August 31, 1925

Monday Nite
Aug. 31, 1925.

My dear Sweetheart:

Claudelle and I were among the guests at Eastern Star this evening. The occasion was the birthday of Robt. Morris, Founder of the organization. You, of course, being a member know more about that than I do. We had a very pleasant evening, and had the additional pleasure of coming home in a slow rain. We came back by Thelma’s and exchanged our evening dresses for some gingham ones and made our way home nicely, enjoying the drops of rain in our faces. It stopped and the moon came out as soon as we drove safely in the garage.

August 31, 1925

August 31, 1925

Mrs. Parman visited with us for a few minutes this morning soon after breakfast while Mr. Parman killed a rabbit for experiments. They were expecting Dr. Hunter on the ten o’clock train.

I was interested in what you said of real estate in Florida. It seems that the climate is the main drawing card and that is something that won’t change so it looks like there would always be somewhat of a boom, though of course it will not always remain at the height that it now stands. Of course I wouldn’t blame a person for not wanting to invest in everything in sight, but I can’t see that a few sane reasonable investments would be dangerous. After one has been down there for quite a while and studied and understood conditions he should be able to judge good and bad investments. I am not afraid of your going “wild” over it.

I love you most ardently Dear, and trust you in everything.

Always, your
Ina.

August 31, 1925 (Walter)

This letter was out of sequence in the file, so I’m inserting it at the appropriate point in the blog now (22 November 2011) and backdating it to when it should have appeared. Sorry for any confusion.

Jax Beach. Monday Night. 11PM.

My Dear Sweetheart,

We were in Jax again today on account of the new C.E. location of which I wrote you a few days ago. Your letter and also one each from Mr. Laake and Mr. Bishopp were waiting for me. Dear, you always write such good letters and I always enjoy every word. Especially did I enjoy that portion in the last letter on the wedding plans. The place seems to be settled, and the parties have been agreeable to it, so it seems to be a question of when? It doesn’t make any difference to me about whether you wear a suit or the white dress with the laces etc. I’d say “yes” and feel awfully proud of you if you wore a house apron. Just suit yourself about that, Sweetheart, and whatever you decide upon will suit me.

August 31, 1925 (Walter)

August 31, 1925 (Walter)

Mr. Laake’s letter stated that Mr. Brundrette had accepted a position with the Jr. A&M College at Stevensville and plans to leave Dallas within the next week or ten days. They are giving him an increase in salary and I believe he is getting a good place. Mr. Bishopp tried to get an increase in the Bureau for him so as to meet his offer, but I guess it could not be arranged. I am sorry that Brundy is leaving us, but I believe it is a position which he cannot afford to turn down. It will no doubt be teaching for most of the time, but he is interested in entomology as a whole and I believe he is the man for the place. He has been a good man for us and we hate to see him go.

I do not know just what the effect of Brundy’s leaving will have on my work. If his place is not filled during this fiscal year it will give us more funds for operating and in view of the need I believe it should be left open with no attempt to fill it until after next July 1st. Just how Mr. Bishopp will consider it, I do not know, but I am in hopes that he will give me a little more toward the work down here. It is possible that he may want me to join Mr. Laake in Dallas as soon as I can, but I am not so anxious for that. We have already made a contribution on creeping eruption which Dr. Cort of Johns Hopkins says is the greatest advance in human helminthology that has been reported for years. We are working on a point which is the next step in the problem and which is more important than the work of last year. I believe that Mr. Bishopp realizes this, and it so happens that I have just written him to the effect that I’d like to work on it all winter. With the chance of having funds, I rather suspect that he will be of the opinion that I can stay most of the winter. It isn’t that I do not want to be in Dallas, Dear, for I certainly do like Dallas, but I am more interested in my work here than I am in the work they are doing at Dallas. This will mean more to me and to you and I. At the present time I would not trade jobs with anyone, and when Dr. White leaves I’ll be pretty happy. He has increased the duration of his stay until the 10th. His niece is going to teach at a point (Dayton) south of here and he wants to stay until after she arrives. I told him that I’d meet her and see that she got the train out of Jax OK, but he thinks he should stay and meet her. In the mean time we will continue the studies we have under way. He says it is the most interesting piece of work he has ever been connected with, and I can’t blame him for wanting to stay. He has been quite human the past few days and we are good friends etc.

