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MAY 2nd and 3rd, 1899 - ELG to RGJ
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Envelope postmarked Boston, Mass., May 3rd, 1899. Addressed
from "#62 Rutland St., Boston, Mass" and to "Miss Gertrude Jones,
Farmington, Maine, Box 223." On the back, someone has pencilled
"93." At this time, RGJ was attending Farmington State Normal
School, training to be a teacher - although she had been teaching
previously in South Paris. ELG was in Boston attending the Cowles
Art School. "Charles H." mentioned in the letter is Ed's future
brother-in-law, Charles H. Howard, who married Ed's sister,
Alice, in a double wedding ceremony June 5th, 1901. Chandler
Garland is listed in the 1906 Paris Town Register as being a
real estate agent at 362 Massachusetts Ave. in Boston. He died
June 12th, 1916 at age 65. Thus he would have been age 48 when
Ed met him in Boston.
"Dunton" is William Herbert ("Buck") Dunton, born August 28,
1878 in Augusta, Maine. Buck became a respected magazine and
book illustrator and worked as a "western artist" from a studio
in Taos, NM. Follow
this link to view scans of a sketch given to Ed by Dunton,
two autographed photos, and four snapshots taken of Ed, Dunton,
and several other Cowles students. The sketch turns out to be
among the earliest known examples of Dunton's work. (All these
materials have been donated to the Panhandle-Plains Historical
Museum in Canyon, Texas. The museum houses a major collection
of Dunton's art.)
Enclosed
in the letter is a four-leaf clover on which ELG has written
"Ned, Ruth, May, 1899" on the four leaflets.
Boston.
May 2nd, 1899
My
Dear Ruth.
I
received your welcome letter this morning before I went to school
and I was very sorry to learn that you are not well.
Have
you been working too hard or have you eaten something which
has hurt you. I hope you are not going to be sick.
The
death of your Uncle was very sudden. must have been caused by
a "bursting" of a blood vessel in the head.
You
wonder if it was as hot in Boston? Well it has been something
fierce here for the last few days.
We
had a "Thunder shower" here last evening. We came up about 7
o'clock and it was lightening when I turned in at about a quarter
of ten. It "rained" very hard for a while and Dunton was up
in my room and we had some fun watching it lighten out of my
window for I am up on the fourth floor.
My
Dear! I am always glad to get a letter from you but don't be
afraid to disappoint me when you are sick and have to write
under such difficulties as you did this time.
I
had some boiled "cod fish" with "egg sauce" for "dinner" last
night and it was all right.
You
may laugh at my term applied to what is known as supper down
east. but it is Breakfast, Lunch, and dinner. here and I have
got so in the habit of reading it on the "Bill of Fare" that
I write it before I think. when mentioning it on paper.
Expect
to see the "Christian" this evening and have got tickets for
it. got them Monday noon.
Expect
"Charles H." will be here at my "den" about 7 o'clock this eve.
his is going with me.
Bet
you cant guess who I met on the sidewalk down to Park Sq. yesterday
noon. Well it was Chandler Garland and he was very much pleased
to see someone from So. Paris. He invited me to call at his
office No. 73 Tremont Building. Doubt if I get time for I have
not got much time left expect I shall go home a week from next
Monday on the afternoon train.
It
is just half past three and as I have got some drawing to do
will close until morning for I shall want to tell you about
the Christian after I see it.
Wednesday
Morning. My Dear!
How
I wish you could have been with me last evening. Talk about
going to a "moral play." If I ever saw a play with a moral this
one certainly had one.
Chas.
& I both declared we would not have missed it for anything and
we wished many times that you and Alice were with us. Talk about
Scenery and Costumes. it was elegant.
I
would send you the Programme but it is so big that I cant get
it in an envelope so I will wait until you get home and show
it to you then and tell you all about it.
The
scene in the 2nd and 4th Acts. was "The club-room of St. Mary
Magdalene's Church Soho. and it was just a plain Reception room
in the entrance of the church it looked a little like this.
Here
there is a small sketch of a room with a stage/altar at the
center, tables and chairs around, a door at the right, and post-and-beam
ceiling above.
As
you look on this scene in the play in they play a mob of roughs
come thronging in for pleasure as it is the object of the mission
to draw such ones and while they are enjoying them-selves playing
games and dancing or anything that comes to their mind the old
bell begins to toll. and you cant tell it from a genuine cathedrel
gong. and after the bell stops tolling the organ begin to play
the doxology and then it is sung in company with the organ,
and it sound exactly as it does in reality. just as it would
sound to sit in an open window and listen to it as it comes
to your ears from a neighboring church.
Well
you darling girl all I can say is you and I are lucky to have
won each others love and be contented with leading a good honest
life.
If
you could have seen the play last night and seen the terrible
condition that "high society" drags a once noble and untainted
life into you would love me as much more as I have learned to
love and appreciate you since I went to see the Christian last
night.
You
would feel like crying for joy to think you have been so wise
to choose the better part and that above all you have one though
poor that you can trust and love. I would'nt swap my position
in life for all the wealth of a Money King.
Well
my dear it seems funny to think of it now but there were several
times last night that there were lots and lots of women shedding
tears during the performance.
It
is getting late and I must go to school.
It
is cold enough for an overcoat this morning and it is likely
to rain the leaves are out quite a little here enough so that
my view across the street is very much obscured by them. Hoping
you are all right, I am as ever Your Aff. and Loving,
Jene
(?)
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