Category Archives: Uncategorized

July 21, 1925

Tuesday Nite
July 21, 1925.

Dearest Walter:

Claudelle and I have just returned from a hike to the top of the first hill toward town to see the sun set. However, it had already “sat” by the time we arrived. We viewed the landscape o’er and pronounced it very beautiful in spite of the absence of the solar illumination. Since it is Tuesday evening we could also see the fiery cross. We ran a race down the hill, but, thanks to the tight skirts, we were sufficiently hobbled to avoid being arrested for speeding.

July 21, 1925

July 21, 1925

We are having such a fine breeze tonight. No matter how warm the days, we usually do have a cool breeze at night. I am so glad it is so pleasant in Jacksonville. It makes work a lot easier, doesn’t it? You are really fortunate to be escaping some of the days we are having here.

My fountain pen is out of order, and this one I am using is just about the “scratchiest” ever.

I will write you again tomorrow.

I love you so very very much.

Lots of love,
Ina.

Wednesday Nite
July 22, 1925.

My dearest Walter:

It is now ten o’clock and I am thinking of the pleasant reunion we were having a month ago tonight. It was our first date after the return of the prodigal from Kerrville. I shall never forget how terribly I missed you that week. If it had been two months I don’t believe I could have missed you more. I wish we could have another reunion tonight. We are before so many many months, aren’t we? And you are liable to have to be bothered with me for a long long time then. As for me, I am going to be a mighty happy girl then too.

Your letters of the 18th and 19th came today and they made me feel mighty good. They sounded almost like I was talking with you, and you know how well pleased I would be over that.

The case of Dr. Arms was very interesting. I am glad to know about it because we wouldn’t want our case to be so different from all others, would we? I feel sure that ours is going to be like theirs in the respect that he mentioned, because we are both determined never to fuss, aren’t we? We will not have to wait and make it one of our marriage resolutions because we have already made it.

Walter, I appreciate your telling me about your salary although it had never worried me in the least. You are certainly to be congratulated on the salary you are making and I want to tell you again that I am proud of you. I am sure we can be as happy as it is possible for any couple to be – much more so than very wealthy people who only have to express the slightest desire and the luxuries are theirs. They are deprived of the joy of dreaming of and planning for a cozy little home, then working toward it and finally having their dream come true. They can’t possibly get nearly as much genuine pleasure out of it as we can. The more dreams, thoughts, plans and work you have to put into anything, the more you get out of it. Oh, I can hardly wait for the time to come when I can be with you always and we can plan things together. Honey, we are going to be so happy!

I received an invitation today from a girl friend of mine who is going to be married on the fifth of August to a young man with whom she has been going during her two years in a Baptist Seminary in Fort Worth. He has been specializing in some kind of Sunday School work, organization or something.

She is in her thirties and is positively the most consecrated and religious girl I ever met (it is genuine too). I always feel so mean when I’m around her. They say she hesitated a year about consenting to marry him because she felt so unworthy of him. She said he is so good. When I heard it I wondered what sort of an angel he was that Jewel Tate was not worthy of him. She was the young lady I succeeded in the Tax Collector’s office (which certainly doesn’t add anything to her worthiness, however). Nevertheless, she is truly a fine girl and I am glad she is not going to be (or shall I say, remain?) an old maid.

I will write you again tomorrow.

I love you so very very very much.

Always your
Ina.

July 20, 1925 (Walter)

Jacksonville July 20th

My Dear Sweetheart,

You will note that I call you “sweetheart” whenever I write, for at one time I asked if I might do this and you said “no.” I only wish there were a more expressive way, but I am sure that you know that I love you so much that I simply can’t tell you.

The clinic closed today and the majority of them were out there this morning. I feel somewhat relieved that it is over and now comes the follow up work, which consists on checking up the effectiveness of treatments and making further studies on the cause of the disease. Dr. White says that he has never been connected with a problem as interesting to him as this one and I guess he “enjoys every minute of it.” Strange to say we did not have as many cases from the beach this year, as last season, and before last year Dr. KS thought that the majority of them originated down there. Dr. White has some mighty fine dope on related things which he picked up at Johns Hopkins last spring; and having in mind the problem here he has fortified himself with a lot of facts that I am mighty glad to have.

