July 15, 1925 (Ina)

Wednesday Night.
July 15, 1925.

Dearest Walter:

Your letters of the 10th and 12th came this afternoon and they made me feel oh so good. You see, I don’t always get them on schedule time as we don’t always go in town just after train time. Walter, bless your heart, your letters make me so happy and I read them over and over and then read them some more. These two letters were so nice and long and newsy. You seem to know just what I am interested in and just what to write. I especially appreciate the long ones now since I know that you are so busy, but still you take time to write me. I am just as proud of you as I can be and I love you so very very much.

July 15, 1925 (Ina)

July 15, 1925 (Ina)

Your letter to Mama and Papa came also. Mama tried to tease me for quite a while by telling me that she wouldn’t let me read it. Finally, after about two hours’ time she handed it over to me saying that she was trying to see just how anxious I would get to read it. I think it is a mighty nice letter and they do too. They will answer it before long. Don’t be afraid of a refusal or anything of that kind. It didn’t come as a surprise to them since I had told them that you were going to write and ask. Everything is lovely.

Yes, indeed I think it will be mighty nice to have Dr. White down in Florida with you every summer. I feel that you are very fortunate to have him every moment that it is possible to do so. I am so anxious to meet him. I know I shall like him from the things you have said about him. I shall enjoy meeting and being with your friends so much.

I am sure Dr. and Mrs. K.S. are anxious to get into that beautiful new home. I am looking forward to seeing it some time.

I can hardly wait for the time to come for you to return and for me to be with you always. It still seems too good to be true, but still I can’t help but believe that the “too good to be true” is going to happen in this case.

Walter, I don’t want you to hesitate to tell me about your work, the credit that you will receive for it etc. because I certainly will not think you are egotistical. I know you too well to think that. I am very much interested in you and your work, and you can safely write me anything you want to about it without fear of being misunderstood. By the way, I am very proud of your work too.

Goodnight and sweet dreams.

Always your
Ina.

July 15, 1925 (Walter)

Letterhead from the Seneca Hotel, “N.H. Schoonover, Prop.”

Wednesday Night.

My Dear “Honey Bunch,”

Your real sweet letter of the 10th and 11th “hit the right spot” and it was a nice long one too. It made me feel ashamed of my note of a few nights ago. I have been busy, Dear, and I know that you realize it. Also I am sure that you realize that I love you so much and that I will be the happiest man in the world when I can have you with me.

It is 11:15 PM. Have just written Mr. Bishopp the first letter since I arrived here. I tried to write him pretty fully.

Dr. White and I room together and we discuss creeping eruption from early morning until late at night. Sometimes it would be nice to talk about something else, but it is difficult to change the subject.

Mrs. H & Evalyn went to Minneapolis and then to Aberdeen S Dak, their home. E. wrote to my mother after they returned and told her how mean I was not to let them come to Uvalde. She asked Mother to send the letter to Sister, but I destroyed it when it was sent to me here. Sister already knows all about it. I have not written and I don’t intend to. They had my “say” several months ago, and in a way I am glad that their plan of coming to Texas didn’t work. They evidently figured that I would be courteous and that they would come to Dallas and take me by surprise.

I am sending prints of the Kodak pictures but they didn’t seem to come out right. Looks as though the shooting wasn’t straight.

Remember that I love you with all my heart, Dear, and that I think of you many many times every day. I stop Dr. White from discussing C.E. and tell him about you. He thinks you are just right. Says he is going to get married too, but he doesn’t know when nor to whom.

I love you
Walter.

Seneca Hotel.

July 16, 1925 (Ina)

Thursday Evening
July 16, 1925.

My dearest Walter:

Your Monday letter came this afternoon, and altho it was brief, I enjoyed it all. In fact, I get great pleasure out of reading every word you write. I am sure you enjoyed the dinner with Dr. and Mrs. Kirby-Smith. I think it’s mighty nice that you are associated with them in a social way as well as in a professional way. It makes it all so much more interesting and pleasant.

July 16, 1925 (Ina)

July 16, 1925 (Ina)

Claudelle, Thelma and I enjoyed a very pleasant afternoon at a shower honoring Roxie Miller, Mr. Lee’s fiancee. There was quite a crowd and she received lots of beautiful and useful gifts. After the opening and inspecting of the gifts, several tables of bridge and forty-two were arranged. I played forty-two since I knew more about it than bridge. We all had a good time. I did especially, because I am very much interested in everything that concerns a bride or a wedding now. I felt so happy for Roxie and sincerely hoped that she was as happy as I am, and, more important still, will be when my wedding day is as near as hers. They are to be married next Tuesday morning and expect to leave at once for Galveston and Brownsville where some of his relatives live.

When we returned home we found Avis Fisher Bunton, her husband and her little six month old boy. Avis is my chum that you have heard me speak of often. She saw my ring and thought it was beautiful. Everyone who sees it thinks so too, and you don’t know how proud I am of it. Every time I look at it (and that is most of the time) I think of you. Your sister expressed the right sentiment when she said that it would be nice for me to have the ring to enjoy while you are gone. Oh, yes, I got off the subject didn’t I. Speaking of Avis, she said she was glad I was going to be married as she thought that was really the only life. She said she had been happier the past year and a half than she had ever been before even though it had been under adverse circumstances. Lucius, her husband, is a ranchman, and has suffered heavy losses in sheep and everything this year. Avis had never had to do much work before her marriage, but she certainly has done it cheerfully since then. Lucius and a cousin of Avis were in partnership in the ranching business about twenty miles from Del Rio, and it was a sure enough partnership too. The cousin and his wife lived in the house with Avis, Lucius and baby and they had everything together – even the cooking, so I suppose you know the rest. There was a “falling-out,” Lucius sold his part and they are now living in Del Rio. In spite of all this, they are happy as far as their relation to each other is concerned and are certainly a devoted husband and wife.

Reitha is spending the night with us and is constantly chattering away in the “unknown tongue.” She is as sweet as can be when she tries, but, as Thelma Lee says “she can be so naughty” with great emphasis on the “so.”

I know you were glad to see Mrs. Gallagher and the children. It was almost like going home again, wasn’t it? I am sure they are sorry you can’t be with them much while you are in Jacksonville this time. I am anxious to meet them, because I am sure I will like them.

I still love you as much as ever and then some more. I wish I could be with you right now.

Always, your devoted

Ina.

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

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 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 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 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 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 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.