Week 32 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge is "Free Space." I've been busy transcribing letters and postcards. This is one written to my grandmother Helen Ladd by her boyfriend Charles Knight, fairly early in their relationship, by the sounds of it. It was most likely written in 1938 when Helen was 21 and Charlie was 23. I'm not sure how they met, but he mentions in his letter about seeing each other at work, which was the S.D. Warren Paper Company. From the sound of it, Charlie was a hopeless romantic and quite taken with my grandmother!
Sun nite
11 o'clock
My Darling Helen;
As the time shows it is still early in the evening. I have just walked home from the village. I went to church then went up to the drug store and had a dish of ice-cream. I live about a mile from town so I had a nice little walk all alone. As I walked along in the cold night air, I looked up into the sky and there – yes way up there – I could see – do you know dearest what I saw? – I saw “The Silvery Moon." You were not beside me but the moon seemed to follow me as I slowly walked along. Then a thought came to me. If I could not talk to you, the one I loved, why not talk to the man in the moon? I said things to him about you that I would not tell anyone else but you. I asked him why it was that lovers had to stay apart so much. I hope he doesn’t tell everything I said, for my face might turn red. Now I find myself home and another moon light night is passing by, and still I can not be near you. But someday or some night we will be near. Be sure to let me know.
I will write some on this letter and finish the rest later as it is a long time before we go back to work. If I write too much between now and Wednesday stop reading when you get tired and tear the rest up if you like. It helps out a lot even though I can not see you, to be able to write. You asked me if I liked your fancy paper. Sweetheart, when I get a letter from you I can hardly wait to open it. All I want is to read those sweet words – those loving words --- those! those! well darling all I want is the reading of nice things you have to say. I guess you don’t know who I was thinking of for a teacher. I think you would make a swell one. You know how to write swell letters yourself. I think I can be a judge on that?
How long have you been in the mill? Al won’t have many good words for me now that he knows I’ve been out with you. Don’t fool yourself, dear. I may be like all the other men, but thank you for the nice things you said about me.
So Bing Crosby has the radio hour. Wouldn’t I like to be with you and hear him. I guess the snow won’t be the only thing that deep in lover’s lane. I think the grass and the trees will grow some if no one else but you and I travel it. I don’t say that to be mean. I know you would like to be there if you could. We don’t see each other as often as I’d like. How about it dear?
It doesn’t bore me when you write about Bob. It just makes a big lump come up in my throat. Write about him if you like, sweetheart. I know I would like him if I met him because you do and I like the things you like.
Guess I will drop my pen now and write more later. Sweetheart, save a kiss or two until we see each other and I will be loving you in dreamland soon. Good night. May the moon kiss your sweet lips with its silver light for me.
Tues Nite
11 o’clock
Hello Sweetheart;
Here I am again ready to finish this letter. It's been a long while since I saw your smiling face, but in about 12 more hours I will see you in the mill. Hope you will be well.
I worked all day Saturday on my car and got it going about 5 o’clock. Run it about ½ hour and broke the same thing again -- was I discouraged. I knew I had to get it going if I ever wanted to see you, so Monday I took it all apart and to-day I got it going. It seems to be O.K. now. I hope so, for soon I may, I may be able to see you and then we can whisper back and forth instead of writing.
Please excuse my writing for I am in a chair with my feet up on the stove. I might just as well be standing on my head but you remember what you said in one of your letters, “Anything for Love.”
I’ll bet you're in bed by this time. My love will be working before I’m up. Wished we worked on the same tour. Oh boy, oh boy, would that be swell! I might lose my job because I looked your way too much.
I have just paused for a moment and reached over to the table, here is what I found. A sheet of music with these words. Tonight sweetheart, as I close I send these words to you.
I could meet a hundred million people,
And learn a lot of things I never knew,
But I would recall after seeing them all that
There’s ONLY ONE GIRL LIKE YOU.
I could sit atop the highest mountain,
And marvel at the world within my view,
The stars on the hill would give many a thrill,
But there’s ONLY ONE GIRL LIKE YOU.
And to gaze on one so beautiful,
Is reason enough why I sigh,
To be loved by one so wonderful,
Will be my desire till the day that I die,
The roses have a pretty color,
The setting sun reflects the ev’ning dear,
They all play a part,
But I know in my heart that
THERE’S ONLY ONE GIRL LIKE YOU.
You're an angel sweetheart.
Good-night.
Yours with all my love
Charlie
P.S. Answer dearest. Thanks for that -- a million kisses.
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