Tag Archives: pictures

August 13, 1925

Jacksonville Beach, Fla.,
Thurs. Nite. Aug. 13, 1925.

My Dear Sweetheart,

Another real sweet letter this morning and I thoroughly enjoyed it. You certainly know what to say to hit the right spot with me, Dear, and best of all I know that you mean it. I consider myself mighty fortunate to have such a dear little girl. I have no idea of calling her “Mama,” for she is just right.

August 13, 1925

August 13, 1925

We are busy and the work is very interesting. It certainly made a difference in Dr. White when we started on this lead and I have enjoyed the past few days with him more than all the other time put together. I believe we are getting somewhere with the problem now and he feels the same way. It was amusing today, when a kid brought over a crab and wanted to know if we wanted it. Dr. White said “yes” but he told me that he took it just to make the kid feel encouraged. Have gotten the idea of crabs as carriers of creeping eruption out of his mind, and I believe he is not so much of a crab himself as he was when I wrote you such blue letters. He has been human the past few days and I believe he will be just fine from now until we are through.

He knows his stuff and I have been able to get him to open up some during the past few days. We had an understanding, without any hard feelings either way. He expects to be in Texas again this fall on the cotton disease, and maybe he will be here until he is ready to go there. He thinks it will be almost the 15th of next month.

The mosquitoes have been visitors with us recently and we found it necessary to get under some netting. Dr. White brought me some safety pins so I could pin it down well tonight. Last night I had to get up a few times and finally used a lotion. The cottage isn’t screened very well.

Haven’t been in the surf the past few days but I guess we will go down at about 5:30 in the morning. That is a mighty good time to go in.

I guess you think that I am never going to send the photos (Kodak) of the Dallas house, but I did not get the roll out of the Kodak until a few days ago. They should be back tomorrow and I’ll send them as soon as they come. Will send one of this cottage too.

Had a nice letter from Sister yesterday. She is a happy girl and wants me to know it. Says she is going to teach again this year, but it would seem to me that she has enough to do in keeping house. He is good to her and she always mentions it to me.

Had a letter from the Lab at Dallas and they are expecting Laake back about the 15th. This is quite a while for him to be away from the Mrs. and I have an idea that he is getting anxious to get back. His beer ought to be good when he gets there, and I reminded him to take one for me. Mrs. L had started a new lot when I was in Dallas so he will have quite a supply.

Will say “goodnight,” Dear, for I have no news. It is the same old story but I am going to tell you again. I love you with all my heart and you don’t know how much I wish for you.

With a real big hug and a sweet kiss,

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.

September 12, 1924

Friday Evening
Sept. 12, 1924

Dear Walter:

Your nice long letter came yesterday afternoon, and it sounded so nice that I’ve been happy ever since. It was the kind that made me feel like I had been talking with you, and that’s the kind I like.

You said you didn’t care much for posed pictures, but I am sending you two anyhow since I promised you quite a while ago that I would. I didn’t know which one you would like better, so I thought I would give you one of each pose. Guess you think I’m very fond of having pictures made of myself, but, when you get too many, just let me know, and I’ll quit sending them. Ordinarily I dislike very much having my picture made, but you seemed to want some, so I did it.

September 12, 1924

September 12, 1924

Last Friday morning about six o’clock Mama, Papa, Claudelle and I started to San Antonio in my car and returned that evening. We had a very pleasant trip even though they were working on the roads a great deal, and we had to detour several times.

We unworthy Uvalde people received a wonderful blessing today in the form of a good rain. Can you imagine such a thing in Uvalde? It had been such a long time since we saw anything of the kind that I imagined I saw a shocked look on the faces of some people in town when the drops began to fall. We are having a slow rain tonight, it is so cool and pleasant, and it’s just an ideal night to sit and talk. You don’t know how glad I’d be if you were here right now.

Mr. Bishopp must not have received Mr. Parman’s letter until he returned to Dallas because he would have, of course, mentioned it while he was with you. I hope he has it by now, and will feel that it is absolutely necessary for you to come to Uvalde. It seems most too good to be true, but I can’t help but half way believe that he will.

Walter, you said you are sorry you haven’t more to offer me in a material way. The fact that you are offering me your true love is what makes me happy. If you had worlds of money and offered it to me without love it wouldn’t appeal to me. I have never had wealth, but still, I am happy most of the time, so what more could a person ask than happiness? I am glad you haven’t lots of money because so many young men who have been reared in wealth lack the ambition to get out and try to amount to something. You have accomplished lots already, and are so ambitious that I admire you a great deal more than I would one who had worlds of money and no ambition. I am glad you are just like you are. In other words, I’m glad you’re you.

Did you celebrate Defense Day today? We made a brave attempt, but it was not a wonderful success on account of the frequent showers. We closed the office from ten A.M. until two P.M., but we worked most of that time since they were unable to have the parade etc.

By the way, I talked to Mr. Shirley the other day and he said he would like very much for me to be his deputy at least until my term is up with the Independent School District on the First of April. I was delighted, of course, and consented.

