Ruth travels to Adams Center and seems really happy to finally be spending time with everyone in her family, all the Spencer-Parkers who are in the area. Likewise, Dave spends some time with his siblings and winds down a job at a CCC camp.
September 15, 1935
Middleburg, N.Y.
My Dear Girl,
It is now 8 p.m. and you are probably home by now. At least you should be if nothing went wrong and I hope it didn’t.
I didn’t intend to write tonight but I don’t feel so much like going to bed so I’ll start this letter and finish it tomorrow. Ever since that bus pulled out of sight I’ve had a funny feeling that I wouldn’t know how to describe exactly. Sort of an empty and lonesome feeling would come the closest to describing it I guess. I’ve been trying all day to make myself believe that I shouldn’t miss you so much, but now that night is here and especially Sunday night it’s no go. I do miss you, dear, and I can’t help it.
Monday night 8:30 p.m.
As you see, I didn’t get very far with this letter last night and considering the way it started off, it’s just a well I didn’t. All I could do last night was feel sorry for myself so I had to stop writing before I filled the letter up with a lot of troubles.
On the way back home yesterday I happened to think what a dumb stunt that was taking you to Albany to catch that bus when we could just as well have gone in the other direction and caught it at Sharon Springs an hour or more later, saved you that much fare and not nearly so far to drive. Oh well, that’s just like me, always thinking of something too late.
Howard and Carol Irwin, 1927
I got home about 1:30. Howard, Emma, Carol,1 Ward and Mrs. Bishop were here and I was just too late for dinner. Any other Sunday they wouldn’t have eaten before two o’clock. About three o’clock Ben and Florence stopped here and left my suit and top coat. Florence was sorry to have missed you. I guess she thought you weren’t going until later in the day and she wanted to say goodbye.
The gang down at the camp has dwindled down to ten men now and it won’t be long before yours truly gets thru. However, it has lasted a month longer than I thought it would so I have no kick coming.
How does it seem to be home, dear? I’ll bet it’s great and I hope you have a good time. Remember, you are there for a rest so see that you get it. Remember me to everyone, especially your mother. Be careful and don’t let Joe Cuffy get out where the neighbor’s cats can get after him. You know how delicate he is.
I was looking around the house for some paper tonight and I found quite a few sheets of this paper that must have strayed from the rest somehow so I guess I can write a few more letters if I use it sparingly. I’ll be expecting a nice, long letter from you telling me all the news and what you are doing, so until then
Bye, Bye,
Dave
September 16, 1935 (Post mark—no date on letter)
Syracuse, N.Y.
Sunday p.m.
Dear Dave,
So far so good or sompin’. The trip hasn’t been so bad so far. I managed to read a little and nearly fell asleep once. The bus vibrated so I thought my teeth would all be rattled out before I got here. It seemed to ride a lot harder than usual. I guess it was an older bus. We still have 15 minutes more to wait for the H20 town bus. When I got in Richfield Springs I was nearly starved so I had my lunch there.
Gee, I sure am sleepy. I wish you had come along, the trip wouldn’t have seemed so long and lonesome. The other bus just arrived so it won’t be long now.
Adams Center
Monday a.m. (8:10)
Yeah, believe it or not, I have been up since 6:45 which was very good considering Eva and I talked half of the night. I arrived in Adams o.k. at about 7:20. Mom, Bill and Grace met the bus. Eva is still here with her three musketeers. Edward is as much of a warrior as ever. The baby sure is sweet, but how can she help it—just think who she was named after. Glenn and family were here when I got home. Glenn is as much of a clown as ever. We had a chicken dinner after I got here.
The Niebuhr family. Left to right: Edward, Eva Spencer-Niebuhr, Margaret Ruth, Hermann, and Frederick. “She has a nice family but they sure are little devils.” – Ruth Parker, Sept 18, 1935
When I told Eva you were coming up, she said she just had to stay until then. I guess Hermann is coming after her some day this week.