July 20, 1925 (Walter)

July 20, 1925 (Walter)

If my writing is more scratchy than usual it is due to a bandage on the forefinger. Nothing serious. We have been using a treatment on patients to remove the epidermis or horny layer of the skin and the use during the period of the clinic has affected my index finger in a similar manner. Dr. White has the same trouble. It works and both of us are aware of it.

I guess we will be here during the rest of this week and part of next as we have lots of field work ahead before doing the laboratory tests at the beach. I believe that any letter written after next Sunday should be addressed to Dr. KS’s office, as by that time we will probably locate our laboratory at the beach. Maybe I can give an address down there which will give better service on your letters.

I was much interested in what you said about my letter to your mother and Daddy. Mother Lewis seems to be quite a tease, and not so much of a “matter of fact” girl as yourself. However, I love you just that way for I always know just what you mean. You don’t know how glad I am that your folks feel all right toward me, and Dear, as I promised them I am going to try to do my part and make you happy. If you were only here now, I would be the happiest man in the world. I mean every word of it. You are so sweet.

I note what you say about your chum. Incidentally I like the idea of using her maiden name as a middle name after marriage. If you like it too, I think it would be fine to have yours Ina Lewis Dove. Just as you want to, Dear, as the main idea is to have you as a wife and companion.

I am not surprised that the partnership with another family did not terminate well. This is often the case and does not reflect on either family. A house is not large enough for two families.

You have been mighty sweet to write me so often Sweetheart, and I appreciate your efforts. I know that it is rather inconvenient to get them posted so often and I had no idea I would be favored so nicely in this manner. They are always just right and I, too, read them over and over. I always get a kick out of reading them. Only wish I could hear you say such things and that I could hug real hard when you did say them.

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

Yours,
Walter.

July 20, 1925 (Ina)

Monday Nite
July 20, 1925.

My dearest Walter:

It is almost eleven o’clock but I want to say a few words to you before going to dreamland. In fact, I would give – oh, I don’t know how much if I could say lots and lots of words to you in person to-night. It is in the evening that I miss you most because that is when I have been with you most.

We (Mama, Papa, Claudelle and I) have just returned from a visit with Thelma and Bob and the children. We enjoyed the evening very much. They told us that Mr. and Mrs. Parman had just bought the place where Thelma and Bob are living. However, they expect to continue renting it I think. It surprised me a great deal when I heard of the purchase as I thought Mr. Parman was anxious to sell the home he and Mrs. Parman are in and that perhaps he was thinking of leaving Uvalde. He must feel settled here though.

July 20, 1925 (Ina)

July 20, 1925 (Ina)

Well, I suppose the clinic closed to-day and perhaps you are glad. I imagine you feel that you have enough material now on which to work for quite a while.

Your Thursday and Friday night letters came and I enjoyed every word of them. (I didn’t stop at reading them only once either). I know you are mighty busy and you are certainly doing well to write me as often as you do. That makes me appreciate the letters all the more.

Two weeks ago yesterday you left Uvalde and it seems ages and ages. I think of you and wish for you so very, very much and will be so happy when I can see you again and can be with you always.

Walter, I know you do think I go to church an awful lot. Mama thinks so too. She has threatened to send my trunk there so that it will be more convenient to attend all the services. But, seriously, the church here is the center of Claudelle’s and my social life as well as religious. In Uvalde if a girl doesn’t dance, there is no place for her to go except to the picture show, to church and church socials. Don’t misunderstand me by thinking I am placing the church as a last resort, because I’m not, but I am just explaining why I go so often. Of course, when we attend these services regularly, they give us responsibilities which make it almost necessary for us to attend regularly in order not to be a “shirker.” I enjoy the work and everything but would be equally happy without so much of it. I would not have the slightest intention of keeping up such a strenuous routine after I married, no matter whom I married (unless it were a minister, and I have never intended to do that), so you need not worry about my expecting to camp at the church. I think you understand the situation and I am sure we will not have any “falling out” on that score (or any other, are we?) I’ll prove it to you some time if you want me to.

Goodnight and pleasant dreams.

I love you lots and lots.

Always, your
Ina.

July 19, 1925 (Walter)

Sunday Night.
9 PM.

My Dear Sweetheart,

It was a lucky thing that I gave you the hotel address, as I received your letter this morning. Otherwise I would not have received it until tomorrow morning. Believe me I wanted to get it as soon as possible. It was a mighty sweet one too, Dear, and I enjoyed every word. I guess I have been so interested in you and in telling you that I loved you that I have not told you much of my work.

