MAY 31st, 1901 - ELG to RGJ ______________________________________________________________________________________

Envelope postmarked South Paris "Rec'd", May 2_, 1901, 10AM, addressed to "Miss Gertrude Jones, So. Paris, Maine." Perhaps this is the wrong envelope as the postmark is before the date on the letter - and the text of the letter confirms that the 31st is correct: the week before their marriage. Ed was in Gorham working in the Grand Trunk Railroad paint shops.

Gorham, N.H.
May 31st, 1901

My Darling Ruth.

I recived your lovely letter and it was an ideal one to close a lovers writings. I wish I could do as well as you did my dear.

I am very sorry to have to write with a lead pencil but that is all I have.

It does not hardly seem possible to me that you, Ruth, the dearest in all the world to me are to become what I have so long looked forward to: my wife.

I trust Ruth, that you, a pure, noble, honest, simple womanly woman and all that could be desired for a wife will never have reason to regret the day you joined me for lifes struggles, with its sorrows and joys, sunshine and clouds. the latter I trust will be left out.

I get a prize in you dear and no lad ever felt the value of his choice in a wife more than I do and the desire of my heart is that the Lord Jesus Christ will guide and direct my every move in such a way that it shall make of me an ideal husband which you deserve in the highest degree.

That I may be a good loving husband and give you a home equal to any home in the wide world that knows nothing but happiness and love, is my one great desire and I trust he aid me to make your surroundings such.

My dear I never think of you but what I think of the many happy days and hours we have shared to-gether and I trust that the future will bring us many happy returns of the same.

We have shared troubles to-gether that good might result from the same, and it did and I thank God for his good guidance in the same. We are his and he never neglects his own for a moment.

Happy is the man that feareth (loveth) to word of God and keepeth it, and we have reaped far better than we have sown. I trust we shall always be that fortunate.

Next Wednesday my dear if all is well we are to recive the right we have so long desired and I trust that the sunshine of that day may be to us and throughout our earthly life as transforming to our lives as was the light of his countenance compared to that of whom he died to save.

Ruth I wish I had you here to-night, that I might give you full value of my love for you, but I think tomorrow will return me to you as usual never to be separated again only by death, and when that comes to us I pray that we may go together that one shall not be left to mourn the loss of the other.

I do hope next week will be warm sunny days that we may enjoy ourselves to the best.

The sun has crept out a few times to-day and I am in hopes that the weather will change on the full of the moon which is tomorrow I believe.

I think Hathaway was very good about that picture?

Well my dear I must stop writing now as I must go to bed and I have to prepare some of my things to take home to morrow P.M.

With the best wishes to you for the coming kiss which closes our days of single bliss.

We soon join hands for a greater love.

Which is known to us only and sealed above.

Love, hugs and kisses to you my darling who soon is my own dear wife to be.

Ned.