From Gwen's letter, May 21, 1938:
"Darling,
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| "I must have thought of you just then. Love, Gwen" |
To-day marks the sixteenth month since I last saw you that terribly cold night at the train. Since that night so many things have happened one after another that like you, I often wonder how different we both will seem when we do meet. Will we even know each other? Wouldn't it be something if we passed each other up without recognizing? But for some reason or other I believe I would recognize you if I got within a block of you. Maybe I'm wrong but as long as you walk the same and are tall and dark, I'll bet on my ability to know you. Why don't you write and describe yourself to me--your personality, your walk, your hair, eyes, and all about you in comparison to 16 months ago to-day then I'll be sure to recognize you. As for me, I'm even more of a dishwater blonde than I was before, I'm gaining weight rapidly. By the time you get home I'll look like a tub. I still have a complexion like a volcano. My fingernails are broken off. I still forget to sew buttons on my coat. I'm still awfully particular about the seams in my hose being straight, remember? My eyebrows are terribly neglected since you left and I'm half as pleasant to be around since you left &you know how awful I was before. I get down in the dumps & refuse to get Wahoo's glass of water at supper. In fact, I'm generally deteriorated. I don't have time to read up on current events or anything to improve my intellect, so I'm in a mental rut. In fact, kid, when you get home you'll probably never want to hear of Gwen Wagstaff again. One thing though which is still the same is my love for a guy named Jim. I hope he won't be too awfully disappointed in me when he arrives home. . .
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| "My birthday, Feb. 13, 1938. . .Note the conservative hat!!" |
"As for my idea of you, I know you'll be a little broader in more than one way and I think I'll like you that way very very much, but neither of us really knows do we? Maybe, and probably, we'll be so different to what we expect that most likely we'll start getting acquainted all over again. I hope we still both like dancing, hiking, canyons, moons, apple trees, theme songs, roses and all the things we've always liked before. . .
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"Ah, look at me how fat I'm getting--I weigh 121."
(in picture: Gwen on left; her parents are on the far right) |
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" . . .Honestly we'll feel so lost around here with both Cec and Don gone & then, if you still want me when you get home, what will happen to Mom and Dad? They'll be right back where they started about 31 years ago. What shall we do when we're in the same boat as they are, darling? Well when we do get married--I hope--let's build always for that time so that we'll enjoy ourselves to-gether those years just as we should alone together at first. Can't you just see us playing golf, tennis, hiking, swimming, reading, riding & dancing when we're almost 60 years old.
It's a nice picture don't you think so.
". . .Goodnight Sweetheart & with a tender kiss and hug I send oodles of love--
Gwen"
Grandma is so cute. I love how humble and cute she is about how she has changed since Grandpa left.
ReplyDeleteI think it's interesting to see her humor and teasing with Grandpa
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