Bertie County NcArchives History - Letters .....Urquhart, Richard - Kate Fenner May-Nov1914 1913 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/nc/ncfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Mollie Urquhart murquhar@bellsouth.net January 9, 2010, 4:28 pm Letters between Richard Alexander Urquhart (1889-1947) and Kate Nelson Fenner (1890-1956) [May 4, 1914] [Woodville] My dear Kate – That was the best long letter in the world (only not half long enough) and what made it extra good was the fact you talked as if you really would come and go to the Fishery. I was disappointed yesterday when Mog didn’t hear from you for I would have written Friday night but was waiting to hear definitely if you could come. I am just praying for Mog to get a letter tomorrow saying you all are coming Wednesday or Thursday. I learned today that there is a State Law that makes all the Fisheries close on May the 10th so Friday is the last day. I do hope your father is so much better and Fletcher can bring you. If you can come don’t wait to write, just wire me or Mog. We will be mighty glad to have your Brother and if there is room in the car for another and you would like to bring some one be sure to do it. The roads ought to be good now as it hasn’t rained in some time. But if Fletcher can’t come I don’t see why Mr. Fenner’s children can’t come on the train. We’ll have plenty room in the automobile. Kate please please please come, don’t Mog will be mad and I’ll commit suicide and all the family from Chas. Jr. up will be disappointed. If Fletcher brings you make him see that his machine is in good shape before you start and be sure to get here. Burges took Pauline Bridgers and John and the two Spivey girls out riding this afternoon and hasn’t gotten home yet, 930 now. Mamma is about to chunk a fit and I think they’ll try to send me out to look [for] them pretty soon. It’s a good thing the phone doesn’t work on Sundays, for they would have called everybody on the line and I would probably be on the road going to tow them in. My congratulations on the Post Office. I don’t see why you should be mad about it. I’m glad you got even with them about the school treatment. Hereafter I won’t have to use a whole half of sheet of paper to keep the gentleman from reading my most interesting letter through the envelope. Put me on the waiting list for the assistant Post Master’s place. We are trying to get a rural route from Lewiston via Woodville to Kelford. To leave Lewiston at 730 and get back at 9 PM. Claude Kitchin says it will go through and I hope it will, then we can get mail off on either of the morning trains by Kelford. You folks certainly do have a lot of dances. When you come I’ve got to have a few lessons in the one step. And you must be sure to bring your music too for I am crazy to hear you play. I can hardly imagine you sitting at a piano playing. I won’t write more as I am counting on seeing you this week. For God’s sake don’t let anything happen to keep you from coming. You needn’t bother about writing when you are coming, just wire or come right on without notice. With all my thoughts – I remain – Most sincerely yours – Alex [June 3, 1914] [Woodville] My dear Kate – Your good letter and the pictures came straight through this time and got here Saturday. I wanted to write Sunday and tell you how glad I was to get them but Pattie is here with her four children and she is sick with rheumatism and two of her children and Chas. Jr. have got measles and Mamma has been sick so I’ve been in a mess. Of course none of them are dangerously sick but put me around sick folks and I’m up a tree. Mog got your letter yesterday and asked me to tell you she would write as soon as she got through nursing if she survived. But for her these sick folks would surely have a hard time. Kate it was mighty good of you to send me the pictures and of course I am crazy about them. I think they are beautiful but not half as good as you looked at the Dance. But I didn’t expect that of any picture cause the Lord ain’t never made nobody looked as good as you did that night. I haven’t decided yet which I like the best, will return the others when I do. Tell Little Sister she looks right smart better in that costume than she did rigged up as a “nigger.” The Widow and her crowd came in Saturday night and have been keeping the roads hot since with the cut-out wide open. She broke a spring yesterday but that hasn’t stopped her. She passed here a few minutes ago and must have left Annie Elizabeth home for I can hear her crying now. Burges went down this afternoon and took Emily out, while he was there he pulled a tooth for the little cat [Ann Elizabeth, daughter of Mattie]. I wish he had pulled her head off with it. These people here think Mat’s machine is second hand and a bum one at that. What did you think of it? I haven’t seen it at close range. She has got to stay here now till she can get a spring from Detroit and that will take about a month. I hope that will be her farewell visit for this Summer. We are expecting Billie some time soon. He wrote me last week that his chances were very slim for graduating. Said nothing of his plans for the Summer. I got a telegram from the Hill yesterday saying, “Old gang is here. Come by Norfolk.” Very suggestive that the liquor was running low that last phrase. I would love to go but ‘twould never do. We are going to have a little dance tomorrow night, a kind of practice affair to see if we’ve forgotten what little we knew. We have written a teacher in Norfolk trying to get him to come out and teach us the new dances. If he can’t come we are going to send John Hill Spivey down and let him teach us. I can imagine myself doing the Tango and Hesitating right now. You mustn’t giggle when you come over and see us. As soon as Billie comes home and Mog gets time to talk a little I am going to try to make some plans about Nags Head. Mog is expecting some company from New York in July so if she went we would have to go about the last of this month or in August. I had rather go soon because August is so hot and I haven’t seen you in two years. What do you think of Nags Head or would you rather go somewhere else? You must have seen Monk Braswell, the Tarboro Post Master, since you got into the Post Office business or I can’t imagine where you heard about “I haven’t had one in fifteen minutes.” That expression originated in the long ago before I reformed and is obsolete now. Kate please don’t wait long to write to me. With all my thoughts – I remain – Most sincerely yours – Alex [June 13, 1914] [Woodville] My dear Kate – Your good note came Monday and I’m mighty glad it did for I had to go to Norfolk Tuesday and I would have had an awful time trying to be good if I hadn’t heard from you in a week. I hit Norfolk in a lucky time as Tuesday happened to be Election Day and everything (nice) was closed. It was a little harder on Wednesday but after being good all Tuesday (for necessity) it didn’t seem so hard as I thought it would. But I had to dodge all my friends. The funny part of it is that after being so good I came back and have been sick ever since. The Irony of Fate. If I hadn’t been good old John Barleycorn would have gotten credit for it all, and I think that’s often the case. I have never heard of anybody dancing so much as you. Tell Em I expect to see her real thin when she comes back if you all keep up that gait. I know you are going to enjoy the Dance at Panacea, certainly wish I could be there. I went out to Virginia Beach and thought I’d take a few lessons but the crowd was so large I wouldn’t try it. The new ones look interesting all right, the way they dance them in Norfolk. Make Em learn all of them so she can teach us. I was some kinder sorry to hear you say you were not going anywhere this Summer. I think I’ll call off my trip too and go to New York this Fall. I don’t see why you couldn’t come over here for a little while any way cause that ain’t even a trip and you certainly don’t need any good clothes in this place. We are going to have our “light party” in July and you have got to come to it. Three of the kids have got measles now and I haven’t been near the house today. Just one continual squall all day and night too. I’d rather see a panic than another epidemic of measles in this house. Billie came Tuesday on the train I went to Norfolk on. He hasn’t told anybody his plans but he only brought a suitcase home so I guess he intends to go back to the Summer School unless his trunk is pawned to “Doc Klutty.” I think he saw he couldn’t graduate so changed his course to Law. Imagine Billie pleading a case before the bar. Everybody in this country has got the Base Ball fever now. I saw a game this afternoon between Kelford and Aulander twelve innings two-two. Has Halifax got a team? If they have make them come over and play Aulander or Kelford and you come over to root for them. Kelford beat Seaboard yesterday about forty to two and I was backing Seaboard. I see where my friend Long is running for the Legislature. I hope he will get the job. We need some sensible folks up there and I think he is broad-minded enough to look at this anti-jug proposition in the right way. I’m not going to write any more for I know you will be at Panacea when my letter gets there anyway. Remember you promised me a long letter. With all my thoughts – I remain – Most sincerely yours – Alex [June 18, 1914] [Woodville] My dear Kate – I was mighty glad you wrote even if it was so short but it was certainly bad to hear that you were sick. I hope you are well again now and know you must be for I can’t conceive of your being sick. I wanted to see Em today to ask about you