move (laboratory material) and the things that they were not willing to move (household furniture). He said it was better not to list the furniture. All that is necessary is to state that it is furniture for a __ room house. He has the blanks at his office and suggested that you go there to see him next time you are in Savannah. He knows you as he had several conversations with you in regard to Mr. Hall’s furniture. His van would pick up our furniture here and the same van would unload it at our house in San Antonio. He said he thought his company was the only one in Savannah that could do that. The Fireproof Storage Co. represents the Aero Mayflower Transit Co. which moves furniture all over the United States, Mexico and Canada. He said they had had a great deal of experience in moving gov. employees’ furniture, especially from Fort Screven.

We hope to see you this week-end, Honey.

Lots of love,
Ina.

October 2, 1931

Friday Night.
Oct. 2, 1931.

Dearest Sweetheart:

Your letter of Monday night started the day off right for me. On the days that I do not get one from you things don’t seem to go so good.

October 2, 1931

October 2, 1931

I was interested to note the tone of Jimmie’s letter – rather blue and somewhat apologetic didn’t you think? You are not going to reply to it, are you?

Your “sprout” is sleeping soundly. He has a good time all day and sleeps well at night. One of his new stunts today was, when we asked him what he was, to pucker up his lips like he ust to do when he said “owna go, owna go” and say “hobo.” He picks up things so quickly that it is almost alarming. Mama carried him for a walk this afternoon. She said she felt almost like she was with a man when she was with him. After being with Ina Marie he does seem big and grown-up. He is so sweet and good natured. He speaks of you often now, but for a week or two when we first came he would not mention you. We would ask him “where is Daddy” etc. and he would immediately change the subject to the moon, stars, lights or something else without answering. It gave me a queer feeling to see him deliberately avoid speaking of you when I knew that he used to talk of you almost constantly. Even when he heard a car drive in he would not say is usual “is that Daddy – it’s Daddy.” I can’t imagine why he did it. He stopped mentioning you as soon as you left us on the train. I would not tell you before because I thought it might hurt your feelings. For the last few days he has been calling “Daddy” & “Walter” real often and loves to talk about you. Isn’t it queer? I knew he had not forgotten you. He either did not like it because you did not come with us or he was resigned to it and did not care to discuss it. Again I say, babies, or rather, little boys, have more sense than we give them credit for. I wonder if he realizes that it will not be so very long before we see you again so he can afford to speak of you. He hears us talking about it. Of course I don’t expect as much of him as Mr. Parman did of his 6 week old baby.

We love you lots & lots, Honey.

Always, your devoted family,
Walter White & Ina.

July 14, 1927

Thurs. PM. 6:30

My Dear Sweetheart,

Your letter was a real good one. You always know what to say. It was next best to a talk with you, though I’d like mighty well to see you now. The renewal is OK until we hear from Mr. Diffy and should he not be able to get a $4000 lien I know that we can renew with Mr. Harper OK. We could increase our second lien but would have to give a 25% to them. This we do not care to do. I feel that Mr. Diffy is going to get the $4000. He fells that he can so I am not worrying about it.

July 13, 1927

July 13, 1927

Six of the dogs were infested with A. braziliense though there were only 18 in all of them. There were 77 caninum. It shows that they (braziliense) are fairly well distributed, but present in only small numbers. Will get some more animals tomorrow. The kittens are fine.

You don’t know how much I would like to see you. I just love you so that I want to be with you all of the time. Can’t help but be interested in a place close to the Lab so I can see you any time of the day. If we have a place near the Lab we can use the garage here which would mean a saving. When you come back, I will have a govt. Ford which I can use. This will give you your car at any time you want to use it. Will find out if our Baltimore freight is here. It is about time for it. Guess I’ll have to try all the freight depots as the routing is not given on the Bill of Lading. I paid the Baltimore Transfer Co. They prepaid the freight to the Southern R.R.

With a real sweet kiss and with all my love, your
Walter.

P.S. You left 1 month ago today.

July 12, 1927

Tuesday, 6 PM.

My Dear Sweetheart,

Your letter came this A.M. It made good time. Can’t tell you anything about the loan as yet. Probably tomorrow.

It will be several days yet before I can come to Uvalde, though I’d like to come right now. It seems ages since I saw you. Will have the advance of funds in about a week and I hope to leave shortly after the check comes. Will probably have an abstract fee & renewal charges.

July 12, 1927

July 12, 1927

Alvis came over last night. Brought a comb cleaner as a present. Cost about 10ยข. Said he had tried to buy one in Dallas and was unable, so when he found them at Little Rock he bought about 5 so he could give each of his friends one. He seems to be getting along with his girl. He will leave town again within a few days. When he returns I understand that he has another job waiting for him.

