The letters in this post are dated Sunday and Tuesday. Since Dave was going to attend Lydia and Francis’ wedding with Ruth in Adams Center the next Saturday, May 18, he didn’t visit her in Albany. He was also busy helping Francis to prepare for the big event. The end of this post contains photos from that wedding.
May 12, 1935
Middleburg, N.Y.
Dear Ruth,
Sunday evening at last and I guess we have seen the last bit of company for today. This morning my mother had a chance to go to Middleburg to church and it being Mother’s Day, she went. She said she knew no one was coming today so it would be all right. I guess she hadn’t been gone more than half an hour when it seemed like half of the population of the state dropped in. Was she surprised when she got back.1 I’ll bet you would have liked to have been home today, but keep your chin up, you’ll be there. I’m glad to hear your mother is feeling better.
I received your third letter Saturday. I hadn’t seen Fran all week but today I got Ward to take me down there. Of course as I expected, he hasn’t got the car yet. He plans on going into the city tomorrow and if nothing happens, I’ll be along with him. He says to tell you he plans on coming back Monday or Tuesday but you had better tell Mrs. Best Wednesday to make sure. As long as you are going to take some time off it would be just as well for you to take enough so that you will know you have had some. You certainly deserve it after the steady time you have put in.
Frank has the house nearly papered and expects to finish tomorrow. I guess everything will be in readiness for the happy couple. Fran says the people of Preston Hollow are taking as much interest in it as if he had been a life-long resident of there. He is receiving plenty of gifts and the promise of a big time when he gets back. He had better have plenty of cigars on hand is my advice.
Gee, it seems funny to be sitting here at home on Sunday evening. I guess strange would be a better word because I don’t see anything so funny about it. This Sunday night Amateur Hour may be good but I’d much rather be in Albany. Looks like I’m falling down already on my resolution to try and keep you from feeling lonesome. I’m sorry but I guess you understand how it is. How did it go this last week? Not too bad I hope.
Good gosh, I meant to get the number of that boarding house on Chestnut Street today and I forgot all about it until now. Am I good, or am I? I wish you could get out of your present place and locate another that is at least halfway enjoyable.
I worked every day but Tuesday last week and still have some more to do. The question is when do I get any money? I expected the fellow up from New York today but he didn’t show up. Looks like I’m due to borrow a little because he won’t be up before next Sunday anyway.
Say you have got a problem bothering you. I like that joke about my superior wisdom, but since you asked for it here it is. Tell them you will come back when you finish at the hospital at the same wages. Sixteen a week may not sound very large to you but it is a lot better than doing housework for less or worse yet nothing at all. If you like the place and the work isn’t too hard, it would seem to me the best thing to do is to go back if they will let you. I’m not saying this just because I want you to stay in the city either. Of course I do want you to but everyone knows there is less sickness in the summer and it would seem to me the best thing to adopt a take what you can get policy. You never can depend on people though. After they have had another nurse for six weeks, they might decide not to change again no matter how good the former nurse may have been. But there I go throwing cold water on the thing. That’s just like me.
Did I say the kittens were done for or something of that sort? No such luck. Mother heard them again Friday and she took some boards out of the floor and found them. You should have seen the mother cat when she came in and found her kittens in the house. She picked one of them up and tried to get it back thru the hole in the attic wall but I had stopped that up so she was out of luck. She seems contented to leave them here in sight now. I don’t know what we will ever do with them all. They are so big now I haven’t the heart to kill any of them. Guess I’ll bring them all up to Adams Center.
Oh boy, Mother just handed me a dish of hot, buttered popcorn. Have some? Yeah, you would. Get your hand back before I slap it. You don’t like homemade stuff. Oh no.
How are you making out with your 10 o’clock to bed program? At least you can’t blame me if you lose any sleep tonight. I’m afraid I’ll have to come up and give this A&P clerk a talking to. It seems he has kind of put Lester in the background, at least I don’t hear so much about him.
