Susie Hot-head Drama and a Potential Movie?

From Gwen's Letter, March 27, 1938:

"My Dearest Sweetheart,

I was so thrilled to get your card for our anniversary--it was a beautiful card but the best part of it was the part you wrote. It's always been a mystery to me how you can think up such beautiful things to write and they just seem to come so natural to you while I have to ponder and ponder how to express my feelings in such an appropriate way. Just imagine, darling, engaged for two whole years to a fellow whom I think is "tops" and one reason why I think you're the 'only' man for me is because of your romance and thoughtfulness. It's a thrill to know you remember and think of the days which truly are 'ours.' Darling you're one man in a million and I'm the lucky girl whose wearing your ring."

From Gwen's Letter, April 10, 1938:

"My Dearest Sweetheart,

Three letters in a row expressing doubt as to my feelings have really got me worried. . . I hope that my quickly and impulsively formed conclusions which were apparently wrong haven't made you lose faith in the strength of my love for you or in the sincerity of my pride at the wonderful work you are doing. . .I tried to be unselfish in letting you go and I guess my selfish side kind of got the better of me in that one letter. I was really afraid that another year might change you until the things and people at home wouldn't be good enough and that would just leave me with nothing to look forward to. There is no other reason why I was so hasty in letting you know I was so impatient to have you home in 1939. My love has not changed one bit except in growing stronger. From now on I'll try to quench that selfish little hot-headed gal down inside of me. Did you know before that I was a duel personality. Yes, I am. One girl named Mary Gwendolyn is religious and tries to be unselfish, while Susie hot-head tries to be selfish and sarcastic. I'll try to keep Susie under lock and key from now on. How's that?

". . .Someday I'll bet it would be fun to read our letters over and see just what they were like. . .Did you really think I ever contemplated sending back a silk-hanky of yours? Do you by any chance want me to send it back? Unless you desire it I doubt if you'll ever get that one back. . . Remember when you wore that huge ring of mine and I wore your wristwatch--then did you ever think I would be wearing a diamond ring of yours? At that time I never dreamed you'd ever even take any notice of me, but that's no sign I didn't hope. . .But kid, sometimes the girl meets her leading man and fortune smiles on her--I've been very lucky. Luckier than I sometimes realize--that I am engaged to a fellow with ideals that are very high and a fellow who has a 'never say die' spirit and on top of that a fellow I'm so in love with that sometimes that love makes me feel selfish. I can't understand why I am so lucky. I only hope that someday I'll grow to be worthy of all of this.

". . .You mentioned being ridiculed on a street meeting. What happened? I hope no one got tar and feathered.

". . .Now, sweetheart I must stop . .Please know that I am still as much yours as I was the night we became engaged and I want no other career than 'our' career to-gether. Forgive me for being impatient and please throw that Mar. 2 letter in the fire.

Loving you sincerely,

Your Sweetheart Gwen XXX OO"

A Response from Jim, London, W.C., April 25, 1938:


"My Dearest Sweetheart,

Say if I thought for one minute I would receive a letter from you like your most recent one . . .lady, you would receive some letters. Your letter dated April 10, was a literary achievement in comparison to the immortal one of March 2, which will never be destroyed. I'm going to preserve that one and the last one for history, and someday they will make a movie based on those two letters like they do today based on Marie Antoinette's letters to Napoleon. But we will never be able to reap any royalties on them, so maybe we should try something now. What do you think?"



(Pictures: The Infamous Mar. 2 and April 10 letters. Notice Gwen's concern for the first "gorge" between them in the Mar. 2 letter)

" . . .Say, can you realize that we only have a mere eight months left of real missionary work. 32 weeks or 229 days. Which seems the longer to you? Months, days or weeks?

". . .True love will live forever, Gwen darling, and ours is true love.

Loving you sincerely,
Let me remain
Your Sweetheart,

Jim

Thanks for the X's and O's. May I send you some XXX OOO."

Moonbeams, Mental Telepathy, and an English Cottage

From Jim's Letter, April 7, 1938:

"My Dearest Gwen,

. . .Even after these many weeks your letters mean so much to me, and they go so far toward making my work so much easier. . .