but never could see her. Pauline phoned that she saw you and Little Sister at Panacea and you were the best dancers on the floor. I’d be ashamed to try to dance with you now. We had a little dance the other night and I couldn’t dance but a bit. Please come over and teach us. Old Billie had a good chance to learn all the new dances at the Hill but didn’t do it. So you got the candy. It was so hot I was afraid it would all melt and run away before it ever got to Halifax. I got some new music in Norfolk but none of the pieces that Mog has learned are very good. You don’t ever tell me anything about your playing. I am going to see Em and make her tell me if she heard you play. I can’t imagine but one thing I’d rather see than see you at a piano playing and that is to see you playing and singing too. Did you and Em make any plans for the Summer? Mog says she is going to see you for a day or two if she can ever [get] through nursing. The last two children have got the measles now and if they are well by Sunday I’ll gladly put in a thank offering. As soon as they all get well Mog is going to take Rat to Norfolk and have him operated on for adenoids. I hope then there won’t ever be any more sickness in the world. The whooping cough is going the rounds now and if this bunch gets it I’m going to move down in the woods with the mosquitoes. Kate please be well when you get this and write me a great long letter real soon. With all my thoughts – I remain – Most sincerely yours – Alex [August 3, 1914] [Halifax] My dear Alex: – I’ve been nearly dead ever since last night. Just crawled down this afternoon to write to you – so you should feel honored. I felt kinder sick yesterday and wanted to feel well while Margaret is here so got my annual dose from Doctor and took it last night. I thought I would die in spite of all I could do but feel so much better now. Alex, I have felt mighty mean ever since I wrote to you last for not telling you (as I intended to) how nice I thought you were for promising to be so good in Norfolk and for being so good at the barbecue and for smoking the homemade cigarettes. I do think you are doing fine and I am especially tickled over the poker resolve. I don’t know why I failed to say something about it in my letter unless it was because of the awful storm that was coming up just as I was in the midst of it. I reckon you knew I was tickled all right. And Harry did report very favorably. Of course I didn’t ask him if you had been drinking (‘cause you had already said you weren’t) but I did ask if you went to Sunday School, and he said you did – but didn’t go in class. Little Sister said you just went to hear Miss Lala sing. Wasn’t she mean? Harry fell in love with you again and I am powerful glad he and Brother aren’t girls. So you are some Insurance man – are you? I am glad you did so well the first day. You can come up and insure two or three of my mansions. Only for gracious’ sake don’t fall off over your commissions. I know Margaret thought I was crazy for writing her such a card but I fully intended writing her a note and didn’t wake up in time. Then I was sick yesterday and the day before and didn’t write so tell her I will be down to meet her tomorrow in my Hudson. I know we are going to enjoy having her. Only tell her not to come with the idea of going back with you all for we are not going to let her. We are going to look for you all next Saturday. I think that’s the best time for it’s getting late and we don’t want to be there when everybody else is gone. It doesn’t make any difference to me but we can stay here just as well that night for we can drive back in less than two hours and you all will be more rested for your journey home the next day. Fletcher is going up in his car and will carry Em. I told him he just had to but I knew he would want to go. Why can’t you all leave there early Saturday and get here for dinner and then we can have a little practice before we leave? I can’t promise you the best dinner in the world for there is no counting on cars on these roads but I can save the Brunswick stew all right and make you think you’ve got something. The longer stew cooks the better it is. Hope your friend won’t try to break the trip up but if you do go back to see her I hope she’ll break your neck. The idea of your being afraid of her is ridiculous and I don’t see how you expect to be out by Sept. first if you go to see her now. However I know as well as you do that I haven’t one earthly thing to [do] with it so will keep my mouth out till Sept. first. Hope you enjoyed the dance the other night. Tell Mr. Cobb I say I won’t be ashamed of you all at all – in fact I expect to be very proud of you both – my pupils in the art of right doing. I think Little Sister is about three-fourths smitten on Tommy, anyway, for she is always saying how nice she thinks he is. Tell Margaret to be sure to bring the pictures for I am crazy to see them. Am glad the Richmond picture doesn’t look mad but the original is mad enough to make up for it. Em wrote us she was going to Windsor and I see she is there. The last time she was here she pretended she and Anna May weren’t speaking. I had a long letter from Evie a day or two ago begging us to go on down there and stay two weeks. She said if both of us couldn’t go for one of us to. Little Sister may go back but I am not. I’m afraid they’ll think it funny if we don’t go but can’t help it. Had a card from Billie from Chapel Hill last week. He said he was having a big time. Imagine it. Must stop now for my head doesn’t feel the best in the world and Little Sister is waiting to go to sleep. Excuse this scratch. With every good wish, I remain Most sincerely yours, Kate Sunday [August 6, 1914] [Woodville] My dear Kate – I wanted to write last night but Emily was in Windsor and I wanted to find out definitely whether she was going to Panacea or not. I couldn’t get her on the phone but Burges is going to Windsor tomorrow to the Old Soldiers’ Reunion and he says he is going to bring Emily home tomorrow night. I am almost sure she is going. Anyway Cobb and I are coming unless it is raining so hard we can’t see the road. Don’t trouble about saving any dinner for us for we can’t hardly leave here before 930 or 10 o’clock and want to stop in Kelford and have the car washed so we will probably get dinner in Jackson or Weldon. If it doesn’t rain any more it ought not to take us so long to make the trip. Just look for us sometime during the afternoon and if we get broke down we will get there somehow. I am going to bring you apples if I can find any good ones. Everybody around here has got the blues over the War except Cobb and me and we would too but for the trip Saturday. How about giving your pupils a lesson or two in Halifax? I won’t write more as I will see you Saturday. Don’t let Mog get too fat. With all my thoughts – Most sincerely – Alex [August 12, 1914] [Woodville] My dear Kate – Mog wrote to you today and I guess she told you of all the trials and vicissitudes of our journey home. Our hard luck began just after leaving Weldon on the dam when a wasp flew in the car and bit Emily about ten times. From then until we got home at 1030 it was a cussing match. There was a regular cloud burst from Garysburg to Roxobel and those clay roads were slicker than Frank Winston’s head. We skidded more miles than we ran and got stuck a thousand times where the roads had just been worked. However, we got here alive and but for our clothes were in good shape Monday morning. Of course we had no idea of running into such rains and I would never have consented to leave anyway when I had an excuse to stay but I had promised Cobb faithfully before we left here that I would come back Sunday morning. He said before we went that he knew I was going to want to stay until Monday or Tuesday and he just had to be home Sunday so I swore to him I’d leave Sunday morning. Otherwise we would have been in Halifax now I guess unless you had run us away. But with all the trouble we had we all agreed that we would go right through it all over again for the privilege of being in your home again. I have never seen so many nice people in one place in my life and don’t blame you and Little Sister for saying Halifax is the best place on earth. I am crazy about all your folks, kinfolks and friends from Duck up. And if you don’t want me “to come in again sometime real soon” you’d better say so cause if I can ever get really straightened out on this Washington proposition I am coming on the next train. (And I am doing my level best to get straightened out every second but whether I will or not the Lord only knows. Of course all this seems absolutely foolish to you but you don’t understand how I’m fixed.) Kate, you must know how pleasant my stay with you all was and please express to Mrs. Fenner my pleasure in knowing all her people. I might have known they would be the best on earth after knowing you and Little Sister. Tell “Uncle Johnnie” I am counting on giving him a hunt this Fall and tell him not to tell you a thing about the little present he gave me Sunday morning. I talked to Emily today and they are just crazy for you and Little Sister to come over when the widow gets home. You could come if you would and so far as clothes are concerned, if you didn’t already have the best in the world, you wouldn’t need any here anyway. Please come if you don’t stay but a day or two. Every single soul on this side of Roanoke wants you to come and it will be mean if you don’t. If Mog is going to have the Barbecue we will arrange to have it while you are here and then Fletcher and Robert can come over and you can go back with them (and I’ll go back too to