Whoa, what am I doing here? I must have made a mistake and thought that last sheet I wrote was the first one. This is a terrible mistake, but then last Friday I received a lovely letter from a very lovely girl so I guess it won’t do any harm if I should make the reply a little longer than usual. Besides, I fell one behind again last week so this is another two for one letter to catch up. I’m glad you thought that one up. It comes in handy.
You’re pretty good at reading between the lines or reading my mind, I don’t know which. Yeah, you got the “reason” all right. Maybe it was a silly one, but I was completely in the dark and I felt as though I might be barging in somewhere where it would be better if I stayed out. It wasn’t a case of faint heart, just a wish to avoid possible trouble for you. Thanks a lot for telling me what you did. I don’t know as I can complement you on your decision or choice if I may be so bold as to call it that. I’m not much of anybody and sometimes I feel like nobody. The main trouble with me is that I realized too late in life that this world doesn’t owe me a living and that if I want one, I have to get out and earn it.
I know 25 isn’t very old but when I stop and think what I might have been if I had not been so crazy-headed I get kind of groggy sometimes. But there I go, rambling away again on my meaningless thoughts. I need a check rein for them. Anyway if I hadn’t done just as I had, I might never have met you and if I hadn’t met you, I might still think life was just a bowl of cherries. I think an awful lot of you, Ruth, and I’ll try and be worthy of the regard you have shown me. With that parting shot I’ll shuffle off to bed (it is just 10 P.M.) as I can’t stand staying up late on Sunday night.
“Me”
You aren’t the only “me” in the world, so don’t think you wrote this letter to yourself.
May 14, 1935
70 Jay Street
Albany, N.Y.
Dear Dave,
I’m glad you called this morning even if I did tell you not to. It was so long since I heard you talk that I could hardly distinguish your voice from that of Santa Claus. I was sorry I couldn’t have talked longer as I had about a hundred questions that I wanted to ask. You no doubt thought what I did say was crazy, but I was listening to you with one ear and the doctor with the other. Mrs. Thorn winked knowingly at me when she handed over the telephone. She wanted to know where you were and when I told her, she said I could have taken a couple hours off to see you.
Because I went to bed at 9:30 Sunday night and didn’t go out, I am all mixed up on the days. I have to look at the calendar three or four times a day.
Last Thursday night Zelma was over, Florence and Ben were over Saturday night. Oh yes, Lester and family were up for the weekend. He even brought his mother-in-law along but it didn’t make any difference about the kidding. He says he hopes their next nurse won’t be as crabby as I have been.
Zelma insisted that I take a dancing lesson. As I live and breathe, I can’t understand how a person can be so darned dumb as I am. Zelma says I did better than she did because I didn’t step on Murray’s toes. I expect to take another lesson in six months. At that rate I have completed my ten lessons at the end of five years.
They tell me that Phyllis McDuffy2 is relieving me. I’m glad it is her because I would hate to accommodate some of the girls by walking up here Friday morning to tell them what it is all about. I guess she is a good nurse and I hope they like her. Mrs. Fink asks me several times a day when I have to leave. She says she feels terrible to think I have to go before she is well. I think it will make it easier for both her and Phyllis if I come the first morning. I know how it is to go into a strange place.
Mrs. Thorn suggested today that I come and live here when I finish if they still need a nurse. I’m not giving any answers until I think it over. There are too many possibilities.
10:15 p.m. (After receiving your letter.)
I’m not planning very much on a steady job at Finklesteins. I have heard that Jews are sort of changeable. They have treated me o.k. so far and even if I don’t go back there, I don’t feel that I have any kick coming. It sure will seem good to get a day off.
I’m glad your Mother found the kittens. I may decide to take all of them and have “Lyd” board them in Preston Hollow. You could at least tell me what color they are. Do they play yet? What kind of fighters do you think they would make?
