Tag Archives: longing

June 13, 1926

Sunday 12:30 PM.

My Dear Honey Bunch,

Your letter including one from Thelma Lee came this morning. It was mighty sweet of her to write. I am marking the date on it and will keep it to show her when she is a young lady. Your letter was a real sweet one, Dear. It seems like a year to me, too.

June 13, 1926

June 13, 1926

Dr. Roark and I called on the Bakers last night and played cards some but visited most of the time. This noon (1:30) we eat dinner with the Bishopps. At 6 o’clock we are going with Mr. & Mrs. Laake & Mr. & Mrs. Fudge for a picnic lunch. Seems like a lot of going for your hubby. I can’t say that I like it, but there is no way to get away from it without being rude. We will probably enjoy it when we get started. There is just one person in the world whom I’d like to see and that is my Honey Bunch. I never want to be separated from you again. Just as soon as I can get things in shape so that I can leave I expect to come for you. I don’t know whether Bish wants me to help out on their problem or not. He probably does, but I am not interested in it. Will feel him out today.

I love you Sweetheart with all my heart and I’ll see you just as soon as I can.

Always,
Walter.

June 12, 1926

Sat Nite 7:30 PM.

My Dear Honey Bunch,

We have just returned from dinner. Dr. Roark and I are going up to Bakers about 8 o’clock. Tomorrow at 1:30 we will eat dinner with the Bishopps.

June 12, 1926

June 12, 1926

This PM I gave your car a coat of blue which I believe is about the same shade as the original color. During the week I have been using sandpaper and it looks as though it will be a fair job. The garage is not very tight and the dust settles on it some but I doubt if it affects it very much. I gave the wheels the same shade of blue. Apparently they were blue, judging from the color when I sandpapered. I am not doing anything to the black metal work, but will polish so that it looks OK with the fresh painting. Don’t expect too much as I am not an expert auto painter. The job is not perfect by any means but I believe it looks better. I hope that you will not be disappointed.

Had a note from Dr. Larimer thanking for a C.E. reprint. He sends his regards to you, also.

The Fulford letter does not tell us much but we should have a letter from the Realty Co. with an idea of the sale price.

Sweetheart, I certainly do love you and I never want to be separated from you again. It seems ages since you left. I try to keep busy and that helps some but nothing can take the place of being with my sweetheart. I love you love you love you.

Your, Walter.

P.S. Dr. Roark and I found the lighted fountain in Oak Cliff last night. It is very fine. Am sorry that you and I did not locate it.

June 10, 1926

June 10. Thurs Nite – The Lab.

My Dear Sweetheart,

I have just written to Mother Dove and I came very near addressing this letter to Roxie, Miss. That accounts for the erasure on the envelope. I certainly do not like the idea of being separated from my “Honey Bunch.” I haven’t told you how much I miss you, but the past week seems like ages. I didn’t know that a week could seem so long. I realize how much Mother Lewis missed you when we were married.

June 10, 1925

June 10, 1925

Dr. Roark and I drove to Owenwood and the Fair Park after supper, and then by the post office. Your letter came this AM so I did not expect one tonight, but he had one from Mrs. Roark. I have had lots of visits with him recently. He is somewhat disappointed that Bish did not have the work going. Dr. Roark has been here ten days and Bish has not yet gotten the materials. I told him that he should not blame Laake or Brundy as they would have had things going if it had been left to them.

This PM I printed pictures from 1 to 5 PM. Have been at this during the past three afternoons. Most of them were Mr. Parman’s & many of them were ones that I made down there last summer. The C.E. infection looks more encouraging since the hot weather began. I believe that my physical exercise helped some.*

Friday AM.

Good morning. I hope you slept well. I did. Am waiting for Dr. Roark & we will eat. He and Laake are golfing again this A.M.

I love you lots and lots & lots.

Your
Walter

* To see if his hypothesis about the cause of creeping eruption (larva migrans) was right, Walter tried to give himself a case of it. He inoculated his arm with a pure isolate of the nematode he thought was responsible. In upcoming letters he’ll be talking about the progress of this self-experiment.

June 6, 1926

The Lab. 8:30 PM. Sun Nite.

My Dear Sweetheart,

Believe me, I was getting anxious to hear from you and had I not heard today, I would have phoned tonight. Your letter came this PM. I read it several times. You don’t know how glad I was to get it. It seems like you have been away a mighty long time.

June 6, 1926

June 6, 1926

Last night I had dinner with Smith at a Mrs. Aikens. It was a very good dinner and I enjoyed it, but I couldn’t help but think of you. Dr. Roark and I are eating at Mrs. O’Callaghan’s. I started this morning. Both meals were up to her standard, except for the coffee.

Today I crated the two chests and case of books. Also boxed most of the packages. It will be a few days before I ship them as I also have some stuff at the Lab to ship with them. Found some lumber to replace the strips I spoiled when I uncrated them. I believe that they are in good shape.