The bus from Syracuse up was much more comfortable than the other. It was nearly a new bus.
June just came to kiss me goodbye so maybe the bus will be here in a few minutes. This sure is a mad house this morning. I have had about 999 kisses since I got here.
Pat was tickled pink to see me. I guess Joe didn’t remember me, but the first thing he did was jump up on the back of one of the big chairs and start fighting.
They tell me this will be the last day corn will be good to can, so probably I’ll be busy if I get Lydia’s corn canned. They had their first frost here last night and it wasn’t very bad, so you see it isn’t such a bad place. It sure seems good to be home.
I haven’t tried the Ford yet but they tell me it still runs.
I guess it won’t be long before the mailman comes, so I will give this the finishing touch.
Be a good boy and don’t work too hard.
Ruth
P.S. The first page is sort of messy due to the fact that I had it in my pocketbook.
September 18, 1935
Adams Center, N.Y.
Hello Davie,
So you expect a nice long letter. Speaking of writing, don’t use that paper you have left too sparingly ‘cause there is a lot more in Preston Hollow with the rest of my belongings.
Gee, this sure has been a nice day but I haven’t been out much. Monday Mom and I went to Watertown to get some cans so we could can Lydia some corn.
Yesterday Hermann came down after Eva and the kids. It seems like half the house is gone. She has a nice family but they sure are little devils. Frederick came about a half inch from removing my eye with a fork.
I will have to go up to Eva’s sometime before I go back. Hermann says if I will come up, he will put air in the tires and water in the radiator. I sent the car up by Bill today to get the brakes fixed and I guess there was something wrong with the generator. Aside from that, I guess it works o.k. I’ll get Hermann to change the oil and grease it. Fran said he would do it if I would wait until I get it down there, but I want it done before I make the trip. I don’t know if I am going to let Lydia have it or not. I think I’ll keep it until the first of the year anyway as they would only have to buy a new license.
I took Grace to Smithville last night and stopped to see Percy and Janie for a little while.2 The only ones I haven’t seen yet are Lynn and Kent. Glenn says if I will come over someday, he will open a can of salmon for dinner, but I’ll have to wait until after his check comes.
I stopped to see Issy the other day, but she had gone out for lunch. I told the guy that nearly cut your head off to tell her I was there.
This morning before I was up my uncle and aunt came. My uncle is my mother’s brother and by the looks of him, he won’t be alive many more months.3 We are going over some day to see him. Mrs. Squires was over last night. Janie and Grace were up this afternoon.
My mother and Percy try to tell me I should drink a lot of milk and gain about fifteen pounds. They seem to think I don’t look as well as I did when I was home last spring. At present I have a swell head cold. My mother also has a bad cold so we make a pretty good pair.
When you come up, how about coming so you can stay two nights instead of one, either Friday and Saturday or Saturday and Sunday. That would give us time to see some of the country. Mom plans to have all the kids home some night while I am here, and maybe if you were here two nights, they could come then. I don’t think they should come if you are here only one night as you will be plenty tired anyway. I wish it were so you could meet Hermann. He says if you won’t write to me every day, he will. He said he used to think it was terrible if he didn’t get at least two letters a day.
That was a pretty good idea about keeping Joe Cuffy in so he doesn’t get messed up with the neighbor’s cats. Last night he staged a fight under my window. I expected to see Joe all battered up, but June brought him upstairs before I was up and he didn’t even have a scratch on him. I have no proof that Joe is responsible, but the Lord cat has one eye missing. Cuffy isn’t battle scared yet.
I just got back from Grace’s. Mom and I went down after the milk. I renewed my acquaintance with all the horses, cows, calves and cats.
I have finished supper and now I am up in my room and as usual when I am at home, I go to bed with the chickens. It is 7:00 and as soon as I finish this, I will retire.
Billy and June just had an argument as to who should sleep with me. We settled it by letting Billy sleep with me tonight since June did last night. Billy treats me better this time, he even condescended to kiss me.
