[envelope, no stamp]
Mis Nursie Whaley
Medart
Wakulla Co., Fla.
[postmark]
ASHMORE
DEC 16 1903
FLA.
[postmarks on back]
[faint one from Crawfordville]
MEDART
DEC 17 1903
FLA.
[body of letter, page 1]
"Tuesday night"
Dearest Sweetheart:
Your
ever welcome letter
received yesterday, and
to night as I am at
home all alone I will
try to answer it. Mama
is staying to-night with my
brothers wife, as he is
away and she is afraid
to stay alone, and Major is
off on a weeks trip up
on Smith Creek hunting
etc. So you see I am
left alone. How I wish
that I could be with you
to-night my darling. It seems
[page 2]
-2-
an age since I saw you
when in truth it has only
been a little more than
a week. If I thought you
wanted to see me half
bad as I do you I would
come out there oftener
than I do, but I dont
want to intrude on your
good nature too much
for I know you dont care
to be with me all the
time. There are plenty
boys more pleasant to be
with than I am, and I
know it. If you see Susie
tell that she need not
expect a letter from M-
this week for he will not be
[page 3]
-3-
home until the last of the
week, possibly Sunday.
I had a letter from Miss
Robison last week saying
her sister and another young
lady of Carrabelle would
be with her last Sunday
and asked me to spend
the day with them. I didnt
go, neither have I answered
her letter. I know all the
young ladies she mentions
but I dont crd to be with
them. Since I have known
you Nursie I dont care to
go with any girl but you. I
dont think you can say the
same of me. I know you
do go with more boys than
[page 4]
-4-
I do girls. However I
dont blame you for having
the best time you can.
My dear girl, you very much
mistaken my meaning
in my last letter when
I said that "I love you
more than I cared for people
to know". Did you for a
moment think that I was
ashamed for other people to
know that I loved you?
Surely you didnt think
that of me, and yet that
is the way your letter made
me think you felt. Heavens
knows I dont care if every
body in Florida knew that
I loved you, for 'tis an honor to
[page 5]
-5-
love such a girl, and as
I have told you before, if
I thought you loved me as
I do you I would ask both-
ing more. What I meant
before was this. I dont
think my love is any other
people's business and I
dont like to be the object
of some of their coarse
jokes. Girls are not sub-
jected to such rough jokes
as boys are, and you can
not understand fully what
I mean. Take for instance,
A big knowing how well I love
you would say: "John if I were
you I would hate to make such
a fool of myself about that
[page 6]
-6-
girl when you know she
dont care a straw for you,
why every body can see
she is up to". Now I dont
like such as this for I dont
even want your name used
by some I know, and feel
like knocking them down
if I only had a right to.
I dont think our affairs
are any other peoples bus-
iness. If you choose to fool
me, and I dont know any
better it nothing to them. I
dont make a "confidant" of
every body I meet and tell
them all I know I have
never told a living soul, with
one exception, about my love for
[page 7]
-7-
you. Major doesn't even know.
Not by any mens that
I am ashamed, but perhaps
you would be ashamed for
people to know you loved me.
You are the one that ought
to be ashamed, for you are
an exceedingly pretty girl,
one any boy might be proud
to love, while I am about
as tough a looking sinner
as you would run upon in
quite a ways. However if
you love me half as much
as I do you, some time we
may show people more than
we can tell them now.
Nursie are you still in a
notion to come to Mr. Allan's
[page 8]
-8-
school commencement? Let
me know if you are coming
for if you come I want to
see you and if you dont
I wont go, for I dont care
a snap for the balance, but
I do want to see you. I would
ask you if I might come after
you and take you over there,
but that will be a very busy
day with me and am afraid
I might not get off, and
I wouldnt disappoint you
for any thing. Should you
come with me if I could
get off? If you would I
could let you know before
then whether I could come
or not. I know I could come
[page 9]
-9-
if I can get some of the
other boys to stay in the
store for me. If you wont
come with me, please Nursie
dont come with any one else,
for if you do I wont get to
even see you. Have you found
out whether the commence-
ment is to be at night or
in the day? If it is night
I am sure I can get off
in the afternoon. Sweet
heart I know you are getting
tired of this scratching. My
fingers are nearly cramped
from writing to-day, besides an
hours writing in the depot and
[page 10]
-10-
several money orders and
checks. I dont have much
idle time in the day that
is why I write you tonight.
I havnt touched my last weeks
book work yet, but I hope
to get through it to-morrow
if I am not bothered too
much. I had another letter
from the firm in Jacksonville
this week saying they were
holding the place for me and
wanting to know when I was
coming. I am almost temp-
ted to go yet I havnt and-
we red their letter yet. I had
a letter from my sister this
morning saying she was
better. I hope your Papa
[page 11]
-11-
is improving too. My cold
holds on with a dreadful
tenacity. I want to do to
Tallahassee Friday night
if my brother comes back
in time. For fear of you
losing all patience I will
stop by asking you to please
write soon and a long, long
letter. Ever Your own,
"John"
NEXT LETTER
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