have a letter ...

I seem not to have many words of my own lately ... so here... have a letter my grandfather -- Harry Milton wrote to my grandmother -- Edna Pearl (before she WAS my grandmother) 89 years ago today :

(there are a whole series of these between February 1921 and June 1923. I wish we had her letters back to him... but half the story is better than none I suppose...(also the spellings have been kept relatively as they were written.)

he worked a varied series of jobs... she was working some miles away from her home in the laundry of  a state teacher's college -- known in those days as the Normal School.

They were married in October of 1923 ...

Nittany
February 1, 1921

Dear friend,

I thought I would take time and drop you  a few lines. This is some weather we have been having. Was down town yesterday and guess I will be down on Sat. Mother and Mary is going down and Mary wants me to go down. I guess she wants to stay down till the late buss. We was looking for you to be up today. If you are down there Sat. night which I suppose you will be you can look for me out their at eight oclock or erlier if you can or before which I don't suppose you can. But you can drop me a few lines and let me know. We will take in one of the Shows. This isn't a very good week for me two days gone already and it dosnt look very good for a day or So yet their is to much Snow on the trees to suit me. I don't like it down my neck that good. Maybe I didn't have a laugh on Mary this evening. She was down taking her music lessons today and she had Loyd along. Mary asked him after he got home how he liked her music and he said it made his head ache. Then when mother came in she ask him if Mary could play he said play.like.a.hound.

It came out of him so comic it made us all laugh. It is just eight minutes past Nine Oclock everybody is in bed but WTG and I and you can easily guess where he is. it is nearly every evening of his life he has to go to the store to loaf. I am a good boy I don't need to tell you that tho. you know that.

I am not one of the best but their are lots worse than I. Well I guess I will half to come to a close for this time and go to bed where I am bound to be good. drop me a few lines if you didn't forget my address to let me know about Sat. night. Well I will close up my foolishness now and say good night Sweet dreams to you.

Ans. soon a friend
H.M.G

Mary is is his sister ... and Lloyd was his sister Nora's boy. WTG is likely his brother Wilbur.

Since no one in this family every throws ANYTHING out ... we also have the letters Harry wrote to his mother and sisters in 1918 when he was working in Baltimore. He had to leave his shipbuilding job there to come home and take care of the family when the Influenza epidemic reached their valley.

letter #2

Nittany
Feb. 17, 1921

Dearest friend.

I recd. you letter last evening. was glad to hear from you. glad you are having a good time. am still at my Same old job these fine days. Some nice weather for a change but from the sounds of it now its changing the other way. the wind is going at the rate of 100 miles an hour by the sound of it. Well I didn't fall in the watter but if it will do your cold any good  would fall in a couple of times. The girls said last evening when I was reading your letter that it was from Edna, they could smell the powder. Their smellers must be pretty good if they can smell you clear up here.

Well it is nearly ten oclock I suppose you are in bed by this time. No I didn't get any Valentines. The girls were pleased with the cards you sent them. I told Mary you made a mistake and Sent mine to her. Well I hardly know what to write anymore So I guess I will Soon half to close. Maybe I can tell you more when I see you, and that will be Sat. night at the usual time. So I will close with oceans of Love and a kiss in every wave.

ans. soon
from a friend Harry
S.W.A.G.N.K.

tomorrow's letter features Harry's heartbreak when Edna bobs her hair...