So my little Davie was lonesome Sunday. I was sort of lonesome, too. It seemed to be an awful gloomy day. When we went through Sharon Springs, I saw a sign that told how far it was to Schoharie and I wondered then if it wouldn’t have been shorter than going way to Albany. I tried to see you get in the car after the bus left, but it went so fast I didn’t get a chance.
Have you been down to Preston Hollow since I left? You should go down and finish that card game. I bet you could have choked me Saturday night for acting so dumb. I guess I’m more or less a wet blanket.
I wrote to Lydia last Monday but she probably won’t answer until two days before I am supposed to come back. Most of my time I spend embroidering. I started a set for Lydia’s dining room.
Poor Billy must think he is sent for, I stopped him from playing with the light and then he decided we have too many blankets on the bed.
Thursday a.m.
You had better give me a nice long credit mark because I got up early (8:30) so I could send this letter to you.
Write often and a lot and I will answer as often as you write.
I have to eat breakfast now and I guess I have to take my mother to Smithville.
Get lots of sleep and don’t get too lonesome.
Ruth
September 19, 1935
Middleburg, N.Y.
Dear Ruth,
Received your letter last night and I suppose I should have answered it then but circumstances prevented. What were they? Well, I’ll tell you but I can see a look of disgust come over your face when I do. It was a pinochle game. Yep, I went down to P.H. last night after gas and Fran begged so hard and so long for me to stay I couldn’t resist. Lydia was up at the house doing some work so she had no part in the scheme. You will have to blame it entirely on Fran and my weak willpower. However, since you are home and have plenty of company, you probably won’t even notice the delay.
Lydia says she got your letter but it was short enough to have been written on a postcard. She also says you will probably come back and tell her you didn’t get any rest because you had to can her corn. I hope you canned plenty of it because I like it and I may be the star boarder this winter if I don’t have work.
We had our first frost here Monday night so we aren’t so far behind or ahead of you. It started the leaves turning red so it will probably be real fall weather when you come back. It was so cold Tuesday morning I couldn’t even keep warm working but now it has changed again and the last couple of days were quite hot.
Now to resume, I had to stop and take LaVere down to Lula’s for some help on his schoolwork. I would rather that than get myself involved in something way over my head.
I think tomorrow will wind up the work at the camp and we’ll have to work darned slow to make it last all day unless they suddenly think of something more to do. I still have a couple of small jobs waiting for me and Fran wants me to help put in his oil pit when I can.
Tell Eva if she will stick around until I get there, I might give her a break and take her out.
I hope there weren’t any “whiskers” involved in all those kisses you received. If there were, your face must be a sight by now. Better not have any tell-tale marks on you when I get there or I may take a razor and go around giving free shaves.
Pete was not in evidence last night so I can’t give you any report on his health. The kitten here is growing fast. I’ll give you his exact weight if I ever think to get it sometime and you can judge for yourself.
I guess I have covered everything of any importance so I’ll be signing off. I still miss you, dear, and I’m wondering what I’ll be doing with myself Sunday. Probably writing a letter to the sweetest girl I know. Be good, dear, and don’t forget to write.
Dave
Footnotes
- Carol (1926-2002) was Howard and Emma’s daughter. A photo of Emma is in this post (April 3, 1935).
- A photo and notes about Grace are posted here, and more about Janie is posted here.
- Clarence A. Spencer (1863-1937) was one of two brothers that Jennie had still living in 1935. The other brother, George Alton Spencer, lived until 1954. Ruth was likely referring to her Uncle Clarence, who lasted a few years longer than she predicted. In 1899, Clarence married Lillian May Parker (1873-1905), Carlton Parker’s sister (Carlton was Jennie’s first husband and Ruth’s father; see here for more). He married Sadie Mae Mellon (1889-1979) in 1906 and had two daughters, Flossie Mae (1907-1971) and Frances Maud (1916-1997).