chaperone you and Little Sister if you think you need one). Wish you were here now, I’d take you to the theatre tonight. Everybody has gone to the big show but Chas. Jr. and me – I went last night and it was really fine for Lewiston. Some dancing stunts that would make Miss Leach? ashamed of herself. What do you think of the war proposition now? Write me some encouraging talk about it because everybody here thinks it means ruin. I won’t trouble you with more. Give my very kindest regards to all the people and write to me just as soon as you can. With all my thoughts – I remain – Most sincerely yours – Alex [late August, 1914] [Woodville] My dearest Kate – If ‘twas possible I’d love you more than ever for writing me that good letter yesterday morning. Little Sister said she was going to make you answer Friday night and I told her if she would I’d do anything she wanted me to. I’m certainly lucky in having her on my side. I was some kinder sorry to hear that you had been sick again. Please put it on the barbecue and not on the visit here and hurry up and get well. I never have been able to think of your being sick. I have had an awful summer cold since the last dance but I’m too happy to even call myself sick. I told Little Sister to tell you about the drink I took in Windsor for I intended to write you about it myself and forgot it when I wrote. I didn’t think you would care when I explained. We went up in that hot hall and had to dance with our coats on all the time and I got soaking wet all through and through. I knew I would take cold and freeze coming home if I didn’t take something so I took one small drink at Charlie Lyon’s house. But I’ll swear Kate I’d rather have taken cold and kept it a year than have had you cry about something I had done. Honestly I didn’t mean to be deceitful about it in the least or I wouldn’t have told Little Sister and when we were talking last Sunday night (seems like a year) I said I might take a drink some time but never would drink enough to feel it. Please for God’s sake don’t cry any more Kate and know that you can trust me for I’ll swear I mean to do everything in my power to try to be worthy of you. I can’t help the past but I can certainly live right from now on and it will be easy too when I know it is for you. Be sure to write me your plans about going to see Mrs. Powell. How about coming by here and going over in the machine? It will save you the wait in “Mt. Pleasant Wharf.” I wish you would do that. Anyway if you go I want to come to see you if it is all right. Write me all your plans in your next letter and I’ll either take you over in the car or see you in Kelford when you come through. I can go a little ways up the road with you and catch the Southbound back. Don’t fail to tell me your exact plans and if it will be all right to come up there if Mrs. Powell is sick. Of course I will stop at the Hotel. So you’d like to see me on the jury. I know I’ll go to sleep over some of those civil cases. I would try to get off but if I serve this time I will be free for two years and I’m afraid the next time I might need to get off worse than this time. I’d almost rather spend a week in Germany right now than in Windsor but can get along all right if you will be good about writing to me. Mamma is coming tomorrow and we are all happy about that. Dr. Whitehead is coming with her and we are going to have a big deer hunt and barbecue at my place on the River Tuesday. I won’t touch a drop. I’m going to try to kill a big buck this season so you will have a “lucky” prayer rug. Better be working than hunting deer hadn’t I? Have you said any more to the folks about getting married? Tell Mr. Fenner to get the “World’s Work” of September if he wants all the war dope – it’s just fine. We went to Kelford this morning and got a paper but can’t tell a thing from the papers. Pray for it to end soon. Leonard and Lalla came yesterday to spend Sunday. Lalla spent the afternoon at Zeke’s and then the Widow took the bride and groom for a ride. When they got back to the Rawls Hotel Mattie tried to get Lalla to go home and take Supper but Dora wouldn’t let her. Mat and Dora had a cussing match right out on the street. Mat told her she was common and the Beaut said Sister you knew that all the time but Dora made the girl stay with her all right. Chas. Jr. has been whooping “more news” ever since and Chas. Sr. is in the cotton patch now. We are to have another circus, this one on the 15th of Sept. You and Little Sister can just decide which one you had rather see if you won’t come to one and stay till the other. Just decide and write to us. I’ll make Mog write to Willis. Just cause we are going to get married now don’t get the idea you are not coming to see Mog real often – Hear? I’m going to send you a few coupons and the sweeper ad. It takes 900 instead of 100. If you say so I’ll be glad to smoke that many Piedmonts instead of the home-mades. Thank Little Sister for telling you to write to me and please write me a long letter and tell me the first thing that you are not sick anymore and ain’t never going to be no more. With all my love – I remain – Yours – Alex [August?, 1914] [Woodville] My dearest Kate – It’s quarter of Twelve and we’ve jut come from a dance at the School House but I’m bound to write you a note to tell you how much I missed you. We had a good crowd out there and the music was better than usual but I couldn’t enjoy it for wishing that you were there. Tommy Griffin came out and looked some kinder disappointed when he found you had gone home. I know he would never have gone if he had thought “Cousin Kate” was not there. I don’t know which was your most wonderful accomplishment, making Tommy dance or reforming me. But you had to give yourself to me, didn’t you? Kate are you sorry you said yes? Write me that you are not sorry even if you ain’t too glad. Cause I’ll swear I’ll reform (and by that I mean reform) and I’ll always love you better than everything else in the world and I’ll try to do everything to make you happy. I want you to write me exactly how you feel about everything and please don’t hesitate to tell me exactly what you think about anything that comes up. I wish I could tell you how much I have missed you already and I know tomorrow will be a terror. But I’m going down to work and think about you and pray the Good Lord to make you love me. I hope you found somebody to bug those apples for you for it was a load. They are talking of having a dance in Windsor tomorrow night and if they do I’m going to take Little Sister but neither of us are so strong for going. Burges kinder got stuck on Miss Smith tonight, he even tried to one-step a little. Kate, I won’t try to write any more tonight as it is so late. Know always that I love you with a real sho-nuff love. Write me a long letter just as soon as you can. With all my love – I remain – Yours – Alex [August?, 1914] [Woodville] My dearest Kate – I am going to write to you in the morning after the Roxobel Dance, something I have never done before and wouldn’t do unless it was to you. (But you’ve got the habit of making me do things that nobody else could.) We have been going some since you left but through it all every minute I have been thinking of you and wishing you were here. They had a Dance in Windsor Wednesday night and one in Roxobel last night. Little Sister was the belle of the ball on both occasions. Everybody said she was the best dancer on the floor and I said “She ain’t got nothing on Kate.” So Lila gave you all the dope about me. Another reason why I’m so glad I didn’t wait to talk sho-nuff talk to you. I’m glad I had told you all about the racket in the Hotel and the Roxobel Dance affair because I know Lila didn’t try to explain them like they happened. Anyway I’m out now and I’m not going to reform but am reformed. I went to Roxobel last night in the car with four boys and as many quarts of Sherwood and didn’t touch a drop. They kept wondering what was the matter with me and I came pretty near telling them ‘twas cause I loved you. So you told the folks and they didn’t believe you. We’ll show ‘em, won’t we? I’m not going to tell Mog or anybody yet because I want to wait until I get the store open and go to work. I know Mog would be tickled to death because she loves you too but she would think I ought to be at work and have some prospects before getting married. I’m sorry Aunt Florence was so opposed but know she was right when she said you ought not to bury yourself down here. You have got too much sense to have to come to this desolate place but I’ll love you so much you must be happy. If nothing else will do I’ll go somewhere else but it looks like I’ve got a good chance to make some money here now if I stick to my work and the war don’t ruin us. I have been working the Insurance business since you left and have really enjoyed it because through it all I could see you and felt like I was working for you. That’s inspiration enough to make me do anything. I’m coming to see you just as soon as I can for it seems like a year since you were here. Dr. Whitehead will be here all next week and I’ll have to be hunting with him all my spare time and I’ve got to serve on the jury in Windsor week after next so I’ll try to come about the 15th. Now Kate if you want to go to Chapel Hill or anywhere don’t stay away on my account because I can come some other time and I want you to have all the pleasure you can. But if you are at home I’ll come over about the 15th or 16th. I wish you did live here so we could make some plans and talk all the time. If I wasn’t so happy over your being mine I’d be mighty blue over the war situation for it looks like ruin unless