Letters from Wallie illustrates a beautiful courtship, romance and marriage with wife Mabel via mail by rail from Wausau to Milwaukee in 1930s Wisconsin before and during the Great Depression.
I’m a fine one I tell you in a letter that I was returning the snapshot picture then I forget all about it. If I happen to think about or rather if my memory will stretch so far till I finish this letter then I’ll enclose them. Don’t, please, my little sweetheart be angry at me for what I did to one of them, will you?
Let’s see now just what were those other two pictures about? I remember now, one must have been fit for a “garter” ad of someone who is the “star”?
I’m sending this letter by Special Delivery so you’ll have it as a substitute for my being with you. I’m sending 1000 kisses along as proxies.
I just “made” that train by one minute. So you see it pays to have a watch upon which you can bet your last dollar… I better not pride myself too much with it or something might go chicken wire with it.
I wish I could get near a radio this afternoon so I can pass the time listening to a ball game.
You are so good to me my darling and I love you so much. I love you more each day. God bless you sweetheart.
I shouldn’t really be the one – there are in my estimation a whole carload of nicer fellows right in your own town than I am…
But don’t start looking for them now otherwise I’ll be out of luck.
With all the love in the world for you my dearest I’ll sign off and go to my land of dreams…
maybe I’ll meet you there tonight.
Oh my, oh my! how much do I care for you! More than myself – every inch of me is plugging for you all day long…
Since I met you my dearest, life is so sweet & interesting. Honest before I met you I often began to wonder what life was “all about anyway.” There wasn’t much to hold my interest in it. But now! I’m so glad to be alive and live just for you.
Do you know a secret? Course you don’t but I do & I’ll share it with you. I have your picture on my dresser this morning the sun shone into my room and it shone right on your smiling beautiful face and from the two – the sun & your smile – your smile was the warmest & brightest.
…I’ll be there with bells on.
All day today I’ve been thinking of you and pining for you and only a line from you would have eased the weight upon my heart… I’ve thought so much about you today that I did so many things today that prompted my getting sore at myself – I made more darn mistakes than I had rubber on a pencil to erase them with.
You & I are looking at each other all the time, my dear. The only thing I’m afraid of is that I might take all the looks off of it. Then what? But I hope for one great big pleasantry – that I won’t have to be content with only the pleasure of seeing your beautiful face in picture form but that I can see & talk to you always…
So I had a few memories on the train yesterday. Oh yes – on the train you know what I did? I read & re-read your letter about 20 times. The letter you wrote to me Sunday. Yes honey I’ll forgive you. I “like?” you – did you say like? – I told you once before, I more than merely like you.
With a Carload of Love... 