Ruth and Dave exchanged Christmas gifts early, most likely because Ruth had to work over the Christmas holiday. She received a cedar chest that was hand-made by Francis and Dave.
(Addressed to: 1807 Ninth Street, Rensselaer, N.Y.)
December 24, 1935
Middleburg, N.Y.
Hello Hon,
I guess it will be a few minutes before supper is ready so I’ll start this letter. After supper I have got to go to the garage and have my radiator soldered. I discovered a small leak in it this morning.
Last night when I got home Mom was still waiting for me. I didn’t know until I got here that it was the Christmas exercises at the church she wanted to go to. It was a little late but we went just the same. It is almost unbelievable, me going to church two days in a row.
Now that I have devoured all the spare ribs I can stand and have the radiator fixed, I guess I can continue.
I learned another Jewish custom last night. I stopped on South Pearl Street to pick up some egg cases so I went in a restaurant right close by for a sandwich and coffee. When I gave my order I was politely informed that I was in a Jewish restaurant and coffee was taboo. That was a new one on me, but I took tea and imagined I liked it.
I didn’t do much today except carry wood in the woodshed. I’ve got enough in so we won’t freeze if there should be some four feet of snow.
How did your headache come out, dear. Mine didn’t improve any with age and it felt pretty bum by the time I got in bed at 10:30.
I stopped and got Fluffy last night. She is having a great time right now playing in a chair, and Tex sits here beside me with eyes as big as saucers trying to beg a piece of candy. I don’t know what good it does to give him any. He swallows it so quick I know he doesn’t even taste it.
Mom read the card you gave me and said it is the loveliest one she has ever seen, and so it is, but still it can’t compare with the girl that sent it. Everyone thinks the sweater is great, too. I can’t begin to express my own feelings. Even though I know you shouldn’t have spent the money on me, I thank you a thousand times for it. It almost takes my breath away every time I think of what you might have got me, dear. You are too good to me as it is. Your love alone means more to me than I can ever tell you. Words won’t express such things, dear.
This doesn’t seem much like Christmas Eve to me and I suppose it seems much less so to you. Somehow I feel as though I would much rather stay home alone tomorrow than go out to Fort Plain. I suppose I shouldn’t feel that way but any plan that doesn’t include you means just so much nothing to me.
A year ago tonight Lydia got her ring. How I would like to be giving you one tonight. However, as much as I would like to do it, I think it is better to wait until we can make some definite plans about getting married.
Gee, honey, I would like to say something in this letter that would help to cheer you up but I don’t know what it would be and Christmas will be all over anyway when you get this letter. A year ago I wouldn’t have been able to talk to you and say the things I wanted to but I could have written plenty. Now it is just the opposite. I can say it much better than I can write it. I guess that is why my letters aren’t as long as they used to be.
Dave’s Christmas card to Ruth, 1935
It is 9 P.M. now and I have to get up early in the morning so I’ll sign off and go to bed.
Goodnight, my love.
Always yours,
Dave
P.S. Did you note the spelling of Rensselaer on the card I sent you or didn’t it even reach you? It wouldn’t surprise me much if it went to Russia considering the way it was spelled.
December 24, 1935
1807 Ninth Street
Rensselear, N.Y.
Hello Honey,
It is 8:30 p.m. and I just got home. There really was no reason for me to come over but I sort of like a change. If I stayed in and tried to write, I know she would have something for me to do every five minutes and at the end of my three hours, your letter would still be unwritten.
I received your card today and thanks a lot. It was very sweet. I intended to thank you for my cedar chest and tell you how much I liked it last night. Somehow I didn’t feel much like talking, maybe you know how I felt. Anyway I want you to know that I like it more than anything else you could have given me. I am sorry I spoiled the surprise by going to Preston Hollow at the wrong time, but I think it is a good thing I did, otherwise, I would never have realized just how much hard work you boys did. It is something I have always wanted and something I can always keep.1
Cedar chest Christmas gift from Dave to Ruth: “I would never have realized just how much hard work you boys did. It is something I have always wanted and something I can always keep.” – Ruth Parker, Dec. 24, 1935.
There is nothing I would like better than to spend tomorrow with you but since that is out of the question, I will content myself by waiting for your arrival Sunday night and hoping this will be the last Christmas we will ever spend apart.
I just talked with Zelma. She has to work tomorrow, too, so I don’t feel quite so sorry for myself. I think Loretta intends to come back to work the Saturday after New Year so that will give me nearly two week’s work.
The kids over at the house have been having a big time decorating the trees in front of the house and the porch. I guess they must have about a dozen strings of balls.
We would have had a pretty good night last night only the darned telephone rang three times. Believe me, I was some tired. It’s sort of bad when you have to go to work in order to get your rest. Mrs. Lally sat up in bed four hours today. The Dr. says he doesn’t think the bone has knitted at all. He is anxious to get her down stairs where he can x-ray it again.
December 25th
Christmas is over at last and I can’t say I am very sorry. Maybe I can stop feeling sorry for myself. I am over at Hewitt’s again.
I am anxious to hear about your trip and all about your Christmas. I’m glad you had such a nice day. I had a very nice dinner but it wasn’t any better than the Thanksgiving dinner we had and I didn’t enjoy it half as much.
I haven’t much time, so I’ll have to end this. You can come after me at 7:30 Sunday night.
Good night, my darling.
Oodles of love,
Ruth
December 26. 1935
Middleburg, N.Y.
My Dear Girl,
It seems to me I wrote you a letter last year about this time and started it by saying, “Christmas is over and I for one am not sorry”.2 The same goes again this year although I had a good time and enjoyed seeing every one wear a smile for a full day.
There really isn’t much to tell and what there is I can say better when I see you than in a letter. We had a swell dinner at the restaurant and after it was over Howard got the rest of the day off and we all returned to the house. By mutual agreement before hand there were only a few presents given and those very small. There was one exception though, that being Carol. She certainly didn’t encounter any handicap by having her birthday and Christmas together. Nearly everyone gave her two presents and some even more than that. There was no question about her being happy.
I thought about you a million times during the day and I’m still wondering how you got by as I didn’t receive your letter today. It has only been three full days since I saw you but it seems a lot longer. I’ll certainly be looking for the mailman tomorrow.
Fran and Lydia stayed all night in Middleburg and came back about noon today. They stopped here at the house but I had just gone out with Claude. They went thru L. just as we were turning in Claude’s driveway so I got out and said hello and that is about all. Janice was with them. I guess she is going to spend her vacation down there.
Clayton didn’t come up to start working on the ice today as he said. Maybe he will start tomorrow. I know something will have to start pretty soon or I’ll be walking back and forth to Albany.
Guess I’ll sign off now darling and if your letter comes tomorrow, I may have a chance to add a few lines to this.
Lots of love,
“Me”
December 27
Just received your letter, darling, and it seemed awfully good to hear from you. Your letter didn’t sound as blue as I expected it to, but it didn’t fool me entirely because I know just how you felt. I haven’t much time if I am going to get this out in today’s mail, so I’ll just say I love you and I’ll be seeing you 7:30 Sunday evening.
Always yours,
Dave
Footnotes
- The cedar chest in the photo is the same one that was referred to here. It was hand made by Frances and Dave, and Ruth did indeed always keep it!
- He’s right. These letters would have been kept with Ruth, so he recited this from memory. The letter in which he wrote this is here, December 26, 1934.