"Being Supervising Elder, Gwen, isn't so hot. You have to worry along, make too many reports, and try to keep smiling at the same time. And with my fellow workers 35 and 70 miles away from here, I certainly feel alone in a vast void of space. I still have no companion, and believe me it can be darn lonesome in a room all by yourself with nothing to do but read, write and make out a report of one kind or another. When I get through over here, I'll certainly be a full fledged C.P.A., historian, and statistician all rolled into one. But hang it all I enjoy it, and the work affords a good deal of added opportunity that I wouldn't have otherwise, and I never say 'no' to an opportunity.

"Last week I and Elder Palmer went out to Carlisle again for our circuits and to stay over the week end. We had a very nice trip, in rain a good deal of the way, but never the less it was fun. . . We had one ride with a young couple who appeared to be madly in love with each other. They were very nice to talk to, and do you know, they took us into a saloon and bought us a drink. The 'pub,' as they are called over here, was really a nice quiet place and clean as well as decorated nicely. They had antique furniture and various old guns, and swords of a by gone day to interest any Yankee sightseer. Oh, I might add that Palmer had a real lemonade and I a grapefruit.
"Gwen honey, how would you like a home built on the English style. . .Over here they have such quaint little homes, and they are so cute and cozy, and one built out in America would certainly be different, in comparison to what is the usual thing out in Zion. I will take a snap shot of one sometime and let you see one for yourself and see if you like them.

(picture: An English style dream home?)

". . .You once said in one of your letters that memories aren't as stong as they could be, but darling, I beg to differ with you. A person's memories can be and are strong, and worthwhile if you really want them to be. . .In your letter you told or your moon coming up between the peaks of Mt. Olympus, and asked if I could see it. I'll say I could see it--every shaft of a moon beam throwing itself down on to us, on the cat, on the lawn, or in the porch swing. . .

". . . Sometime when you are listening to England over the radio, remember please that there is such a thing as mental telepathy. I know from now on I'll be thinking of you every time I hear a radio.

". . . And now I must close to be on with some other work. Remember me darling? I'm the guy who loves you so much and so sincerely that I can never get you off my mind. Please love me the same way.

Sincerely
Your Sweetheart,
Jim."

Feeling Closer to Jim--through the radio?

From Gwen's letter, March 20, 1938:

"My Dearest Sweetheart,

. . .Well, darling, how does it feel to be Supervising Elder by now? Are they keeping you plenty busy? After you told me about it I waited patiently for the [Millennial] Star to come and sure enough I found the clipping and it's now part of the book I have of 'Jim on a mission.' I believe I have almost all the clippings they've had in the Star about Wm. James Telford--confirming, blessing, baptizing,and supervising, etc.

"Sweetheart, Patriarchal blessings really do come true don't they, if one is faithful? I believe your being called on a mission opened my eyes to that more than anything else and now this new opportunity you've been given makes me believe more. And Jim, I'm praying for your success always as we prayed Jan. 20, 1937.

". . .I went out to see Dot Sunday. Just think Cal's been gone almost a month. She says it seems like sixty months. She has taken up table tennis to help pass the time away and you should have seen us play it. Boy, am I good. I kept thinking I was on a real tennis court and I would about ruin all their furniture but, honey, I'm going to get a set and then I challenge you to a tournament when you get home. I believe I'd have a better chance at that than I would real tennis.


". . .Did I tell you we have a new radio? The good old radio we used to listen to by firelight finally burned out and now Dad has an R.C.A. and my one ambition now is to get England with it. Just think how grand it would be if we were both listening to exactly the same program at exactly the same time, and then if we'd both shut our eyes maybe we could imagine we were in front of a warm glow of a fire together. Last night Cec had Cuba on the radio and Dad believes he had Japan, so maybe I'll get England tonight.

". . .Kid, I would have given anything to have had you here last Tuesday. The moon was just magnificent. Remember how it used to come up over Mt. Olympus in the summer of 1933. Well it was like that only it came up right in the middle of those two big peaks just east of us here and it was a huge yellow ball with a golden rose halo around it. Oh kid, it was grand and if only you could have been here it would have been perfect.

". . .How are you feeling now? I hope you're well again. What have they got you doing mostly now? Do you think the war in Europe is really as threatening as they tell us?

"Well sweetheart, I've go to stop now because I'm out of paper--

Loads of love,
Gwen

"I'm enclosing some more money to be used if needed. . .Please write as often as you can darling. Your letters mean everything."