To Riley: My own dear sweetheart
June 11, 1929 Sunday Night
My own dear sweetheart:
I begin writing this letter feeling that I can’t make it what I should like. I should like to make it much more interesting and much more beautiful than I know I can.
Dearest, your letter written yesterday morning and which I received this afternoon is one of the most beautiful letters of love I have ever read. You did not become too sentimental and you told your message in such an effective way. It was so pretty to me that I had to read it to Irene. When I finished we decided that it showed a side of you which a casual observer would not suspect. It was artistic — — prose made beautiful, which isn’t easy to do. Through it I could see that the thoughts were coming direct from the heart. I believe that, as much as anything else, helped you to clothe your thoughts in such fitting language.
You were right when you said the approach of the week end brings loneliness. I have tried to conquer mine by keeping quite busy.
Yesterday Irene and I shopped nearly all day buying various little odd things. Today I went to Sunday School and Church. This afternoon Maxie and her friend Mr. White came out after you (she did not know you had gone to Peabody) and me to go on a picnic with them. She was quite surprised to find you not here but it went on with them and we three had quite an enjoyable time. Maxie had fixed a supper composed mostly of fried chicken, so you know I enjoyed that. I am afraid Maxie and I entertained each other rather than the man but perhaps he did not seriously object. He was in school here with Mr. Longest, but I guess you did not know him. If you could have been with us, we could have had a very lovely time. I should like for you to be with Maxie more. You would like her. She didn’t mean to take advantage of you before. She had not been with me enough to know the true state of affairs.
Dr. Johnson came in yesterday afternoon. I saw him at church today. Last week you had a letter about a home-coming at your class today. Before I went into my class I went down and told some of your ushers (I believe it was Dave Cameron) that you are to be out of town for the summer. We finished our class early and went in to greet your class a few minutes.
Randall said he would see about the stamps for me.
Perhaps I had better not make this longer tonight. Yes, I am, too, for I think of something else I want to say.
You touched my heart strings when you said you hoped to make me one of the happiest girls in the world.
Dear, you don’t need to say that you hope to make me that; you have already made me one of the happiest of girls. Too, I have the full assurance that you love me very deeply and dearly. My prayerful hope is that I may at every moment make you as happy as you are making me. I can’t do too much to show my appreciation of you. I trust that I shall never let an opportunity slip by to do for you any little deed of kindness, thoughtfulness, and love. Darling, I wish I were with you tonight but since I am not I must say, “Sweet dreams and love to you from your Clara.”
