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I wish I could pin something down about Willie.
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Leigh
April 1913
My dear Kathleen,
Very many thanks to you for your most kind greetings. Quite unexpected from any of you ∴ all the more pleasant. All your most unexpected good words I thank you for, tho’ unworthy. It seems so strange receiving such letters. Well life is very sweet + there always seems to be fresh visions of other beauties beyond. Heaps of clouds, but the sun is stronger than them all, perpetually shining.
You must find the latter gentleman very hot tho’ at times. Which climate do you prefer now? Changeable old English or U.S.A.? It has been such a disappointing season, so much moisture + so little settled weather. Very funny is it not that if any bad cycle of weather approaches it is stated to come across from your neighbourhood. Extreme heat or cold or wet.
What a ripping time you must have had with Cecil. The holiday of your life pretty well. How he must have enjoyed it all. He is a splendid fellow + I do think I have never met a more thoroughly gentle man. It augurs grandly for the future. It is so fine to come across a real genuine gentle man or woman either unfortunately. Still you three will always be at the top of the tree twist you + me. I should have liked to have been with you on the river picnicking +c. But the sights + crowds + rush of business - no thanks. Quite bad enough here. I do hope your Father + Mother are keeping very fit + that all around conspire to give them happiness + rest after all the strain of life they have experienced. Give them my love + best wishes for aye.
And how do you feel after your complete change of life? Scenes + habits + everything must be quite altered to you. Cycling for a pastime? But if only Cecil were nearer it would not seem so absolutely strange at first. How many miles is he from you? Just wait a wee while + flying will be the hobby of the time + then you’ll be able to fly up to P’burg for an hour or so or Cecil can fly down for the evening?? Well I hope not. ‘Tis better as it is methinks.
Do you think there are better chances for employment in the States? Not in the large towns of course for strange to say crowds fly there + so take food out of one another’s mouths. I often feel the only solution of these terrible difficulties lies in removing ¼ or more of the population clear away elsewhere + subdivide them.
Religion + religion alone (pure + undefiled) can give the “new heart” required for perfect happiness on earth. Annie + Lottie keep very well. We are most fortunate. But they are good souls after their long labours of love to our dear old saint, deserve a little freedom from the generality of trouble. Still I could not help being struck by a thought I came across a little while ago: - It is only given to a very very few to be able to say at the conclusion of a task “It is finished”. That labour of love, that unselfish devotion of a life time. That long forbearance in disappointment or suffering mental or physical. That Task given us by our Master to perform for His sake. It’s just grand to be able to have done something + horrid for some of us who have nothing to do. God bless you all + keep you. Accept again my best thanks for your kind messages. May more be as happy.
Till next we write. Believe me always yours very sincerely
Willie
April 1913
My dear Kathleen,
Very many thanks to you for your most kind greetings. Quite unexpected from any of you ∴ all the more pleasant. All your most unexpected good words I thank you for, tho’ unworthy. It seems so strange receiving such letters. Well life is very sweet + there always seems to be fresh visions of other beauties beyond. Heaps of clouds, but the sun is stronger than them all, perpetually shining.
You must find the latter gentleman very hot tho’ at times. Which climate do you prefer now? Changeable old English or U.S.A.? It has been such a disappointing season, so much moisture + so little settled weather. Very funny is it not that if any bad cycle of weather approaches it is stated to come across from your neighbourhood. Extreme heat or cold or wet.
What a ripping time you must have had with Cecil. The holiday of your life pretty well. How he must have enjoyed it all. He is a splendid fellow + I do think I have never met a more thoroughly gentle man. It augurs grandly for the future. It is so fine to come across a real genuine gentle man or woman either unfortunately. Still you three will always be at the top of the tree twist you + me. I should have liked to have been with you on the river picnicking +c. But the sights + crowds + rush of business - no thanks. Quite bad enough here. I do hope your Father + Mother are keeping very fit + that all around conspire to give them happiness + rest after all the strain of life they have experienced. Give them my love + best wishes for aye.
And how do you feel after your complete change of life? Scenes + habits + everything must be quite altered to you. Cycling for a pastime? But if only Cecil were nearer it would not seem so absolutely strange at first. How many miles is he from you? Just wait a wee while + flying will be the hobby of the time + then you’ll be able to fly up to P’burg for an hour or so or Cecil can fly down for the evening?? Well I hope not. ‘Tis better as it is methinks.
Do you think there are better chances for employment in the States? Not in the large towns of course for strange to say crowds fly there + so take food out of one another’s mouths. I often feel the only solution of these terrible difficulties lies in removing ¼ or more of the population clear away elsewhere + subdivide them.