I appreciate your telling me to ask you anything I would like to know. If there is anything, I will ask you and I want you to feel perfectly free to do the same by me. I have confidence in you and feel that you are not trying to keep anything from me. If I should ask you questions, I have confidence enough in you to feel that you will tell me the truth.

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

Sincerely,
Ina

July 4, 1924

Friday, July 4th.

My dear Miss Ina,

I was surprised and words can’t tell you how glad I was to get your letter this morning. I was wishing that I could hear from you for it seemed such a long time since I saw you. I am mighty glad that you didn’t wait until you received another letter from me after I had arrived at Dallas.

July 4, 1924

July 4, 1924

When I came by the post office and found your letter, I had just returned from the garage where I carried the Elgin yesterday. It was promised this morning but the mechanics quit work at noon yesterday so as to get a good start on today’s celebration. I had wanted the push rods adjusted and also the carburetor set for this climate as it had not been changed since the cool weather in the Dakotas. Had rather planned that I would look at some property this afternoon with a view of making a deal. It will probably be Sunday afternoon before I can use it now as tomorrow will be a busy day.

Mr. Bishopp is expected home this noon so I understand.

It has been misting rain and has been cloudy all day, which is not very favorable picnic weather. I wonder how you are spending your 4th, then. I wish that I could be with you. You don’t know how very much I enjoyed being with you and I feel that I know you pretty well. Especially since you have some confidence in me. I realize that you confided in me, and “Angel Eyes” I can’t help but love you for it. The frankness with which you told me was something that I’ll always remember, and something that I’ll always admire in you.

Had I stayed over until Monday night some of your friends probably would have remarked about it, but certainly they could not have said anything unfavorable about you. I don’t believe that any of them could say anything except of a complimentary nature. I might have been criticized for not returning with the other folks, as they might have felt that I was not on the job. Your personality and the sweetness of your smile are sufficient evidence of your character, and everybody admires you, they can’t help it. There isn’t another like you, Miss Ina. You have a personal magnetism which accounts for your host of friends.

I could not expect anything else but that you did go pretty regularly with young men and I rather expected that there were about seven, for the simple reason that there are only seven days in a week. I know that each of them would want to see you at least once each week. I would consider myself fortunate if I were one of the seven. At the present I only hope that you will not be disappointed in me and that I may be favored with an occasional letter as nice as the one received today. In the short time we have known one another we have found that we have lots in common, and I trust that in the future we will find that our ideas are even more similar. To be congenial is the basis of all happiness and while it is impossible for two people to always think alike, there should be a tendency to go a little more than half-way. Most people have good intentions if we could always get their viewpoint, but there are some who consider it a weakness of character to agree with anybody.

Yesterday I posted a photo which was selected by some of the office people in Aberdeen as being the best likeness of “yours truly,” but I am of the opinion that they had a mental picture of me when I had to deal with some of the disagreeable customers. I can assure you that I am not so “hard boiled” or “half baked” as the corners of the mouth would indicate. However, this is the only pose that I have a photo of and I am taking a chance by sending it. I also enclosed one of “Johnnie Osh” and myself. I’ll try and find another one of him as he was really a cute little kid. The view from the hotel Consolation gives a fair idea of the scenery near the Swiss border and in the foothills of the Alps. I am told that other sections are more beautiful in the interior of Switzerland, but we were not permitted to cross during the War. From an airplane one can see the snow-capped Alps and get a fairly good idea of the Swiss scenery that so many rave about. It isn’t like what Mark Twain said about Arizona. He said that in Arizona one could see more cows and less milk, more chickens and fewer eggs, and see more country and see less than in any place in the world. However, there isn’t much in the foothills of the Alps except beautiful scenery and timber. We frequently listened for a yodel song but the only time we heard one was when one of our men would sing it. Johnnie’s favorite song was the “Madelon,” though he often sang “One keg of beer for the four of us.” He picked up the Army songs and could sing them before he knew what they meant.

Please remember me when you have a picture of yourself. Haven’t you a Kodak picture that you could give me? The bobbed hair is all right. You did not have yours clipped so close on the back of your head and it will be long again pretty soon, but don’t wait until it grows. I’d like a photo of those eyes and your smile, so please favor me with one. I am enclosing another of Johnnie. Found that I had duplicates in a Kodak album.

Miss Ina I’d like to have you call me Walter if you feel that you know me well enough. The “Mr.” sounds a little distant. May I leave off the “Miss” when writing you? I’ll use it when I am talking in the presence of some one else. Several times in this letter I have almost called you sweetheart but to do so might mean that I won’t get an answer. I don’t want to take that chance now, for I want to hear from you as often as you care to write. I’ll think of you as one and with tender affections but guess I’d better keep this part in reserve. But I told you I’d tell you everything and why should I keep this.

I’ll be mighty glad to get another letter real soon if you care to write, and I won’t think you are a “flapper.” Had I formed that opinion I would hever have asked you for a date. I simply feel that we have so many beliefs in common that it didn’t take us long to get acquainted. I love you, and you might as well know it now as at any other time. I hope you have confidence enough in me to believe it, for I love you far more than you have any idea.

Always,
Walter,

Box 208