The news clipping re Fulford lot is interesting and probably explains why I did not get an answer to my inquiry. If they have gone into the hands of a receiver, the lot is worth much more than what we are paying. The improvements already established, and the fact that the company are bonded for the hotel and public buildings makes it OK. We are too close to those buildings to be holding a sack. I am writing the Miami East Coast Realty tonight.

The top of your car looks the same as before the hail storm. The dents were also removed without marring the finish.

I love [you] Dear, no one knows how very much.

With a sweet goodnight,

Your
Walter.

October 26, 1925

Monday Nite.
Oct. 26, 1925.

My dearest Sweetheart:

I wonder if you have noticed how perfectly beautiful the moonlight is tonight! If you haven’t, you should go right now and take a look. The swing looks a little too cold to be inviting, even in the moonlight, but we have a big fine fire in the fireplace that would be ideal to sit before to enjoy a long confidential chat this evening. My, how I wish you were here, Sweetheart! But I know that it will not be so very very long before we can enjoy all our evenings together and then we will be so happy.

October 26, 1925

October 26, 1925

I didn’t get a letter today, but I feel sure one will come tomorrow.

This afternoon I became so drowsy from being around the fire almost all day, so I took a two mile hike all alone. I wish you had been here to go with me. It was just cool enough to be pleasant, and the fresh cold air was very invigorating. I expect to go duck hunting (now I didn’t say that aloud, because I don’t know for sure whether it is in season or not) soon with Papa. He killed some ducks down on the slough back of our house a few afternoons ago, and says there are usually a good many down there lately. I don’t know what luck I will have, but I want the experience anyhow.

Sweetheart, I love you and think of you an awful lot – ‘most all the time, in fact.

Always, your
Ina.

September 27, 1925 (Walter)

Sunday Night 9/27

My Dear Little Girl,

No letter last night or tonight so they will probably come in a bunch. I’ll be mighty glad to get them when they do come. Have worked most of today, though I did not get up as early as usual. Couldn’t go to sleep as early last night. This time I was thinking about my work as well as yourself.

September 27, 1925 (Walter)

September 27, 1925 (Walter)

The wind has continued with occasional showers, but they did not amount to very much. There is quite a crowd in the surf. They never pay much attention to rains down here. Dr. KS rather feels disappointed if he goes fishing and it does not rain. As a whole this summer has been dry.

For some time I thought that it would be mighty fine to live here at the beach the year round. One feels that way when he finds the surf so fine. I am not so sure of it now. The salt air rusts things pretty badly, and unless one lives right on the ocean front the mosquitoes give some trouble. I am not so sure but that it is better to live at a higher elevation, but near enough the beach to drive down. This probably accounts for the fact that there has not been as much development between Jax and the Beach. The growth of Jax has been along the St. Johns river, and I expect that soon it will push to the higher elevations west of the city. We hope so anyway, for we want to cash in on the acreage.

I have no news for you, Dear, as I have been sticking so close to my work that I haven’t picked up much. Hope to hear from Mr. Bishopp before long.

I certainly do love you, Dear, and I am mighty happy to think that the time is drawing nearer for me to have you with me always.

With a sweet goodnight,

Your
Walter

September 26, 1925 (Ina)

Saturday Night.
Sept. 26, 1925.

My dear Sweetheart:

‘Tis 11:08 P.M. and I wonder what you are doing – slumbering sweetly though I suppose. I am rather late tonight due to the fact that we have company. This afternoon a Mississippi cousin of ours and his wife arrived – coming by to say “Hello-o” before returning to Mississippi. They left home the first of August and drove to California and other states out West. They have seen some wonderful scenery, they say, but have agreed that the old home state will be beautiful to them. It is true that often people have to get away from home for a while in order to properly appreciate it. They expect to leave here Monday morning I think. We have been enjoying them this afternoon – finding out where people we knew back home have gone and what they are doing etc. It is almost equal to a visit there.

September 26, 1925 (Ina)

September 26, 1925 (Ina)

No, Sweetheart, Claudelle was not trying to tease at all about your calling Mama “Mother Lewis.” I’m sure nothing of the kind entered her mind when she wrote it, and, had I had the slighest idea you were going to take it that way, I wouldn’t have sent you the letter. I’m sorry. It was really just this way: Thelma, Claudelle and I have always said “Mama & Papa,” but, as Lucile and Claudelle’s other intimate friends happen to call theirs “Mother,” she decided she would do likewise as she was going away and ‘twould be easier than if she were here with us. ‘Tis only a whim of hers and didn’t have the slightest reference to or connection with what you said. I told Mama how you took it and she was surprised and sorry too. She said she thought the “Mother Lewis” was nice – she liked it.

In one of C’s letters to me she closed it by saying “I love you and Mr. Dove and everybody.”