Religion + religion alone (pure + undefiled) can give the “new heart” required for perfect happiness on earth. Annie + Lottie keep very well. We are most fortunate. But they are good souls after their long labours of love to our dear old saint, deserve a little freedom from the generality of trouble. Still I could not help being struck by a thought I came across a little while ago: - It is only given to a very very few to be able to say at the conclusion of a task “It is finished”. That labour of love, that unselfish devotion of a life time. That long forbearance in disappointment or suffering mental or physical. That Task given us by our Master to perform for His sake. It’s just grand to be able to have done something + horrid for some of us who have nothing to do. God bless you all + keep you. Accept again my best thanks for your kind messages. May more be as happy.
Till next we write. Believe me always yours very sincerely
Willie
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1.
There are quite a few letters and postcards from Willie. He seems to have been a family friend of the same generation as Kathleen's parents. It seems possible to me that his surname was Pitt, which would make him William Pitt, but not one of the famous William Pitts. He seems to have lived in both Leigh-on-Sea, where some Farmer relatives lived, and also in London. I haven't been able to figure out anything definite about him - not even which postcards are from him, because he didn't necessarily sign with his whole name. I'm including this letter partly because it tells me a little something more about Ruth's and Kathleen's 1912 visit to their brother Cecil.
We have a letter from Cecil to Kathleen that mentions Willie, but alas, Cecil does not conveniently mention Willie's surname
2.
April 1913
When in April? I don't know. I'm dating this letter April 1, but for all I know it was April 30.
3.
Quite unexpected from any of you ∴ all the more pleasant.
∴ is a mathematical symbol for “therefore”. So does that mean Willie is interested in math, or is it just something he picked up on along the way? He knew Kathleen would understand it, though her degree was in Latin, so there's another thing to puzzle over.
4.
What a ripping time you must have had with Cecil. The holiday of your life pretty well.
Ruth and Kathleen went to see their brother Cecil and his fiancée, Jessie, in western Pennsylvania in late summer 1912. It seems strange to have that trip called "The holiday of your life" when from my point of view, Kathleen's life has barely begun.
5.
I should have liked to have been with you on the river picnicking +c.
Yup, that sounds nice.
6.
But if only Cecil were nearer it would not seem so absolutely strange at first. How many miles is he from you?
Very roughly, 700 miles.
6.
Annie + Lottie keep very well. We are most fortunate. But they are good souls after their long labours of love to our dear old saint, deserve a little freedom from the generality of trouble.
I think that Annie and Lottie were tending to Willie's aged father, who has now died. But since I don't know exactly who Willie is, I'm not sure. Note: there was a cousin Lottie Farmer, but I think that this is another Lottie.
There are quite a few letters and postcards from Willie. He seems to have been a family friend of the same generation as Kathleen's parents. It seems possible to me that his surname was Pitt, which would make him William Pitt, but not one of the famous William Pitts. He seems to have lived in both Leigh-on-Sea, where some Farmer relatives lived, and also in London. I haven't been able to figure out anything definite about him - not even which postcards are from him, because he didn't necessarily sign with his whole name. I'm including this letter partly because it tells me a little something more about Ruth's and Kathleen's 1912 visit to their brother Cecil.
We have a letter from Cecil to Kathleen that mentions Willie, but alas, Cecil does not conveniently mention Willie's surname
2.
April 1913
When in April? I don't know. I'm dating this letter April 1, but for all I know it was April 30.
3.
Quite unexpected from any of you ∴ all the more pleasant.
∴ is a mathematical symbol for “therefore”. So does that mean Willie is interested in math, or is it just something he picked up on along the way? He knew Kathleen would understand it, though her degree was in Latin, so there's another thing to puzzle over.
4.
What a ripping time you must have had with Cecil. The holiday of your life pretty well.
Ruth and Kathleen went to see their brother Cecil and his fiancée, Jessie, in western Pennsylvania in late summer 1912. It seems strange to have that trip called "The holiday of your life" when from my point of view, Kathleen's life has barely begun.
5.
I should have liked to have been with you on the river picnicking +c.
Yup, that sounds nice.
6.
But if only Cecil were nearer it would not seem so absolutely strange at first. How many miles is he from you?
Very roughly, 700 miles.
6.
Annie + Lottie keep very well. We are most fortunate. But they are good souls after their long labours of love to our dear old saint, deserve a little freedom from the generality of trouble.
I think that Annie and Lottie were tending to Willie's aged father, who has now died. But since I don't know exactly who Willie is, I'm not sure. Note: there was a cousin Lottie Farmer, but I think that this is another Lottie.
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DOCUMENT LISTS FOR PEOPLE:
- KATHLEEN: DOCUMENTS ----- Incoming
- FARMERS & GRAYS: DOCUMENTS ----- WJ, Annie, Ruth, Cecil
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