Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Discoveries - The Love Letters



We've found some odd things in some of the houses we've worked on.  Remember this sign from Diamond in the Rough?  Or the pot growing station, buried behind sheetrock? (okay....so that house had more than its share of unusual finds!).  The fact is, we never know what to expect when we go digging into old walls and attics.

So imagine how delighted we were, to find some beautiful letters that date back to 1908 in our New Englander!   The style and tone are so lovely.  (It made me think, for a moment, about the writing Richard and I do - which, admittedly, is mostly text on our cell phones:  "Where are you anyway?", "Do you need anything from the grocery?".  Hardly the kind of thing I'd want someone to discover a hundred years from now!)

The letters appear to be from a man that worked for a shipping company, sent to his wife.  The first dates May 1908, the second one is February 1919.  They both start with 'My darling wife'.  And he signs them: 'much love from your ever faithful and devoted husband, Clyde.  XXXXXXXXXX'
He asks about mundane things like the weather.  But also talks about family "Aunt Martha opened her heart wide to give you a whole wheelbarrow of dressing, did she not?"  And then there are the practical things - "Darling, don't forget to pay my insurance premium".  

But it's obvious that he misses her and looks forward to being home "Well, Etta my darling little wife, I wish that I was with you now.  I will close for this time.  Will write again before we leave here."  "I may come home from Searsport, but I can't promise that I will.  I will have to find out how long it takes to come and go"

There's just something about letters written with pen and ink, in a flowing cursive......what a wonderful reminder of the past!  Particularly in today's technology driven environment.  It would be great if we could find a descendant in the neighborhood that we could pass these on to.  Or else we'll just leave them with the house and the new owner.

What kinds of discoveries have you made in old houses?  We'd love to hear about them.


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3 comments:

  1. hISTORICAL SOCIETIES OFTEN TAKE THEM AND CAN USE THEM TO CONNECT TO OTHER HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS...mAYBE THE HUSBAND OR WIFE BECAME SIGNIFICANT TO THE COMMUNITY LATER IN THEIR LIVES...

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  2. how loveley... if there are any relatives who would know those two lovebirds... ?

    Andrea

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  3. Lovely letters with envelopes, too! Priceless find! Hopefully you can do some research at your local library or state government records location that can help you find a relative.

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