Pardon me while I laugh about Lester being a “was been”. The A&P guy saw me go to work yesterday and he said, “What, no letter?” He says I high-hatted him up on New Scotland the other night and wouldn’t ride with him. He says the next time he will jump out and grab me. I says “you can try it”. He sure is a clown.
Since I got home I have done my washing and some mending. I am sort of tired due to the fact that I didn’t retire until the wee small hours last night and I have to work tomorrow night.
Ruth
May 14, 1935
Middleburg, N.Y.
Dear Ruth,
Home again after a rather hectic day of shopping. I would rather do most anything than that. After I called you Fran and I went over to Schenectady. The first thing he bought was the ring so he is sure of that much anyway. After that we bought a few clothes and then the fun began trying to find a car that would both suit the taste and pocketbook. At last we found one, a 1930 Dodge coupe with rumble seat. Did you say you liked to ride in rumble seats? After that we came back to Albany and picked Frank up and then back to Schenectady again to make out finance papers on the car. With all that though there is still a possibility we may have to start walking to Adams Center. When Fran signed the papers he had to give references and before they will let him have the car those references have to be looked up. He gave them two in Middleburg and the Shell people. On the way home he became rather skeptical as to the M. parties and the more he thought about it the more so he got. He got so worried about it we stopped in Duanesburg and called them back and gave them the names of a lawyer and a business firm right in Schenectady. We have to be back there again tomorrow at four o’clock and if everything is O.K., we take the car. If not, I can’t imagine what he will do.
A long time ago he told Frank he was leaving for A.C. on the 15th, which is tomorrow, and just as I expected Frank waited until the last day before taking him to the city. It certainly is a good thing he didn’t tell him the exact date or he would have been out of luck.
Either I misunderstood you or you misunderstood me today when we were talking on the phone. When I asked you if I had a letter waiting for me here today, I thought you said yes but I didn’t see anything of it when I got home. If it doesn’t come tomorrow, I’ll use the hairbrush on you. It seemed good to hear your voice today even if I couldn’t see you. I would have talked longer only I didn’t know how they would like it there at the house. I hope they didn’t say anything to you.
Well, I guess I have given a full account of the day’s happenings and there is nothing more to tell you except that I’m anxious to see you again. It sure has been a long “week” since the 5th of May.
“Me”
Francis (1908-1988) and Lydia Sprague (1905-1989) were married May 18, 1935. They had a long and happy life together. They raised three sons, Richard, Paul, and David. Francis was a talented carpenter, he built his own home, David Coffin’s home in Catskill, and several homes in Jefferson County on Lake Ontario. “Fran is a swell guy and one of the best friends I have ever had” – David Coffin, April 16, 1935. We could all see what he meant when we were growing up. Lydia herself was quite a character. She was always kind, never raised her voice against anyone (not that the cousins noticed), and had a terrific sense of humor.
Spencer-Sprague wedding pictures. Left: David Coffin and Ruth Parker; Middle: David Coffin, Mr. and Mrs. Sprague, and Ruth Parker; Right: Newly-weds, Francis and Lydia Sprague
Group photo May 18, 1935
Footnotes
- Dave’s mother, Ida Mae (Jackson) Coffin, was born on May 30, 1875. The visits may simply be that it’s Mother’s Day Sunday, but it was also her birthday month! Click here, here, or here to read more about the history of Mother’s Day.
- A photo of Phyllis McDuffy was in the Mar 1-3, 1935 post.
I LOVE this! You did a fabulous job on it! Want to do my website over next?
Thank you, Lisa! Answer to your question: No!! This one is a lot of work to put together – and thank you also for all of your help here. You more than anyone are aware of all the work that went into this (I’m only putting it together). Next time I see you, I can show you what’s done here.
From what I understand, the wedding weekend was the first time Francis and Dave had met any of the Parker-Spencer clan with the exception of Lydia and Ruth. Intimidating maybe??