|
JULY/AUGUST,
1900 - RGJ to ABG ______________________________________________________________________________________
The
envelope is neither stamped and nor postmarked so was probably
enclosed with a letter of Ed's. Ruth has written "East Poland,
Me." on one sheet which helps date the letter to summer or fall
1900 when she taught school in that community. (I have records
of her teaching there in the "winter term" but she may have
been there in the summer as well after teaching the spring term
in New Gloucester.) Additionally, one of the "prompts" calls
for a date in the past and Ruth supplies June 2nd, 1900, while
Ed's sister Alice provides June 30, 1900, so these materials
certainly were written after June. However, Ruth provides Sept
1900 as a date in the future, suggesting that these materials
were completed in July or August.
The
content is a timeless game of predicting the future in which
the participants write down answers to a series of ambiguous
questions (the "prompts"), then review their answers against
a "key" to their true meanings. Remarkably, I've seen similar
things on the internet recently, a full hundred years after
this version was penned.
|
The
"Prompts" in Ruth's hand:
|
The
"Key" in Ruth's hand:
|
|
Questions.
1.
Name of some boy?
2.
Name of sometime past?
3. Name of some place?
4. yes or no?
5. yes or no?
6. Name of some boy?
7. Name of some place?
8. Name of some boy?
9. yes or no?
10. Name of some boy?
11. Name of sometime in the future?
12. Name of some place?
13. yes or no?
14. yes or no?
15. Name of some boy?
16. Somebodys house?
17. yes or no?
18. yes or no?
19. Name of some boy?
20. Name of some girl?
21. Name of some color?
22. " " " " ?
23. " " " " ?
24. " " " " ?
25. Name of some person?
26. Some number between 1 and 50?
27. Some number between 1 and 100?
28. yes or no?
29. yes or no?
|
Question.
1.
Who made you your first offer?
2. When?
3. Where?
4. Do you love him?
5. Does he love you?
6. Who took you to your first buggy ride?
7. Where did you go?
8. Whom do you like the best?
9. Do you want to marry him?
10. Whom are you going to marry?
11. When?
12. Where?
13. Do you love him?
14. Does he love you?
15. Who gave you your first kiss?
16. Where?
17. Is he rich?
18. Is he pretty?
19. Who is going to be groomsman?
20. Who is going to be bridesmaid?
21. What is the color of your dress?
22. What is the color of his pants?
23. What is the color of his eyes?
24. What is the color of his hair?
25. Where will your reception be held?
26. How many rooms is your house?
27. How many doors in your house?
28. Will you always be happy?
29. Will you ever part?
|
|
Ruth's list of answers:
|
Alice's list of answers:
|
|
1.
Edward L. Greene
2. June 2nd, 1900
3. Mt. Mica
4. Yes
5. No
6. E.L. Greene
7. Farmington
8. Ge. C. Purington
9. Yes
10. Alton Wheeler
11. Sept 1900
12. New York
13. Yes
14. Yes
15. E.L. Greene
16. My House
17. Yes
18. Yes
19. Wilfred Walker
20. Marion Walker
21. Blue
22. Pink
23. Green
24. Yellow
25. Alice Green
26.
25
27. 40
28. Yes
29. Yes
|
1.
Charlie
2. June 30
3. Portland
4. Yes
5. No
6. Ed
7. Auburn
8. Charlie
9. Yes
10. Alton
11. July 4 1901 (?)
12. Paris
13. No
14. Yes
15. Tom
16. Howard
17. No
18. Yes
19. Jake
20. Ruth
21. Pink
22. Blue
23.
Red
24. Brown
25. Marion W.
26. 21
27. 64
28. Yes
29. No
|
|