things change in the next ninety days. I’m glad I didn’t open the store last year. Mog is calling me so will stop. Kate, write me a real long letter and tell me all about my sweetest girl that ever was in all the world. With all my love – I remain – Yours – Alex [September 4, 1914] [Halifax] My dearest Alex, It’s not my intention to write you another book tonight, although I’m not making any promises. Papa saw the last letter when I was sealing it and said if he had gotten such a lengthy one when he was young he would have known the writer was crazy about him and I told him you thought this writer was crazy about you without the letter so he didn’t say any more. I was some kinder proud of you when I got your letter this morning telling me how good you had been and under such trying circumstances. I hate old Bowers and if I ever do have a house of my own he is one man I shall forbid coming into it. Why can’t he drink himself to death and leave other people alone? I wish you hadn’t even poured the old drinks out. Maybe you could have had a little influence over him. But a man who won’t live right for his wife and children isn’t worth influencing – so let him alone. If I were his wife I’d break his neck. Better look out. I got the coupons and wrote so much the other night I forgot to thank you for them. But I don’t want any more of the ones that you save. I don’t want you to think you are justifiable in the least in smoking them. If you are bound to smoke, smoke home-mades for you admit yourself that they are less harmful. I told Little Sister she could have those (I believe she is going to get a handbag or something) and she said she was going to tell you to save her some more. I told her you wouldn’t have anymore but she insists that you can pick up some like she does. You made a little mistake in the number it takes for the sweeper but I don’t care for Duck can sweep here and you can sweep down there. Can you imagine the picture? Well, we had a time at the dance the other night and had another last night. Instead of my teaching the Judge the Hesitation – he undertook to teach me his way of waltzing and of all shows we were the greatest. We messed up in the old time square dance, though, and I enjoyed that part of it. He came back last night and gave Nannie Gary and me another waltz lesson and then the square dance began. I’d give a whole lot if you could have been here for we certainly had a rough house. The first thing the old Judge said to me last night was to ask if I had written that Bertie boy he said he could get off jury duty. I told him I had and that you said you had rather serve now than two years from now maybe, and he said to take his advice and get off and come on up here for in two years some other guy would have your gal anyway and even if you had her you would be glad of an excuse to leave her for a while. I told him I thought he was a little personal in that latter remark. I hope you can come up next week. The war is terrible, I know, and it’s bad that you haven’t been in business all this time, but it’s good for me that things are as they are since I’d have to marry you this September, if things were otherwise, for I’d certainly be a pitiful bride with the rags I’ve got and am planning to have this winter. The UDCs met this afternoon with Mrs. Travis and our DAR Agent told me she wanted me [to] represent our chapter in Durham in November. I told her I would if I could but I think I can’t if I want any clothes next summer. I had planned some sho nuff clothes for this winter and some real nice trips, but I’m afraid you broke them all up. You and the war together. The latest from Evie is that she hasn’t any idea that “Alex will ever marry” – wonder what she thinks about herself. I haven’t heard a word from Nell yet. She must be waiting to hear from Virgie. We are crazy to go to the circus and if Dr. Alston does come by and Papa will let us go with him we may go. I can chaperone him and Little Sister – can’t I? I know everybody down there will think we are crazy if we do go, but I haven’t any idea that we will. I hope you killed me a lucky rug for this one I’ve got has caused enough bad luck. I don’t even pray on it now. Tell Margaret I say I’m still in Halifax and would enjoy a line or two from her once in a while. Give my love to Mrs. Urquhart and the folks. I’m going to fix a sample of my tomato pickle up and [give] it to Miss Lou tomorrow so she can make some like it before the tomatoes all go if she likes it. I’ve started on the book again so I’m going to say good night right here. With all my love, Yours, Kate. Thursday night [September 7, 1914] [Halifax] My dearest Alex, I hope you’ll pray for me tonight for I am staying away from the Baptist Revival to write to you and I’m scared the Old Boy will get me – I’ve been twice today, though, so he may let me off. I wanted to write to you this afternoon but Mrs. Travis and the boys came for me to go in the country to get some grapes so you just know I had to go where fruit was. We went up to Roanoke Rapids Friday to get an option on some land from Mr. Nyche for our DAR school and went in and saw your friend Mr. Long. He has a right nice office there next to the bank and looks perfectly sober and reformed. I am crazy about our school and if we can just get it here it will mean a great thing to our county and state. I think we’ll have to postpone the wedding indefinitely if we do get it and give me time to take a course and get a little sense in this cranium of mine. I hope you can get off the jury and come on up Friday cause I wouldn’t mind seeing you and having a little chat a bit. Just think, two weeks ago tonight I was down there and it seems like two years. I didn’t intend to say yes that night either – but I would have said it in the end, so it’s the same thing. I’m sorry too that Washington has popped up again but I don’t think she can be as pitiful as she pretends. If I didn’t really feel that the Good Lord had brought us together I would look for trouble from her; but, as it is, I’m going to let you do the worrying and if she does come do the best you can. I think it’s the funniest thing in the world how I have always heard things about you and her and in the most natural way without my asking a question or mentioning either of your names. There is a young married woman here from Washington who has seen the girl just once and she was telling Little Sister something real funny the other day that the girl said. Little Sister made me promise not to tell you for she thinks it’s so funny she wants to tell you herself but I’ll tell you this much anyway. She said that you and she were out but that she didn’t care for she still has your ring – [that you’d] better get it and give it to me (and I’d kill you if you did). Little Sister will tell you all the conversation when she sees you for she thinks it’s a huge joke. I am so sorry I didn’t send the pickles the day I said I was but I’ll fess up. I forgot to send it. I’ll fix it up tomorrow if I can get a mailing case and get it off Tuesday. I hope you’ll be crazy about it for I don’t mind making that kind a bit. I know you miss Miss Lou and Charles Jr. but Miss Nichols being in the house keeps it from being so lonesome I guess. I hope old Margaret will write tomorrow for I had begun to think she didn’t love me any more. I don’t know what to say about the Circus. We both want to go but whether we can or not remains to be seen. You see Brother is in Rocky Mount, and while the work isn’t anything with the help of the rural men, still we hate to leave Mama and Papa with the bag to hold. I know we can’t make the first one, though. So Lila is still my admirer. I was terribly afraid she wouldn’t be as I didn’t call on her while she was here but I suppose she accepted my apologies. She said Louis had begged her to keep Millinery down there and didn’t say that she wouldn’t some time. I believe she intends selling in Scotland Neck this Fall for she invited her cousins and me down to the opening and she said she would get “Louis and Alex” over at that time if I would go down. Quite an inducement, I’m sure, but don’t imagine I’d feel very dressed in a Scotland Neck hat. I reckon you’ll be very wise in waiting to see how finances are going to be before you buy your goods for the store – empty is a lot better these days than one with dead expenses accumulating every day. Your opening the store is not a matter of life and death with you anyway. I am tickled to death about the Insurance business and am so glad you think you are doing so well. Did you get Wayland’s uncle to take any? I’m like your mother on the war question. I’ve never been able to scare up a big case of blues yet and I just believe things are not going to be so bad. It may be because I’ve got something else more interesting to absorb my time but that’s just way I feel. I went up to Weldon yesterday to buy some lace from a lace man and of all blue people he’s the worst. I told him the war was going to be a good thing for us in [the] end and he looked at me like he thought I was crazy. I think he is daily looking for the German Army to march through Weldon. I know one thing, we’re a whole sight better off than those poor homeless people over there and we at least can live here till things get better if we can’t have every thing we want. Billie is a curiosity, isn’t he? Maybe he has gone to the war. I wish he wasn’t so funny. I’ll take back what I say about your friend Bowers if I’m wrong and will give a banquet in honor if you say so. But I’m afraid I’m not altogether wrong about him. Anyway I hope you’ll be altogether different from him. Little Sister is tickled over her coupons