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Here's Margaret, newly engaged to Will, enthusiastically establishing herself as a member of his family, even though that family is 3,000 miles away.
Note that Eva was still married and living in New York at this time.
Note that Eva was still married and living in New York at this time.
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My dear Eva:
Am I not disgracefully delinquent? It was very dear of you to write me, and I should have answered then and there, really just as Will wrote you we were continually going, and he insisted upon my waiting until he left for his trip which was two weeks ago last friday. You may not believe me but it’s been an eternity.
So if you will forgive me I will promise to do better in the future.
You know I really feel quite well acquainted with you for Will speaks of you very often in fact he talks most of the time about you. I mean when he’s talking of the family he is certainly devoted to his family and I want him always just so. I have admired this in Will. do you know I nearly collapsed when he sent those weird looking Kodak pictures to you all, of course you will agree with me that he’s the dearest boy, but as a photographer he’s the very limit it’s a perfect show when he takes my picture, he insists upon such close focus and especially when I’m tired out and look the part, and the last time he politely informed me that he was taking the pictures so you see I’m not responsible for the pictures that came east. I’ve decided you are a very charitable family. After seeing those pictures I want you to love me. I’m very proud of my new sisters. I’m already in love with Alma. Isn’t she the dearest? How I wish we could all be together, perhaps we can next year this time.
Will is coming down for Christmas. I wrote him this afternoon that we were invited out for Christmas dinner Saturday Eve so we will have two dinners. Did he tell you that he was gaining all the time; poor child, most of his clocks are frightfully tight. I’m sure if you girls were here we would have worlds of fun in fact I’ve wanted you many time to help me out. May I tell you that I am very proud of your brother. I only wish you were here so we could have a good chat. I’m quite sure we would agree. I am going to write your mother and Alma this evening.
May I hear from you very soon? I want to wish you such a happy Christmas and a New Year that will be full of happiness.
With much love,
Margaret
Sunday
Am I not disgracefully delinquent? It was very dear of you to write me, and I should have answered then and there, really just as Will wrote you we were continually going, and he insisted upon my waiting until he left for his trip which was two weeks ago last friday. You may not believe me but it’s been an eternity.
So if you will forgive me I will promise to do better in the future.
You know I really feel quite well acquainted with you for Will speaks of you very often in fact he talks most of the time about you. I mean when he’s talking of the family he is certainly devoted to his family and I want him always just so. I have admired this in Will. do you know I nearly collapsed when he sent those weird looking Kodak pictures to you all, of course you will agree with me that he’s the dearest boy, but as a photographer he’s the very limit it’s a perfect show when he takes my picture, he insists upon such close focus and especially when I’m tired out and look the part, and the last time he politely informed me that he was taking the pictures so you see I’m not responsible for the pictures that came east. I’ve decided you are a very charitable family. After seeing those pictures I want you to love me. I’m very proud of my new sisters. I’m already in love with Alma. Isn’t she the dearest? How I wish we could all be together, perhaps we can next year this time.
Will is coming down for Christmas. I wrote him this afternoon that we were invited out for Christmas dinner Saturday Eve so we will have two dinners. Did he tell you that he was gaining all the time; poor child, most of his clocks are frightfully tight. I’m sure if you girls were here we would have worlds of fun in fact I’ve wanted you many time to help me out. May I tell you that I am very proud of your brother. I only wish you were here so we could have a good chat. I’m quite sure we would agree. I am going to write your mother and Alma this evening.
May I hear from you very soon? I want to wish you such a happy Christmas and a New Year that will be full of happiness.
With much love,
Margaret
Sunday
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About the date: The postmark is 12/19/1910, but Margaret wrote "Sunday" at the bottom of the letter, and the 19th was a Monday. And anyway the postmark is for 11am. I don't imagine Margaret sitting and writing letters before 11am.
Did he tell you that he was gaining all the time; poor child, most of his clocks are frightfully tight
I thought clocks might be a type of trousers, but it looks as though it’s his socks that Will was having trouble getting on - from The Internet:
In addition to buckles, decorative stockings worn by men and women enhanced the opulent, patterned textiles of their clothing. In the latter part of the 18th century, fashionable stockings made of silk or cotton were generally white. They were often adorned with knit or embroidered patterns in metallic thread at the ankle, referred to as ‘clocks’ or ‘clocking’. Of course, they existed along with more utilitarian stockings of linen and worsted wool.
Later note: Why oh why didn’t I remember The Lord Chancellor in Iolanthe?
But this you can't stand, so you throw up your hand, and you find you're as cold as an icicle,
In your shirt and your socks (the black silk with gold clocks), crossing Salisbury Plain on a bicycle
Or was it that I remembered it but just didn't quite believe that it was the socks that were the problem?
Did he tell you that he was gaining all the time; poor child, most of his clocks are frightfully tight
I thought clocks might be a type of trousers, but it looks as though it’s his socks that Will was having trouble getting on - from The Internet:
In addition to buckles, decorative stockings worn by men and women enhanced the opulent, patterned textiles of their clothing. In the latter part of the 18th century, fashionable stockings made of silk or cotton were generally white. They were often adorned with knit or embroidered patterns in metallic thread at the ankle, referred to as ‘clocks’ or ‘clocking’. Of course, they existed along with more utilitarian stockings of linen and worsted wool.
Later note: Why oh why didn’t I remember The Lord Chancellor in Iolanthe?
But this you can't stand, so you throw up your hand, and you find you're as cold as an icicle,
In your shirt and your socks (the black silk with gold clocks), crossing Salisbury Plain on a bicycle
Or was it that I remembered it but just didn't quite believe that it was the socks that were the problem?
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