While the clinic is new to Dr. White it is not new to me as it is largely a repetition of last summer. I believe that Dr. White had an idea that I wrote too much on last year’s work and it seems to be a check on what I have done. However, he agrees with me most every night on points mentioned in the paper. I do not believe that anyone requested him to check on me, but he wants to feel sure as he is one of the authors.

July 19, 1925 (Walter)

July 19, 1925 (Walter)

The paper will be published in full, but at Dr. White’s suggestion we are re-arranging the data to some extent. The subject matter remains the same but the re-arrangement will improve it. Dr. White has a set form in his writing and sticks to it rather closely and if he likes it better we won’t argue it. I’ll see that the data is given in full. He has one idea that we should discuss it from a point of transmission of the disease and as we can more easily claim the field from this standpoint, I agree with him. I hope to keep the problem on this ground, and with possession of the problem I believe I can invite co-operation and go as far as necessary without getting on the toes of some other Bureau. There are definite studies made by the different Bureaus but some of the problems overlap and creeping eruption happens to be one of those problems. This summer’s work may open up a considerable field in transmission of the disease which we may easily claim and get some money to do the work. I am going down the state just the same and lay claim to the work which naturally belongs to our division. I cannot say whether I’ll get to go down there when Dr. White is here as we are apt to have quite a bit of experimental work going on about the time he returns to Wash & I doubt if both of us can leave at one time. I’ll probably go down there after this work is in shape. If you were here we would go down there together and when you did not care to spend the day outside with me, you could stay at the hotel or do shopping or whatever you wanted to do. I am glad that you do like to get outside some, for we can have some mighty good times this way, when I have some scouting to do. I’ll want to be with you most all the time, for I love you so much.

I guess Dr. White is about asleep. We will have a big crowd tomorrow.

I love you, Dear, with all my heart, and I certainly wish I were with you right now.

With a sweet goodnight,

Your,
Walter.

July 19, 1925 (Mr. & Mrs. Lewis)

Uvalde Tex.
7/19-25

Dear Mr. Dove:

Your letter was received several days ago. It did not come as a surprise to us as Ina had told us of the plans you both had made.

Of course Mr. Dove, you understand that it is very natural for parents to object to thinking of giving up their daughter. We are not going to consider it as giving Ina up but, instead, we will think of it as taking you in as a member of our family. We knew Ina would want to marry some time, and, as we have been with you a great deal and like and admire you very much and your friends have said so many complimentary things about you, we do not know of any young man we had rather receive into our family.

July 19, 1925 (Mr. & Mrs. Lewis)

July 19, 1925 (Mr. & Mrs. Lewis)

It is awfully hard to think of our daughter leaving home. However we know you will do your part in making her happy. We know, beyond any doubt, that she cares more deeply for you than she ever has for anyone. You both are congenial, and this, with your devotion for her makes us feel that you both will be happy.

You have our consent, our sincere wishes for your & Ina’s happiness, & our blessing.

Yours sincerely,
Mr. & Mrs. J.N. Lewis

July 18, 1925 (Walter)

Jacksonville Florida.

My Dear Sweetheart,

Gee! but I would like to be with you now. The recollections of the two months at Uvalde are so vivid and of such importance and pleasure, that I feel I would give most anything to spend this evening with you. I always wish for you, Dear, but there is a special reason tonight. The week’s work is over and I naturally want to talk with you, but I wonder if there is anything that we have not discussed that should be talked over.

We met Dr. Arius at the park a few minutes ago and congratulated him on being elected State Health Officer by the Board of Health. He was not permanently given the place, but will no doubt get it as the Board are placing him in charge. When he had talked about this, he told of the family and his nine years of married life. Said they had never had a fuss and that both of them were determined that they were not going to have one.

July 18, 1925 (Walter)

July 18, 1925 (Walter)

This interested me and I asked how he accounted for it, just as though it was very unusual, and I do believe that it seldom happens that way. He said that it was due to a complete understanding before they married and of keeping such an understanding of one another. He says that if there is anything that a couple will not discuss nor understand of one another, that sooner or later things happen to cause friction. He was not married until he was in the thirties and when he found the girl to be his wife he couldn’t understand why she had not married before then. The feeling and general trend seemed to be so much like that of my own case, Dear, that I couldn’t help but tell you about it. From what he told me I can’t help but feel that my circumstances are very similar to what his had been. I can’t see any reason why we should not be equally as happy and congenial, and you don’t know how much I wish for the time to come so that I can have you with me always. I don’t know of anything on which we have not had an understanding and if you are happy I know that I’ll be happier.