but the next you send will have to be picked up ones, won’t they? Cause you are smoking home-mades now. Alex if you come Friday on that 645 train, I’m going to wait supper for you. I’d love for you to stay around here that night but none of our beaux have every stayed so I’m not going to say anything about your staying. The Hotel porter always meets the trains and you can go by there on your way around here. I haven’t got a soul to meet you but I don’t think you’ll get lost between the hotel and here. But if you are busy and had rather come some other time don’t fail to say so, for while I’m just as anxious to see you as I can be, still I don’t want to be silly. Harry said last week that Evie and Mrs. Nowell were coming through here next week on their car. You’d better steal a ride. Harry is going to Henderson the first of next week. I know you won’t complain of the shortness of this so I’m going to stop right now. Write to me real soon. With all my love, Yours, Kate Sunday night [September 8, 1914] [Written on stationery from: R. A. Urquhart and T. N. Peele Insurance Agents Woodville & Lewiston, N. C.] [Woodville] My dearest Kate – Thanks to your intercession I have just gotten home from Windsor and found your best letter in the world and a sho nuff supper awaiting me. Lewis took me to Windsor this morning and I went immediately to see Frank Winston – I told him first that I had just been longing to hear his opinion on the War as he was the smartest man in the South and ought to know. After I heard his war dope (which I didn’t really hear) I asked him please to get me off that jury. As soon as Judge Bond opened court Frank went up and rendered my excuses (pressing business at home) and Bond said why the gentleman is already excused, he has been interceded for while I was in Halifax. If you ever join the Suffrage League I’ll have to vote with you cause you’re some politician. I was glad to get off for several reasons, chief among them that I would have had to wait twelve whole hours for your letter unless I could have gotten some joyrider to bring me up tonight long enough to get it. (See I was counting strong on it, don’t ever fool me.) Another reason I wanted to get away was that I had promised to spend the week with Charlie Lyon and his wife and I hate Ruth and know Charlie would have expected me to average the same amount of drink he and I took before I was reformed. It’s all right to be reformed here at home but when I go away and meet my friends (all of ‘em unreformed, it seems), they all get mad when I refuse. But I don’t care if they do get mad just so I am doing something for you. Kate, I wish I could tell you how good it is to me to feel that I am doing something for you and how much I do love you but I can’t so you’ll just have to take it out in trying to imagine how happy I have been since you promised to marry me. And you didn’t intend to say yes. Well it’s a good thing you did unless you love to be begged cause I would have “dogged” you eternally till you either married me or somebody else in self-defense. Kate, about coming over Friday, I am crazy to do it, tomorrow in fact, but Mr. Riddick the contractor who is building the store is due here one day this week (I don’t know which) and I’ll have to be here then so I’m afraid to promise to come. I had better wait till next week when I know I can get off so I will come Wednesday the 16th. Mog is still counting on your coming to the Circus and if you will why I can make my visit a week later. Now Kate I don’t want you to think about waiting supper for me. I can get supper here at home or in Kelford (they have supper before the train leaves) and then I will have time to talk to you when I would be eating. I wouldn’t think of having you wait supper for me for you can never count on the train and it may be late. You’d better write me what is the fashionable hour for receiving callers in Halifax for just as soon as I can get to the Hotel and get the cinders out of my eyes (always would catch ‘em) I’m coming to see you. And if I’m so glad to see you that I give our secret away before the folks, don’t blame me. I’m curious to know what the Washington lady had to tell Little Sister. I don’t mind hearing those kind of things now I’m out but once they didn’t listen good a bit. I don’t think the young lady would come over here unless I wrote to her, and that I’m not going to do. Lila told me you were going to visit her and I promised to come and bring Tom. We have had a big Baptist Revival here too, and the preacher has been ranting about dancing. Miss Carrie (Rawls) went up on the mourners’ bench the other night and Cobb and I both chunked a fit right in Church. She won’t even play ragtime now. The preacher in Windsor made such awful remarks about dancing that some of the boys have dared him to show his face on the street. Mog wrote Miss Leach not to come as we couldn’t get the School House after School opened. I hope we can get her this Fall. Lemme stop. Write to me as soon as possible and a long letter too. With all my love – I remain – Yours – Alex [September 10, 1914] [Halifax] My dearest Alex, It’s nearly eleven and I have just gotten home from the Revival and am dead tired but I am going to scratch you a little bit anyway. I was mighty glad to see your letter postmarked Lewiston this morning for I didn’t know exactly when to expect one from Windsor. Old Judge is all right – isn’t he? I am so disappointed that you are not coming Friday but after Friday passes I’ll be glad you didn’t come for I can still be looking forward to your coming. I’m sorry you won’t horn in by eating supper with us Wednesday but if you can get it before leaving home I think you’ll be wise in eating some for the train has been getting here the last few nights about eight-twenty and I know you’d be starved by then. Waiting for you till then, though, would be a pleasure to us all. We Halifax folks haven’t a fashionable hour for calling (in fact we call here all day and all night) so you come right on around here. I’m some kinder glad you didn’t have to stay at Mr. Lyon’s house (not that I’m scared of you but I don’t see any use in your being tempted too much yet). I think I’ll have to chaperone you when you do have to be on the jury again. Or I’ll get on the good side of the judge here before he goes down there and you won’t have to serve. I had such a nice letter from Margaret this morning inviting us down to the circus. I wish I could write her that we could come but I’m afraid we can’t. If we could steal off it would be to the last one and then just for the day. To tell you the truth I believe I’d feel kinder silly down there now and don’t know whether I exactly want to go or not. Ordinarily there is no where I know of I had rather go than to visit Margaret. I know you both think I’m a big story teller about the pickle but when I carried it to the office it wouldn’t go in the mailing case and it’s against the law to send it through mail without one so I asked the mail boy to get me a whiskey box and I’d express it. Of course he forgets it but the pickle is keeping all right and I’ll express it just a soon as I can fix it up. Mrs. Nowell must be going home on the train, as we haven’t heard anything about their coming through here. Margaret wrote they were all sick so they must have postponed the trip. So you and Louis are coming over to see us when I visit Lila. I didn’t know I was drunk when she was here but really I don’t remember having accepted an invitation to visit her. You and Louis ought to be ashamed of yourselves for laughing at Miss Rawls. You don’t know how she felt and if you are going to make fun of folks you ought to stay at home. Our Baptist preacher here is right bad on dances and dancers too but all of us good folks dance and he’s afraid to say too much. I am sorry you couldn’t get Miss Leach but you might have gotten so gay learning all the fancy steps you’d have been hard to manage. Dancing did me up once. Didn’t it? But a poor excuse is better than none so it’s good you had dancing for one. Margaret sent me the two pictures. Wasn’t I putting on some in one of them? Duck said it was just cause I was side of that man I was so crazy about. She’s got some woeful tales to tell you when you come. She has already told me mine. According to her, matrimony is a myth and she is advising against it. … [remainder of letter missing …] [September, 1914] [Woodville] My dearest Kate – I could just love you ten times more for writing to me yesterday afternoon when I needed a letter more than ever before. To tell the truth I had had the blues ever since your last letter and when I thought that I would have to wait till Monday for your letter I was some kinder blue. Ben Renfrow called me up last night and told me there was a letter for me enclosed in another letter and soon as he said it was from Halifax I sent for it. I would have written last night but Burges said the roads were too bad to go to Kelford. I am writing this afternoon so I can get it off on the early mail. The mail clerk sent your letter to him right along with mine so I got them both. Good thing you didn’t give that mail clerk any sweet talk in it. I hope that will teach them how to route your letters hereafter and I have instructed the Woodville Post Master to call me up at once whenever I get a letter from Halifax and I’ll come for it if it is hailing. Honestly I’ll swear I would have walked ten miles for your letter last night. You ought to have told me you were going to have a birthday. I would have suggested that you have a party and invite me and then I might have brought you a bag of apples for a birthday present. I hope you will have many