In checking over the list of home stead land, Dear, I do not find very much in the southern part of the state. I am keeping this in mind. Possibly some one down there has a notion of selling his claim so that he can sell real estate. If I can buy one reasonable & then apply my Army service in lieu of residence, it might be a good thing.

I am enclosing a little paster which came on the back of my notice from Fulford. It looks as though their race track will soon be in operation. I am anxious to know the values down there now. Before the 1st of Oct I’ll go by there.

With a real sweet kiss and a goodnight hug, I am,

Your
Walter.

September 1, 1925

Tuesday Night.

My Dear Sweetheart,

I left Dr. White at the pier and as he has not yet come home I imagine that he is dancing. He likes to dance and I hope he is having a good time. I have to go to Jax again tomorrow morning, and I’ll take the early train. This will make it possible for me to get back at 3 o’clock and I’ll have time to check over some work before night.

We have been fairly busy today and it looks as though I am going to have plenty to keep me busy until the middle of the month. I told my landlady today that I would be here that long and that after I returned from down the state I would be here some more. She says that she may be here all winter herself, in which event I guess I’ll continue to have a housekeeper until I come for you. I had rather expected that I’d have to be here alone for awhile.

September 1, 1925

September 1, 1925

I have no news, Dear, and I am writing as usual just to tell you that I love you as much as ever and that means as much as it is possible for one person to love another. I don’t know what I’d ever do if something happened between our love, Dear, as I certainly do love you.

With a sweet goodnight,

Your
Walter.

September 2, 1925

Wednesday Night.

My Dear Sweetheart,

I just received a nice long letter from you and I should write you a good one if I possibly could, but Dear, I am awfully tired and sleepy. Took the early train & spent the whole day in Jax. Was busy the whole time too. Missed the train I intended to take as KS and I ate lunch together and it was a place where they don’t serve quickly. So the rest of the afternoon was spent in mailing out reprints of the New Orleans report, like the copy I sent you. KS said that I should mail one to each of my girls and he rather expected to see one addressed to a “Miss.” I sent you the first one I received, even before I had a regular mailing envelope.

September 2, 1925

September 2, 1925

I note what you said about the wedding present, and I am mighty glad that you gave me your ideas. I want you to always be that way and then we will not have on hand some presents to be stored in the attic. You did not suggest what you wanted, I’ll think about it some more and will ask you what you think. It might be a good idea to wait until after the wedding and then let you suggest. Something given may suggest one to complete a set etc.

It is an extremely pleasant pastime to plan what we want and I certainly do get a lot of pleasure in thinking of you and that you are soon to be with me always. I’ll probably hear from Mr. BIshopp before a great while to the effect that I can either spend the whole time down there or that I should join Mr. Laake in Dallas. I hope we can come here, but either way will be a mighty happy trip if you are with me. Sweetheart, I certainly do love you.

It certainly is nice that Lucile and Claudelle are going to room together and that they are going to be so near home. It will be lonesome for Mother Lewis for a while. I guess I am calling her Mother a little soon. It certainly sounds all right to me.

I didn’t go in the surf today but the moonlight on the water looks tempting tonight. It will be just as beautiful when you are with me, and I’ll enjoy it more for there is no one else whom I want to go in with except you.

If Dr. White’s plan sticks, he will leave me a week from today.

I’m mighty sleepy, Dear, so with a real sweet “goodnight,” I am,

Yours forever & always,

Walter.

September 3, 1925

Thursday Nite 9/3.

My Dear Sweetheart,

No letter today but I am sure that it will be here tomorrow. The letter of yesterday was a real good one so I’ll read it some more.

There was a good crowd in the surf this afternoon and the water was fine. It was one of the days when a person will not get sun-burned and can enjoy it all the time.

September 3, 1925

September 3, 1925

There has been no excitement of any kind. Everything is quiet. If you like a quiet place for a honeymoon you will certainly like it down here. But I’ll try and keep you from being lonesome.

I love you, Dear, and while this letter is a short one, I always want to remind you of this fact.

With a sweet goodnight,

Yours always, & all ways,
Walter

September 4, 1925

Friday Night 9/4.

My Dear Sweetheart,

I am happy tonight – both letters came at one time. They were short and sweet and as usual they hit the spot.