There is only one thing that I know of which we have not discussed fully, but I believe that each of us understand. I wish that my income was sufficient so that I could support you in more style, but I believe that I can give you comforts and conveniences which will make favorable conditions for happiness, and I believe that you know about them and about what to expect of me. I haven’t heard anything lately regarding a promotion, but I am in hopes that my salary was increased on July 1st. Bishopp intimated it, but did not tell me for sure. I had not asked for it, and with him I don’t believe that asking was necessary at the present time. I rather expect that it will be effective for $2600 or possibly $2700*. It is a most peculiar thing that I mentioned my salary to you when I had known you only a short time, and that we exchanged experiences we had had with others. I have often thought of it and why we did this. It seemed as though we understood each other very early in our acquaintance and, Dear, I have loved you ever since then. There was a slight tremble in your voice when you told me, and I wanted to hug you so much and tell you that I loved you. That was the time you would not even let me hold your hand for a second when I told you goodnight. It was sweet of you, but it didn’t seem just right to me then. But you were right, and you don’t know how glad I am that everything came out all right. We are going to be happy and I am not going to have a fuss with you. I’ll call you “Mama” when we seem to be approaching such a point. We will be frank and open about everything and if there is anything you want to know which I have not told you I want you to feel free to ask me. If it hurts I’ll tell you just the same. I believe I have told you most everything, or at least everything I could think of and I had no mental reservation of any kind.

Our clinic closes Monday night, and we expect to be here until the latter part of the week. Then we will no doubt go down to the beach for the rest of the time while Dr. White is here. I want to make good use of him, for it is like having a University along to have him with me. I hope that it will be possible to get him down here in the future for a short while each year. He has been an old bachelor so long that he has set ways of doing things, but these ways are good ones at that. I hope that I will not be so much that way that it will annoy you, for I want to make you happy and if I can do this I’ll be a mighty happy human.

Remember that I love you, Honey, and that you mean everything to me. I want you and I am going to try and make you happy.

With all my love,
Your,
Walter.

* Equal to $33,000-$34,000 in 2011.

July 18, 1925 (Ina)

Saturday Evening
July 18, 1925.

My dearest Walter:

Just a few words this evening to let you know I am thinking of you and still love you even thought I haven’t had a letter in two days. I know you are just as busy as you can be and don’t have nearly as much time as I do to write. This letter is certainly not intended as a scolding. I am looking forward to tomorrow when I believe I will get a letter.

Goodnight and sweet dreams.

Lots of love,
Ina.

Sunday Evening
July 19, 1925.

Dearest Walter:

Your Wednesday night letter came this morning on my way to Sunday School. You see, I can’t enjoy anything very much until I first make a trip to the post office. I enjoyed the letter very much because it seemed like a long time since I had received one, but really it had been only two days. Please don’t take my letter of yesterday as a complaint. I know that you are busy and I don’t blame you when you don’t write. It really wasn’t a long time at all. It just seemed that way.

July 18, 1925 (Ina)

July 18, 1925 (Ina)

Now – about the pictures! It was mighty nice of you to have them developed and send me the prints, but – did you happen to keep a print of them? If you did, will you do me a favor? Just as quickly as you can, please, please take your knife and cut me out of the two pictures. They are perfectly awful of me. I am sure I have never had any made that looked any worse. If you will do that I will love you forever and will make some better pictures soon and send them to you. Your half of the pictures is so much better looking than mine. You don’t know how lonesome you look in the prints that I have since I have cut myself out.

I suppose Mrs. H. and E. feel sure that you are a very hard hearted creature. They don’t know you like I do if they think so. I am sorry it came about so as to make it necessary for you to do as you did, but it seemed to be the only thing to do, didn’t it? They seemed to disregard your feelings so much that you had to disregard theirs in self defense. I appreciated the way you did even if they didn’t. I hope you will never regret it.

I must hurry and go to League.

Love,
Ina.

July 17, 1925 (Walter)

Friday Night.