many returns of the day (but not another single one as Miss Kate Nelson Fenner) and I hope to God I can make each one happy for you. Surely you have already made me happy enough to make up for every thing else in my life. I have been trying to decide today when I wanted you most. Friday it was raining all day and I said if I had Kate with me now I wouldn’t feel so blue and today I have been saying it’s too pretty a day for Kate to be in Halifax and me here. I wish we could get married right away for it seems that I don’t see you once a year. Let me know what you decide about Norfolk and I’m going down with you. I will get back from the Club House on the 10th and if you are not going to Norfolk in a day [or] two I’m coming to see you at Halifax for I can’t wait much longer. I hate to think about your staying in Chapel Hill a whole month and don’t see how I can help coming up there. I know you will enjoy the DAR Convention. If you make a speech send me a copy of it. I don’t want you to have too many fine clothes up there for you are entirely too pretty already for me to let you go up there where all those boys are. Don’t you get up there and forget to answer my letters as soon as you get them or I won’t let you go any more. I tried to find out when Mog was going over to Halifax but we are expecting Aunt Sue Urquhart from Petersburg to come some time soon so Mog doesn’t know what she can do yet. You make your plans just as you want and Mog can come most any time. I told her to go to see you and stay a month and then bring you back here for a month. Won’t I be happy though when you come to stay for good. Kate the next time I see you we have got to decide when we are going to get married so I can begin counting the days. If I don’t get you soon I will wear out my pictures and then I’ll come to Halifax and stay till you come back with me. You are everything that means for good in my life and I want you and need you right now. I am just as certain that the Good Lord made you for me as I am that I am writing to you for without you my life would be as incomplete and worthless as anyone’s has ever been. Without you I have never had any inspiration to be anything or do anything but now I know I can do something for you because no man ever loved a woman any more than I love you. You are my good angel and my religion and my God and my Heaven and I can do anything you want me to do. I must stop and take this up town so it will get off in the morning. Write me a long letter right away and know I’m here thinking about you and loving you while you are writing it. With all my love – I remain forever – Yours – Alex [September, 1914] [Halifax] My dearest Alex, I wouldn’t take a thousand dollars for my sweetest letter in all the world that came in on time this afternoon. I, like you, hadn’t felt exactly right since my last letter and I hated like the mischief to have to wait till in the morning to get yours – and then maybe not get it. I wasn’t at all sure that my letter would get to you Saturday and was scared you’d wait to answer it tonight. And let me tell you right here, whether you owe me a letter or not you’ve just got to write to me every Sunday for it’s a thousand years between letters if you don’t and then with the exception of going to church, that’s what Sunday was made for. I got kinder lonesome last night and wanted to write to you and first thought you would think I was crazy about you writing every day; but after a little consideration I decided if you didn’t think and know that I was crazy about [you] after I said I was going to marry you you knew I was crazy on general principles so I preferred the former and started a letter to you when, as usual, Fletcher came up. Mr. Travis had to go to Raleigh on an early train out of Weldon and Fletcher was carrying him up there in his car so he came by for Little Sister and Mama and me. I much preferred staying at home and having my one-sided chat with you, but I was scared all by my lonesome. So the mail clerk sent his letter on to you too – S’pose he thought he’d let you know you weren’t “the only pebble on the beach.” I don’t doubt it was a letter right [?] for it was train time (or time for the mail to leave the office) when I left here and [I] forgot to write to the clerk till I got to the office and then wrote it standing up with everybody screaming that I was getting the mail left. Anyway it fulfilled its mission for your letter got to you on time. I am tickled to death about the route for it was an awful lonesome feeling to know it took several days to write a letter and get an answer to it down there. It won’t effect my letters so much, unless I wait to answer one right away, for I will send mine on the first train, but it’s a good feeling to know you can write if you need to. I wish I had have known you would have accepted my invite to a birthday party. I think (as bad as I hated to have the birthday) I would have certainly [have] had it for I would have been so happy I would have forgotten I was so old. I have felt like I am a thousand today (till your letter came) for I have a fever blister on my lip that is killing me and my foot has suddenly developed a disease in it. I’m going to see Doctor about it as soon as I finish this for it some kinder hurts. Fletcher saw my lip this afternoon and said you must have given me a Dickens of a bite when you were here to last so long. If that’s the case, I don’t want any more bites for they last entirely too long. I don’t know exactly when I shall go to Norfolk. In fact, I haven’t heard from Cousin Ida yet and she may be in Richmond, but I hardly think I shall go before the twentieth. I prefer waiting longer than that to go, as the styles will be more settled later on, but I want to go on to Sister’s and want my suit when I go up there. Don’t you lose a single minute’s sleep worrying over my looking pretty in my fine clothes for my fine clothes will be sadly lacking. If I go to Durham (which is very doubtful, for I’ll have too much reading to do and so many dozen questions asked about this DAR School here), I shall borrow Aunt Susie’s latest creation and Sister’s best and sport them and send them on back home and wear my one pitiful suit that I shall get in Norfolk while I’m in Chapel Hill. If Margaret doesn’t write me she is coming soon I’m going to make my plans and write her. I won’t be gone so very long, so it really doesn’t make any difference. I don’t know of anything that will tickle me more than a nice long visit from her and I hope she will stay a month. I got the old man to come up today and oil Miss Lou’s chairs and I’ll send them as soon as I as get them crated. Carpenters are as scarce here as hen’s teeth but I’ll get them fixed by the time she gets in that new house. I am staying here by myself writing to you before church but my bravery is most gone and I am going to stop for this time. With all my love, I am, Yours always, Monday night Kate [September, 1914] [Woodville] My dearest Kate – I got home without getting rained on and now for the first time since you said you would be mine I’ve got the blues – All because I had to come here and leave you in Halifax. The little while I was with you was pure Heaven itself but I want you all the time and I don’t want to be coming home without you. Please write me a long letter right away or I’ll be coming right back over there next week and then Halifax folks will know it’s going to be in October. I wish it was, and if the War hadn’t have messed up everything I would do some begging. I think you and Little Sister both look just fine. The next thing the Urquharts spend any money on has got to be a deep well and then you won’t be afraid of malaria if the skeeters do bite, will you? It was certainly sweet to me to hear you say you had not been sorry you were going to marry me and you did really love me and if you ever are sorry it will not be because I haven’t been as good as I know how. I wanted to have a talk with Little Sister and tell her to keep on being on my side like Duck said she was but I didn’t have time. Write me what you decide about Chapel Hill and if you go please don’t stay a whole month. Tell Mrs. Patterson “I’ll let” you come back some other time. How does that sound? But I won’t do that unless you will take me along with you. And Kate if you and Little Sister go anywhere to get your Fall outfits go to Norfolk so I can go. We can pick out some time when there will be something good at the Wells. Mog hasn’t heard from Willis yet about the Circus. I will write you as soon as she hears. I wish he would come but I’m afraid to even hope for it. I don’t see why you and Little Sister can’t come on the train. Burges has got to go to Kelford Tuesday morning anyway to take old Buffet and we would be right there waiting for you. Tell Little Sister to bring you. The first thing I saw in Hobgood was the jug of pickle sitting on a mail bag waiting to be transferred. It came down on [the] train and Mog and all of ‘em said it was fine. I haven’t tried it yet but will get mine tomorrow. I won’t write more for Rat is sitting on top of my head and has been there since I started. Kate please write me a long letter and love me a whole heap cause I loves you. With all my love – I remain forever – Yours – Alex [September, 1914] [Woodville] Friday Morning My dearest Kate – I would have answered your good (but mighty short) letter last night but these poor farmers around here had a “cotton conference” to try to devise some scheme to hold their cotton and I had to attend to offer some very wise suggestions and incidentally ask for the Insurance in case they did store it. Following the plan outlined by the Cotton