Mush

Yesterday while I watered the lawn, I worked on some of my family history information.  Among the things that I saw was a love letter that I had scanned into my computer awhile ago.  It's written by Albert Bolt to Angie Parratt.  They are my 2x great grandparents on my Dad's side of the family.  From the content, I can gather that they were probably engaged by this point—even if not formally.  The letter was written February 11, 1891.  At the time Albert wrote it, he was 25 years old.  Interestingly, they married February 9, 1892 on Angie's 20th birthday.

Albert was living at Hillsdale College in Michigan and Angie was in Fond du Lac County in Wisconsin.  After this letter, either Albert graduated from Hillsdale and went to another college for post-graduate study, or transferred to Kalamazoo.  I know that he graduated from Kalamazoo in 1897.

Their marriage lasted until Albert died of typhoid pneumonia in 1911—two months short of 20 years.  They had five children, but one of them died as a baby.

Here is what was written in the love letter from 119 years ago:

Hillsdale College,

February 11, 1891

My Own Dear Aangel [sic],—

I am quite sure you will look for a letter next Fri., and so I will not disappoint you because I love you very dearly; and then if you did not receive a letter I am afraid you might invite the “Blues” in Fri. evening to help you overcast your future with somber “improbabilities.”  Now, dearest, don’t say I am “naughty” and so begin to scold me for you know your Albert only tries to help you by telling you that he loves you and that he very seriously objects to your being so familiar with the “Blue” family.

Now, my “prima donna”, if you don’t stop having the blues I shall whip you, —or shut you up,—or let you alone—or—“h-u-g” y-o-u, or—kiss you 1,000,000 times.  Therefore if you will have the “Blues” around you must suffer the awful consequences.  Which of the above penalties do you prefer?  Either of them is almost equivalent to a living death.

Last Sun. afternoon when you were feeling so bad and wanted to see your Albert he was alone with his tho’ts and so slipped your letter out of his pocket and read it—wishing that he might answer it by coming to your side and giving you many sweet kisses.  Strange wasn’t it?

My dear, would you object to telling me as much as possible about what you and your mother said concerning “our wedding” (if it should occur)?

I am very curious about such discussions, you see, because—well because I am an interested party.  Do you wonder at it?

I know how very hard house-cleaning is because I have helped do it many a time.  Only last spring I helped clean house for a wk.,—beginning at the garret and stopping at the bottom of the cellar—and I know how very, very, very tiresome it is.  There is much about house cleaning that a man can do so much easier than a woman—and I am afraid my dear, that you will overtax yourself and have a relapse of your trouble.

Of course, it would be impropriety for me to help you in that hard task—under circumstances that will then exist but you know I would gladly do the house-cleaning for you and let you have the time for rest.  I love you, my little darling,— I do indeed love you with all my heart.

Do you doubt it any more?  Do you fear that I will see some one else within a yr. and change my mind?

I do wonder how my Angie if is feeling tonight!  I hope she is happy and is remembering how much Albert loves her.  Oh! It has been a lovely day, but I had to stay in the house and study.

I send my regards to “grandma”,—you may kiss her for me but don’t tell her of it, i.e. that you kissed her for me.

All my love to you, dearest.

Your Albert.


[On the last page in the margin] Good-morning, my little darling.  It is indeed a “good-morning” here, it seems so much like spring and so forcibly reminds me of those boyhood days in the “sugar bush”

[On the third page in the margin] Will you get tired of that old, old, message “I love you”?  I am afraid I say it too often.  I wish you success and a happy day.

[On the second page in the margin] Darling, I must tell you again this morning that I love you, love you, love you, love you.

[On the first page in the margin] This is the fourth letter you will receive this wk.  Have you rec’d them all right?  I love you dear.

[On the first page in the top left corner] 200 Kisses my own true love and 3 long embraces all of which say I love you dearly.

[On the first page in the top right corner] 10 very sweet extra kisses for Sun. 10 Mon. my dear