It was awfully nice of you, Dear, to say that you would cook all three meals if I thought my digestion would stand it. You can bet your life that my digestion can stand it and I already know that you are a dandy little cook. Too, your taste is very similar to mine and I know that both of us will enjoy the meals. I guess I’ll have to drink coffee by myself but this will be all right. Mother Lewis is a good cook and from what I know of your cooking, I know that you are a good one too. I am looking forward with pleasure to yours.*

September 29, 1925

September 29, 1925

I agree with you and the minister who preached that The World is Getting Better. Years ago everyone had a high fence around the house and on the inside of the yard they had a ferocious dog. Lots of them have gotten rid of the dog and some have taken part of the fence down. I have particular reference to homes in the cities, as both the fence and dog are often necessary in homes on ranches and farms.

I am going to Jax again tomorrow morning and I guess I’ll be up there most of the day. Dr. White will stay down here. It makes a pretty hard day and he is older than I. He goes in the surf about twice each day and has quite a coat of tan, much more than I have. I believe that he is going to invest in a lot or two here on the beach. He thinks it is mighty fine and that the beach will develop. I believe it will, but I also believe that I made a better purchase at Fulford. I’ll be down there the latter part of the month and will investigate the present value. You did not mention the idea of a homestead, and I guess that it did not strike you favorably. I won’t consider it if you do not approve of it. I want you to know, Dear, that I have no idea of giving you any undesirable place to live. I want it to be such that both of us will enjoy it and I am going to do my best to make it that way.

You mean the world to me and I love you lots and lots and lots.

With a sweet goodnight, I am,

Yours always & forever,
Walter.

* Walter was a true gentleman.

September 5, 1925

Jacksonville Beach.
Saturday Night.

My Dear Sweetheart,

This has been the hottest day I have experienced in Florida, and while I do not know what the temperature registered, no doubt it was the effect of the high humidity. It was a pretty busy day for me in Jax and perhaps I felt it more. It is quite a bit cooler tonight and as usual everyone will sleep well. There was quite a crowd in the surf before dinner and until now 10 PM.

September 5, 1925

September 5, 1925

Tomorrow and Monday (Labor Day) will bring big crowds down here, and too, they have added attractions in the way of auto races.

While in Jax today I made a reservation for Dr. White which would mean that he leaves there Thursday afternoon at 3 o’clock. His niece will be at Jax Wednesday en route to Daytona where she is to teach.

They are boosting real estate here at the beach and some predict that this winter the place will have an open season just the same as they have down the state. I can hardly believe this, though there probably will be some to spend the whole winter here besides the residents.

I love you, Sweetheart, and I’d write a longer letter this time, but regardless of how long I made it I could not tell you how much.

With a sweet goodnight,

Your,
Walter.

September 6, 1925 (Ina)

Sunday Night.
Sept. 6, 1925.

Dear Sweetheart:

We have just returned from church services. I drove home alone since Claudelle had a date and Mama and Papa came home in the Ford. As Claudelle and I have to go to League so early in the evening, Mama and Papa can’t go with us but they follow up about an hour later. When C. leaves for school I am going to try again to persuade Mama and Papa to go to places more than they do now. I want them to get in the habit so that they will not be so lonely when we both are away. They are accustomed now to having young people around and that keeps them feeling younger, but I can’t bear the idea of their settling down out here after we leave and growing old. They are both inclined to be very much of “stay at homes.”

September 6, 1925 (Ina)

September 6, 1925 (Ina)

The moonlight on the water sounds very tempting to me. I wish I could be with you this evening and we could go in the surf together. We are going to be so happy, Sweetheart, when we can be together always. I get so much pleasure out of planning it.

In your Wednesday’s letter which I received today you sounded so tired and sleepy after your trip into Jacksonville. I know how you feel after a rushed day and I know how you crave a good night of refreshing sleep. Sometimes those days that seem the busiest and most tiresome are those on which we feel that we have accomplished least. However, later we often find that day’s work amounted to a great deal more than we thought it did at the time. I have been through a number of days like that in my business experience and also in my work at home. Even at that though, every day is immensely worth living.

I love you Sweetheart, most preciously and would give worlds to be with you right now and tell you in the most “impressive” way.

Always your
Ina.

September 6, 1925 (Walter)

Jacksonville Beach, Fla.,
Sunday P.M.