Conference and Secretary McAdoo they are considering storing their cotton together under tarpaulins and then drawing $ 4000 a bale on it on certificates drawn on the Reserve Banks. Whether they will ever get together on the scheme I don’t know but it is a good one all right. If something isn’t done pretty soon every man in Lewiston will be broke. I am still hoping that something will happen to end the war but think it has already gone far enough to ruin business for this Fall. I got the keys to my store yesterday but haven’t bought any goods yet. November first is plenty early to open it as peanuts will not come in until then and there is no market for cotton. I’m still working at the Insurance business and really like it. I hated some kinder bad to see the King leave for Halifax this morning without me. I could have enjoyed riding all the way up there with the cat in my lap to see you. I don’t expect to be in no good humor a tall tonight about 830 when I think that I might be in Halifax talking to you. But I’m coming Wednesday night if the train runs. If anything should happen to prevent I’ll come Thursday night but I’ll write to you again before then anyway. I wish you could come over Tuesday to the Circus. You had better fix up some good excuses, if you don’t want to come on the 22nd cause I don’t think it is treating Mog right. You get that idea about “feeling silly down here” out of your head cause you have got to come some more. I don’t see why you should feel any different from always for if you didn’t know I wanted you all the time and just had to have you it was your fault. I know everybody else knew I was in love with you if you didn’t. I’ve got a million things to talk to you about Wednesday night but I know I’ll be so happy I’ll forget half of them. You’ve got to run your clock back just as many minutes as the train is late. Kate write me a long letter Sunday and if anything happens so it won’t be convenient for me to come Wednesday night, tell me and I’ll come some other time (but don’t let anything happen). I love you every minute. With all my love – I remain – Yours – Alex [September, 1914] [Halifax] My dearest Alex, Here I sit writing to you another Sunday night when I suppose I should be at Church but am counting on your praying my sins off. Old Brother Hughes is going to preach at the Episcopal Church but having already been to church and to Sunday school today I think my writing to you is of more importance than going down there. Fletcher carried us in his car for some grapes before dinner and ever since I have been reading “The Eyes of the World” and have been trying to take in a little of the Washington Post’s war news. I’m a perfect idiot on the subject and think I’ll wait and get it all after it’s put out in history form. The people here feel a little better over the war today and I do hope they are justified in thinking they have any cause for feeling good. The men are like bees at the Post office three times a day waiting for “more news,” as Charles Jr. would say. They get the early morning paper and one at noon and then the evening paper and all have different accounts. Papa and Doctor are never ending joys to me over it and talk it till twelve o’clock every night. That’s the reason I don’t know any more about it than I do for they both have different opinions and of course both are right. One old man was arguing with another down town this morning as to what country Holland was the capitol of and one of them said he had known since he was a boy that it was the capitol of Australia. Margaret would say that a Bertie nigger would have known better than that. Well – I’ve been to church after all and heard a right good war sermon and am sitting up here all by my lonesome finishing my letter. I intended writing to Margaret after I finished yours but know I’ll be skeered before then so I’ll put hers off till tomorrow night. I was sorry you didn’t come up in the King for they said they had a very nice trip. They got here at eleven and said they left down there about eight. Old Evie was full of our getting married and assured me if I would just go down to see her once more that she would certainly get us fixed up. She was a little more encouraging than she was before for there was no chance of anybody’s getting you then. They all ate and then started on their journey again. Don’t know whether they ever reached their destination or not. I certainly do hope that good results will come from the cotton conference. I don’t see what the reserve banks are good for or the government loans of money if it isn’t to help the farmer when he needs help most. This country can save itself if it just will. Anyway, I hold that we are so much better off than those poor people over yonder that I thank the Lord that we are living in peace – so far – and have a place to sleep and some bread to eat. Are you going to insure the cotton if they store it? That would mean a right good slice for you all. (“An ill wind that blows nay body good.”) I think you’re wise in holding those store keys for a while longer for while you’re not making very much money interest on the money invested in the store still you are not losing all you’ve got and that’s what you might do if you put in a big stock of goods and tried to keep it running. I am looking for you Wednesday night – and hope the old train will be on time. Anyway, I’ll put my clock back and we can be deaf and not hear the town clock strike. I hope you won’t get lost finding your way around here for it’s the darkest block in town, I believe, between the hotel and here. It’s not but one block though, so you can strike matches that far. I hope you’ll have a big time at the Circus and please behave a little different from what you did at the last one. In fact, behave altogether different. I don’t think you merchants ought to let a Circus go there these war times for they always carry away so much of the Negroes’ money that they would have spent with them. Is Margaret going over for Ral- and Riff? But I forgot that was my job. It’s just as well that I hadn’t set my heart on going over there for I think Duck left this afternoon for a little trip and can’t tell when she will be back. I told her this afternoon that you were coming Wednesday and I couldn’t get up Thursday and cook so she may come back by then. You can leave here at twelve and get to Kelford at three, but of course it’s a longer trip for you have to go around by Rocky Mount and Tarboro and the other way you leave here at eight-forty-five and get to Kelford at ten-thirty. Has Margaret heard from Dr. Alston? Little Sister says if he comes through here with an empty car she is certainly going down there so of course, I’ll have to chaperone her. The twenty-second is Equinox though and it will certainly be raining. It’s late and my book is completed, so I’m going to sleep. Little Sister told me to tell you something but I’ve forgotten what it was and I know she will skin me for not telling you. Don’t forget to be good at the Circus and that I am expecting you Wednesday night. With all my love, Yours, Kate Sunday night [September, 1914] [Woodville] Monday Night My dearest Kate – I’m so happy over the fact that I’ll be with you Wednesday night this time that I can’t stir up a bit of enthusiasm about the Circus. Look for me unless it is raining a flood and if the train is late I’m afraid I’ll break my “cussing” pledge. I am going to drive John U. over to Kelford and leave him there Wednesday night and get him next morning. I see by the papers tonight that the storm signals are out all along the coast and it would be like my old time (before you said you’d marry me) luck for the equinox to break loose about Wednesday. If it does I’ll come Thursday or as soon as possible and I’ll wire you. But ‘tain’t going to come cause I’m lucky now and you pray too. The circus train comes in tonight and I guess I’ll have to go up early in the morning to see them unload and follow the band in the parade. I am going to act some kinder good too to make up for the reports last year. Rat is here and I guess I’ll have to look out for him unless I can put him off on Mog. If you hear any bad reports about me on this Circus Day tell em they ain’t so. I certainly wish you and Little Sister could be here, we could have a lot of fun I think. Please get ready to come to the other one and if Willis can’t make it you and Little Sister can come on the train. You haven’t got any excuse in the world for not coming so I think it’s your Christian duty. I told Mog I was going to do some talking to get you to come and she said she was going to “pray the right prayer.” So the crew got to Halifax all safe. How did you feed them all on war prices? Now they’ve gone Lalla has come home to spend a week with Zeke and Bet. I hope they will effect a reconciliation. I won’t write more for I’ll see you Wednesday night, and that’s Heaven. With all my love – I remain – Yours – Alex [September, 1914] [Woodville] My dearest Kate – I can only write a short note tonight for I got up at three o’clock this morning and have been going all day and tonight I had to go to Church and hear Buffet preach. He hadn’t been here in a long time and I thought he would talk himself to death and I was sitting up there thinking about you and wishing I was home writing you a letter. I was really glad to see Buffet this time for he is an exceedingly smart man and well up on history and geography and his ideas on the war are well worth hearing. Of course in this as in all other matters he has strong prejudices but he is the best informed man I have seen yet on the war. His idea is that the war will last at least a year and a half