There are a few letters that Grammy saved that come between today's letter and the last one I posted, but not too many. I will try to add some of them, too. But I thought it would be fun to post letters from 100 years ago today. As you read the letter for 15 February 1912, you can see that Jimmy's chronic illness has caught up with him, and he is struggling to regain his stamina. You can also see that Jimmy and Jennie are more comfortable with each other and pretty deeply in love.
Jennie wrote to Jimmy on stationery that is very tiny. In today's postal system with its automated sorting, the US Postal Service will not accept such a small envelope. She writes, near the end of her letter, that Jim should destroy her letters so that others cannot read them. I hope that posting these letters in this blog does not seem too voyeuristic.
Jennie writes:
Feb 15th 1912
Thursday
Dear Jim,
I got a car right away last night and was home at 10 pm sharp ---You appeared to be in a hurry for me to go -- shy? I was watching the time closely but you didn't know.
I was awfully glad to see you were able to be up
and hope you did not overdo it -- I guess next week by this time I will be able to go over to Room 902 Eastern Townships Bank Bldg for a few minutes, cause you know I'm lonesome. Somehow or other it did not seem the same going out to the house as going to the Hospital, but of course I'm glad you are at home for I know you are better off with your mother.
I called Mamie up this morning and told her I
wanted Baby Sunday afternoon. Say Jim, the reason I said I would not promise for Sunday was I thought that perhaps your mother would looner I did not go, for the same reason as you did not want me to go tonight.
I was a wee bit blue last night but I tried hard to hide it. "A feeling of sadness and longing, which is not akin to pain, But resembles "sorrow" only as mist resembles rain"
I think "we are sitting in the
school of sorrow and the Master is teaching, and until such time as we have learnt our lesson, and are submissive to His will, He (who alone is able) cannot draw forth the arrow left cruelly, carelessly ranking [??] there. then just think, it is only a few years at the most when "face to face in all His Glory we shall see him" be with Him and like Him for ever. We are both too proud, and God hates pride. (I don't mean this for you Jim for I'm as bad as you.
-5-
I think Mother and I are going out to the Silver wedding tonight-- Flossie & I are going up at noon to buy something. Friday night there is going to be a Tea given for the Sunday school children and Mamie wants us to take baby Saturday I don't know what I'll do but if you go out to the corner you'll phone me --eh?
Mrs Alexander was telling me Tuesday night that it
was all off between Sydney Baird and Mr Wilkie [??] --You know they were as good as engaged for he had spoken to her Ma. I think the trouble first started over the meeting and then she went to the theatres with him at first and latterly her people objected to her going and he refused to go to meeting &c &c. Doesnt it make you feel sorry for them -- They must feel terrible -- I know I would.
Mrs Alexander said she asked Sydney how often Percy had kissed her but she just laughed and said one thing she could say she had never ______ him. Comprenez?
No body came in this morning until 10 am, and now Mr Robinson has gone to the Exchange, Wallace to Court and Mr Dobbin to the Bank.
Now be sure and keep all my letters under lock and key --or destroy them, for I would feel badly if anybody
saw them.
I must stop writing or you will get tired reading.
Looking forward to seeing you Sunday, or hearing from you Saturday I am
Yours with love
Jennie
Room 25
Guardian Building
Apologies for the tiny piece of ancient rubber band that fell off one of the envelopes. I didn't notice it as I scanned these letters in the computer. Here's another technical mystery: I could successfully select "photo" for Jennie's teeny tiny letter. But Jim's letter did not scan properly because it was too big to be treated as a "photo" on the present settings of my new printer. It is really nice to be able to scan letters rather than have to photograph them. But I miss the reproduction of the gently faded colors of the stationery and ink. When the scanner turns pages into a .pdf it does not seem to do so in color.
And here is Jim's written on the same day.
No comments:
Post a Comment