I am puzzled over Mr. Bishopp’s writing and not saying anything about your staying in Florida. He evidently hadn’t the information yet from Dr. Hunter. Don’t you wish they were as anxious to let you know as you are to know? It is inconvenient for you I’m sure, as you don’t know what to plan about your work. Surely you will hear soon.

I love you, Sweetheart, and if I could be sitting out in the swing in this beautiful moonlight with you, I believe I would try mighty hard to tell you how much. I’d give ‘most anything to be with you right now.

Love,
Ina.

September 24, 1925 (Walter)

Friday Night, 9/25*.

My Dear Sweetheart,

No letter tonight but I have been favored so well with them that I have no complaint at all. You have been real sweet to write so often. I am a bit lonesome now, and while I do not notice it so much during the day, when I am real busy, I wish for you at meal time and in the evenings. Usually, the pier is my hanging out place just after supper for about a half hour. It is cool out there and to watch the cars pass and the bathers enjoy the surf makes a restful pass time. They don’t dance every night now, but only about twice a week. There are fewer people in the surf than during the season.

September 24, 1925 (Walter)

September 24, 1925 (Walter)

It seems ages since I saw you and I”ll be a happy human when I can see you again. I love you, Dear, and sometime you will know how very much for I cannot express it in words.

With a sweet goodnight,

Your
Walter.

* This seems to be the letter from the 24th.

September 24, 1925 (Ina)

Thursday Nite
Sept. 24, 1925.

My dearest Walter:

Third time is a charm. Maybe if I write this one tonight, I can mail the three tomorrow. We intended going down town this morning, but, just at daybreak, it started raining and kept it up until late this afternoon. It was then too muddy to drive down town. I am sorry you will have to miss a few days getting your letter, but you understand how it is.

September 24, 1925 (Ina)

September 24, 1925 (Ina)

I can hardly wait until tomorrow for a letter from you, but I am going to thoroughly enjoy it when it does come. Had it not been for wanting to post the letters to you, I would not have wanted to go down town until tomorrow because I would not have to experience that “sinking” feeling that I always have when I look in the box and there is no letter from you. Of course you understand, Dear, that I know why you didn’t write, and I surely didn’t expect you to – I wouldn’t either under the circumstances – but it just shows that I value your letter so highly that I can’t keep down that feeling of disappointment when I look into an empty box.

I love you, Sweetheart, with the tenderest, truest and most eternal love.

Always, your
Ina.

September 21, 1925 (Ina)

Monday Night.
Sept. 21, 1925.

My dearest Walter:

I spent today with Thelma and the children and we had a good time. Thelma and I were busy about half the day making a dress for Thelma Lee. I brought both the children home with me, so they are making things lively for us this evening. They donate a few cats to our flock occasionally, then come out here to play with them.

September 21, 1925 (Ina)

September 21, 1925 (Ina)

I saw Dr. Bowman down town yesterday morning and he told me of the Medical Association article he received from you and said he read it all very carefully, enjoying and appreciating it. I sincerely hope you will be successful in the work you have taken up since Dr. White left. I certainly can’t see any harm in your keeping quiet about it to him, because it is yours and not his.

I’ll bet you can’t guess what I saw as I was going down town this morning about 9:30. As I was driving leisurely along just beyond “Claudelle’s and my hill” I saw something, I mean two somethings, jump the fence at my left about 30 ft. ahead, and I was honestly stunned to see two big deer (they didn’t have any horns either) run across the road in front of the car and jump the right hand fence, finally disappearing across the guajilla ridge beyond. I was so surprised that I could hardly believe my eyes. I wish you could have been with me, Sweetheart, to have seen them too. If they had had horns and it had been in season, it would have been fine, wouldn’t it? I believe even I could have killed them both easily if I hadn’t been so excited and, too, if I had the nerve, but honestly, they are such beautiful, graceful and (quoting Mrs. Roark’s description of the calf she saw) innocent looking creatures, I don’t believe I could do it.*

The coffee is coming fine. I really do like it now, almost as well as I do cocoa, and I know that I shall soon like it as well if not better. No, Dear, I wouldn’t want you to think of giving it up because you like it better than I did cocoa. I have been wanting to like coffee for a long time but just hadn’t had the nerve to start. I am so glad now that I did start because it is almost perfectly good already.

By the way, I had the nicest dream last night. I dreamed that you and I were married and were visiting in Mississippi. Before going to your mother’s home, we went to a church social (I’m sure that’s the first place you would want to go!?) and there I met your Mother. I dreamed that she was so sweet and that I fell in love with her at once. I know that she is sweet and that I am going to love her lots.

I also love you lots, Sweetheart, and then lots and lots more. I love to think of you in the daytime and dream of you at night.

Yours, forever,
Ina.

*Ina is being modest about her hunting skills. She was an excellent shot, and would have had no trouble taking down a deer at 30 feet.