and maybe as much as three years but with the South American trade and the adjustment of business to war conditions the United States should come back to normal condition in a year. I hope he has sized it up right and his arguments are certainly plausible. But I’m too happy to be thinking about the war cause you are mine and you are everything of this world’s goods that I want. I was at the office today waiting for a letter from Willis saying you would come tomorrow and when I failed to get it at Woodville I hiked it to Lewiston hoping all the way to get it there but it didn’t come. I have still got some hopes but am afraid they won’t come true. If you knew how much I wanted to see you you would come on the train. Don’t let Duck or anybody else scare you about my unreforming for now, for the first time ever, I really believe in myself and the lure of evil is not quite so strong as it used to be. I believe you gave me permission to take a few and play a few cards when we go down on the Hunt in October for that’s clean out of civilization and, but for some amusement, the nights would be unbearable as nobody can sleep till all go to bed. Be sure to arrange your trip to Norfolk so that it won’t come the second week in October for we go to the Club House on the 6th and stay till the 10th. I know we will enjoy the trip to Norfolk and I’ll show Cousin Ida how reformed I am. The Episcopalians are going to have a convocation or Council or something in Washington on the 7th of October to elect a successor to Bishop Strange and Buffet begged me to go as a delegate from this Parish but I told him I’d be too busy. I wouldn’t go if they’d give me to the town. Her cousin informed me today that she was coming to visit her in October but I’ll either be at the Club House or in Norfolk or the busiest man in Woodville one. I am so happy that Mrs. Fenner does not object to our marriage for I was really afraid she would. You ought not to have gotten my curiosity up about Robert’s opinion. You can at least tell me if it was favorable or not. So somebody’s got to object. I haven’t told this crowd yet but I know if they object it will be because they know you’re ten thousand times too good for me. They think that I’m pretty sorry (and they have every reason to think so) but I know I can do something if I have you to love me. It’s one o’clock and I must stop. Always know I think about you and love you all the time. With all my love I remain forever – Yours – Alex (If this is a short note how would you like to get a letter?) [September, 1914] [Halifax] My dearest Alex, I’ve just come home from a dance and it’s twelve o’clock but I’m going to scratch you a line anyway for you may be expecting a letter in the morning. Dr. Alston tried to get me over the phone night before last but couldn’t so he finally got me yesterday morning. He said he had expected to go down to the Circus up to the last minute but had four very sick patients and of course couldn’t leave them. I told him I wish they had all died the day before. I also told him I really hadn’t expected him for you never could tell what doctors and most married men were going to do. He talked as if he didn’t belong to the latter class and said for us to meet him in Richmond Thanksgiving. He said he was there – registered at the Jefferson – last year but I don’t believe he was ever there. I hope you all didn’t grieve so much over our not being there that you couldn’t enjoy the circus and that this one was better than the last. So you are under the impression that I gave you permission to “take a few and play a few games at the Club House” – Well I’m under the impression that I did not give you permission. I may have been crazy the night I promised to marry you but I know I never was crazy enough to say you could take a single drop with my sanction after I had promised. I’m not going to tell you you shan’t (for I know what that would be worth) but I know I’ll be the most miserable person alive all the time you are at that miserable old place. I am going to pray for it to burn down before you all get there. These hunts are perfectly all right (if a decent crowd goes) but what you want to go where you say you are bound to do exactly what you ought not for is more than I can figure out. That’s all right, you go on and I’m either going to Norfolk that day or to Chapel Hill and flirt with every old boy up there. Our club started today and the DARs will start tomorrow then the UDCs the next week and I’ve got big jobs (workings ones) in them all; so I’ll be doubly glad to stay in Chapel Hill as long as Wallace will feed me. Did I see Miss Pattie go through here yesterday? I saw a lady in a car who was her very image but she looked in my face when I bowed and she didn’t seem to know me so I decided I must be mistaken. I’ve had the blues ever since I waked this morning. I dreamed I had decided I didn’t love you a bit – but was still going to marry you and of all blue and badly feeling folks I was the worst off. And then your letter came and didn’t make me feel any better so I don’t feel any too good now. I reckon I’ll be all right if I ever stop writing and get any sleep tonight. I put on my best and pretended I was having the time of my life at the dance tonight. But I wasn’t for I wanted to be here writing to you. And now I know my letter is going to sound fussy tomorrow but I’m going to seal it now for if I see it in the morning I know it will never be mailed. I didn’t mean to get your curiosity up about what Brother said for it wasn’t what he said but how he said it that struck me. He didn’t object if I would make you let whiskey alone, he said. Little Sister is fussing for me to go on to bed so I am going to say good night. With all my love, I am Yours (as long as you believe) Kate Wednesday night I forgot to tell you how glad I am that Virginia voted dry. I’d like to hear old Burges’ opinion of the returns of the election. [September, 1914] [Woodville] My dearest Kate – I was mighty glad to see your letter today if it was ten times too short and cussed me out too. I guess I’ll have to do without a drink while I’m on the Hunt if you say so. I really don’t think it would do any harm at all to take a few and you wouldn’t either if you could understand how a poor devil feels cooped up in a house and having to sit down and hold his hands while the other folks are sitting around a table with a jug in the middle. And the food and sleeping facilities make it almost necessary to have something appetizing and somniferous. But I am not going to touch a drop cause you said you would be miserable and I’ll swear I’ll never make you miserable if I can help it. I was down at the Club House yesterday helping build a chimney and we have got more game on the preserve than ever before. Maybe that will make the boys hunt so hard they will be ready to sleep some when night comes. Please don’t worry any more about it for I’ll be good on this hunt and I don’t think I can go on any more this year and God knows I hope I will never do anything to make you feel bad. But I’m afraid what folks tell you and what you dream will make you sorry that you said you would marry me. I hope and pray they won’t but if they do Kate for God’s sake tell me for that will be best. We all missed you at the Circus and I especially for even if I hadn’t counted so strong on your coming still when I’d think that you might be there it made me feel mighty lonesome. This one was pretty good for Lewiston. Mog and Sallie and Lewis and I took dinner on the grounds (John went hunting). I’m glad Willis called you up, for Mog and I had decided he had lost his gentlemanly instincts if he didn’t. I don’t care whether he goes to Richmond or not since he wouldn’t bring you down here. Billie writes that Carolina has the best prospects for FootBall she has had for years so I hope we will see a good game. I think it would be too much to go and come back all in the same day. Let’s go up the night before and come back Thanksgiving night. I want to talk to my old friends a little if that is all I can do. So you all are still dancing in Halifax. I don’t know what we will do for dancing now since they have gotten new benches for the School house and nailed them to the floor. We were counting on getting a teacher this Fall. I tried to dance some up town this afternoon and didn’t know a thing about it. I see through the Bank that Evie and Em are still in Selma, they check on Zeke about every other day. I don’t know who Pattie’s second could have been but I’m sure it wasn’t her. Clifford is here going to school and he’s tickled to death so far. I guess he will change his mind when some of that bunch wring his neck a time or two. Charles Jr. is two years old today and has had more lickings today than any other in his existence. Lila left tonight after a whole day of weeping over having to go. I asked her this afternoon if she didn’t like Tommie right well. She said if she wasn’t in love she would hate to see anybody that was (and I would too). She is going to work in Rocky Mount with her aunt so you will have to get your hat there instead of Scotland Neck. Burges has just come home and says there’s to be a Carnival in Lewiston on the 15th of October (some show town, ain’t it?). I won’t start begging you to come until I find out definitely it is to be. Then look out. I must stop now. Kate please write me a long letter and remember that I love you and am going to love you always. With all my love – I remain forever – Yours – Alex File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/bertie/history/letters/urquhart230gms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ncfiles/ File size: 78.8 Kb