Dear, I hardly know what to do with myself when I am here alone. Find it about as easy and enjoyable to keep busy as to try to do anything else.

Bish leaves tonight for Medina. Think he is going to give a few talks down there at the Farmers’ Short Courses. Says he will be down there a couple of days. Would like to see him leave for Wash.

The Roarks are not coming down this summer. Guess they will come this fall. Dr. Roark was placed on the Advising Board as a consulting chemist for the Corn Borer work. I imagine that this will give him some new duties which may delay his coming down here.

With all my love, Dear, I am

Your
Walter.

July 10, 1927

8 PM
Sunday the 10th.

My Dear Sweetheart,

I know that weeks ago you planned that I would be in Uvalde today. Only wish I were there now. Have just returned from the Brundrettes’. Had dinner with them about two o’clock, fried chicken, vegetables, ice cream and cake. Also had ice cream and cake again tonight. This PM I drove them around White Rock in the Willys Knight. Finished the paint job this morning. Only used top and seat dressing this A M & it dried quickly. I think it looks better than when you saw it last.

July 10, 1927

July 10, 1927

Alvis came over this morning. Said his niece was at Mrs. Pettit’s & that I was invited for dinner. Was sorry that I had already accepted an invitation with the Brundrettes. Will try to see Miss Lena tomorrow.

Expect something on the renewal of the loan tomorrow. Hope it is OK at 6-1/2%. According to the Brundrettes the Bishopp house sold for $7500. I think he got a good price for it considering its location. The commission made it about $7250 which was about what it cost him.

Don’t think that I have forgotten your birthday, Dear. I should have sent it before now. Will go to town tomorrow and send it by parcel post. Just as soon as I can find out something from Bish will let you know when I can come & about how long I can stay.

I love you Dear, with all my heart and believe me, I am mighty anxious to see my little wife. Am going with you the next time, for the time I am away from you hangs heavy on my hands. I don’t know what to do with myself.

Your
Walter.

July 4, 1927

The Lab. July 4th 8PM.

My Dear Little Girl,

Your letter of Sat nite was received at Box 208 this PM. It had been two days since I had heard from you. We did not have a delivery Sun or today. I presume I’ll have a previous letter delivered to the Apt tomorrow A.M. The key came OK. I did not send the frank because I couldn’t find one in the whole lab. The supplies are exhausted in everything except chemicals and I presume Dr. Roark sees to it that they have these.

July 4, 1927

July 4, 1927

Have been busy yesterday and today. Have gone over all of Bish’s nematode articles. Have written for about (6) six of them.

I certainly do miss you too, Dear and I’ll be mighty glad when I see my sweetheart again. It seems ages since you left. The next time I am going with you. If we must part we will go together.

My check came but I have not yet been to the bank. They certainly deducted for the retirement fund this time. It is for 201.25, which makes a deduction of 48.75. They will deduct $40 each month for four months to establish a retirement fund. The regular deduction of 2% would make $5 per month. I can’t understand why they deducted the extra $3.75. Perhaps they are charging me interest but I have a letter to the effect that it would not be charged.

Will try to see Mr. Diffey tomorrow to see if he has heard from the application for the Owenwood lien. Will owe $160 interest and will have some expense on the renewal. Have sent in a request for $150 on advanced funds. This should see us through until August 1st. Hope I can work in an expense % during this month. Will try to work at Uvalde for a couple of weeks. Have no idea when Bish. will go to Wash.

Am enclosing a check for you probably need some money. It would do just as well if you signed it, for your signature is down there. Don’t hesitate to let me know when you need some money.

I love you Dear with all my heart and don’t forget that I miss you.

Your
Walter

July 3, 1927

Sunday 12:30 PM. Lab.

My Dear Sweetheart,

Haven’t had dinner yet. Thought I’d drive down town by the P.O. before eating. Will post this at the same time. The Uvalde paper came last night and I enjoyed reading it. I am at the Lab today. I fed the kittens and have been doing a little work and some reading. Am reading what Bish has on the nematodes. He has most of what has been published by the Zoological division. Since he is to move his library before long I want to go over this section of it and obtain some of the better publications.

July 3, 1927

July 3, 1927

I sure do miss you Sweetheart. Have been trying to keep this to myself but must tell you. Have kept busy and it helps some but I find myself looking at your photo and wishing for you. It won’t be so long now, before I see you though it will be after the 9th or 10th. I hope that you enjoy the 4th. I’d enjoy it more if I were with you. You sweet Little Thing.

I love you, Dear,

Your
Walter.