My Dear Sweetheart,

We had 99 patients today, though all of them were not creeping eruption and the C.E. were not all new cases. However, all had to have attention, and more than half were ones in which we were interested. I have no doubt but that I can go to sleep in a few minutes when I go up-stairs. We were too busy in work to know what has been going on on the outside. But I always think of you, Dear, and occasionally I interrupt Dr. White to show him some girl who is about your size, or who resembles you in some way. He now has a pretty good idea of you and he always says that he thinks that you are about right. When he tells me about his idea of a wife I usually exchange ideas with him and then tell him of you.

July 17, 1925 (Walter)

July 17, 1925 (Walter)

I hope you are feeling good, Dear, and that you are as comfortable from the weather as we are. It was so cool last night that we needed cover. Dr. White thinks the climate is much more delightful than that at Washington, Mrs. Bishopp says it has been sizzling hot up there.

This is a short letter and almost “a daily dozen” of lines to you, but I hope you will understand that I love you just as much and I want you more than ever.

With a sweet goodnight,

Always your
Walter.

P.S. I love you.

July 17, 1925 (Ina)

Friday Nite.

July 17, 1925.

My dearest Walter:

Claudelle and I have just been singing “Lonesome, That’s All” and other songs of that sentiment, and I felt it too. I feel like I would give most anything for a few hours with you this evening. I think of the pleasant evenings we have spent together and I feel that I can hardly wait for the time to come when we can spend ‘most all our evenings together. I am still so thankful tho that we had so many opportunities to be together while you were here and that we took advantage of them too. We didn’t let many of them slip, did we?

July 17, 1925 (Ina)

July 17, 1925 (Ina)

This afternoon Claudelle and I went shopping and came back by to visit with Avis for a short while. She is certainly perfectly devoted to Lucius. She said she thot before they married that she loved him as much as she possibly could, but that she didn’t really love him at all then compared with the way she loves him now. She thinks that if good, true love is the foundation, a young man and young woman love each other more and more all the time as they know and understand each other better. I am sure that our love is good and true, and if I love you more after we are married it will certainly be a whole lot of love because I already love you so much more than I ever thot I could anyone. Maybe tho, the more you love, the greater your capacity is for loving.

I hope I will get a letter tomorrow.

Always your
Ina.

I’ve been correcting minor spelling errors in the letters, and will resume doing so after this one, but wanted to give a feel for Ina’s peculiar (and fairly consistent) spelling of “thought” and “though.” I think these might have been common affectations in letter-writing at the time.

July 16, 1925 (Walter)

Jacksonville, Florida,
Thursday Nite.

My Dear Honey,

“Hell-o”

It was at the office when I went down this morning and it was a mighty sweet one too. All of them are since I left Uvalde and I look forward to them with considerable anxiety. I note with interest that you had been to church four times before you wrote this letter, but I don’t think it was necessary to “sweeten your disposition.” As a matter of fact I hope that you do not feel it necessary to go so much. I understand the conditions though, and I am sure that you would not expect such a Sunday routine of me. Please do not misunderstand me, Dear, I consider the church a necessary institution and you already know what I believe. I hope the church folks will not impose on that good disposition of yours, for that is something I would not intentionally do, myself. Certainly, I don’t want anyone else to do so.

July 16, 1925 (Walter)

July 16, 1925 (Walter)

The clinic has been well attended during the past few days, with big crowds yesterday and today. It closes next Monday, and I will be glad to do the follow up with Dr. White and then get some laboratory experiments started. I am mighty glad to have him with me, as it is almost like having a university along, especially when I can get him to talk. Most of the time he talks creeping eruption, and I like to get him onto related subjects once in a while.

A few days ago I wrote to your mother and Daddy for their permission and I presume that your mother has told you of it. I am anxious to know what they will have to say.

I love you, Dear, with every tender affection you can imagine and I hope you will not misinterpret my short letter. I am crowded for time. It is a real joy to remember when I held you on your porch and you said “I love you, too.” At that time I told you I would often think of it, and I certainly do.

I am always anxious to get your letters and you don’t know how much I wanted to be with you last Sunday. I thought of you a great many times. Your letter telling of the vacant swing, the dinner, the Willys Knight, and that you missed me were reminders of that same time when I missed you so much.

Remember me kindly to your Mama (Mother Lewis), Claudelle and Mr. Lewis.

With a sweet goodnight and pleasant dreams, I love you lots and lots and then some.

Your
Walter.

c/o Seneca Hotel