Stories From A Stony Land: Clyde's Letters to Flossie

Unlike my Dad's six week whirlwind engagement, my father's parents had a very long courtship.  I love how the letters reflect a kindness and patience sort of lost now, but also so a very clever and self-deprecating sense of humor.  And please notice the slight quickening of their relationship from the first letter to the second. Flossie was my Grandmother's nickname.  Her name was Florence Snow. The rest of the words in this post are my father's and my grandfather's.

The following two letters are copied directly from two letters my Dad sent to my Mother three years before they were married.

                                                                   March 6, 1912

Dear Flossie

          Well Flossie I will try to answer your letter I received last week.

I got home all right monday morning.  I guess I went through seventy five fields or less or more going home. Mr. Folks was not at home until the last of the week.  It was lucky for me I guess.

Mertie has got all over the chicken-pox.  She was the only one who got it around here.

Tuesday night we went over to Alfred's home to a card party.  I was not very lucky.  I lost the first five games.  I won only five out of fourteen.  Of course I called it luck.

Have you heard that Frank West was married?  I heard last night that he was.

Saturday night we are going to have a domino party.  We want you to come.  If the roads are so I can, I will be over after you. I will call you up saturday and see what you have to say about it.  You had better stay until sunday.

Well I have been cutting wood this week so I guess I had better stop writing and go to bed or I will be to tired to cut tomorrow.

Your friend,

          Clyde

                                                                  

                                                                   April 1, 1912

Dear Flossie,

I suppose you are teaching school this week.  How many scholars have you this spring?  You must have a few new ones to start in.

I think you must of enjoyed last week better than I did.  I thought it was the longest week that I ever spent.  Some of the days seemed like a week to me.  It was so lonesome.  No one came in except Gus and he just stoped a few minutes as he was taking a pleasure trip.

Don't you think this is a regular April day?  It looks good to see it rain once more, and I am always glad to see April, if it isn't a very pleasant month.

I have got about over the mumps.  They were not very bad with me.  Every body says I was to ugly to have them hard.  I told them that ugly people did not have them at all.

Gus said there was going to be a school play to Hanover the sixth.  I think we had better try and  go.  Don't you think so?  I was sorry that I had to stay to home from the other one.

Guess I will have to close.

With love,

          C.S.

(I copied these letters using the spelling, punctuation, etc, that my Dad had used in his longhand letters,) E. Strait