My Dear Sweetheart,

It is rather hot outside today, but since I came back to the cottage a breeze has started and it is pleasant enough. Quite a number of people are here for the week end and for Labor Day tomorrow. Under usual conditions, the activities of Labor Day close the season and only the residents are here all winter. There are about 2000 who live here the year around. The post cards give an idea of this place. I should have sent them long ago but it did not occur to me that I should until today. They will give an idea of the place, but it is larger than when those cards were made.

September 6, 1925 (Walter)

September 6, 1925 (Walter)

The crowd in the surf have no attraction for me, but I certainly do wish that you were here to go with me. I’d be mighty happy. But you will be here and we will enjoy the surf when you join me. It was three months last night that you said “yes.” I wonder if you thought of it, I did, but after I had written. I have been mighty happy ever since then & I certainly believe that we are beginning a long period in which both of us will be happy. Dear, I certainly do love you. I am in hopes that we can come down here just after we are married and that we can begin our life time honeymoon here at the beach. I do not know of a better place to start. I do not have many acquaintances down here and do not know any in a social way as I have not attempted to get acquainted. It will no doubt be a good thing for the time that we will be here will be comparatively short, and I have an idea that I would like to see “just you” and to be with “just you” during that time.

With the same love, Dear, and with a sweet goodnight, I am,

Your
Walter.

September 7, 1925 (Ina)

Monday Night
Sept. 7, 1925.

My dearest Walter:

Your note of Thursday night came this afternoon, and I appreciated it just as much as I would have a long letter because the spirit was there just the same. Of course I enjoy the longer ones more because they last longer, but this one was fine as long as it lasted. Of course we can’t always have lots of news to write because we write so often, but your letters are interesting to me – very very interesting – even though they might not contain a single thing that outsiders would call “news.” If you didn’t say a thing except “I love you” I would get quite a thrill out of it. I wish I could have been with you the night you wrote the note. Yes, Dear, a nice quiet place like the beach would be fine for a honeymoon. It would please me very much and I am sure I wouldn’t get lonesome if you were there.

September 7, 1925 (Ina)

September 7, 1925 (Ina)

Just at sunset this evening Mr. Parman came out to kill a rabbit, and, while he was hunting, Mrs. Parman visited with us. They have an idea that perhaps Mr. Parman will be called to Dallas soon to work for a while. They are waiting for a letter from Mr. Bishopp. You, also, are waiting for one, aren’t you. I know you are anxious to hear, and I am too. The Beach, Dallas or anywhere suits me for a honeymoon. The main idea is the honeymoon and not the place. I hope that you can arrange at all times to be at the place that is best suited for your work.

Do you realize, Sweetheart, that only four months ago tonight you had your first date with me after our long separation? How different things are now to what they were then! Can’t a short time make a wonderful lot of difference? We didn’t know then that within a few days we were going to be engaged, did we? That night was a rather uncertain one for both of us. Neither one knew just what the other one thought and how much he felt about it. However, we didn’t lose much time the next few days in getting “reacquainted.” ‘Twas very interesting, don’t you think?

One thing I know – I love you ‘most to death now, and I am ten dozen times happier over it all tonight than I was four months ago tonight.

Forever, your loving
Ina.

Tuesday Night.
9/8/25.

Dearest Sweetheart:

None of us went down town today as we were so busy, so here comes a lengty P.S. to last night’s letter. This has been another one of those “something lacking” days without a letter from you. I can look forward to perhaps two tomorrow though.

This evening Papa was not feeling well, so Claudelle and I extended our hike down into the pasture to coax the cows home. After quite a search, we found them and thought we were driving them home, but, after walking the poor creatures almost down, we saw no sign of home. We turned, and after much wandering and wondering on the part of all parties concerned, the house loomed up in the distance and we had no regrets because it was getting dark. Honey, I am relating all this to you, not because it is of unusual interest, but because it is intended for a timely warning to you that after we are married, you will have to tie a pretty little blue ribbon about my neck and lead me around like the ladies do their little poodles, to keep me from getting lost.

Yes, four months ago tonight we were stranded upon the hilltop in the storm and flood, and ’twas also four months ago tonight that you got your “Sunday pants” muddy. It is now nearly ten o’clock. We were soaked well by that time weren’t we? Just at this point I want to recommend wrapping paper as a splendid protection when used as a coat against the hardest of rains, winds and hail. It also has unusual warmth. I think it was all a very amusing experience.

I am not accustomed to late hours for the past few months, Dear, so I am getting sleepy.

Goodnight and sweet dreams.

I love you.

Ina.