Skip to main content

  • Walter E. Dandy Letter 12/01/1909

    1214 S. Mass. Ave.

    Sedalia, Mo.

    c. December 1909

    My Dear Son,

    …Well Papa has just gone. I must put you on to his game. He went up town. I told him to fetch a tablet so he brought a little one and wrote you two sheets. He says Walter will think I wrote him a lot this time, two sheets. I got a little tablet so he will think I did well. So you can tell him about it. He was saying the other day he believed he had a hook worm. I told him I believe he had too as he knew how to hook the money in.…

    I thought you told me in your last letter you did not want a box. I did not think you would care for it as you were getting such good meals. I think you had better eat fresh meals in place of this stale food as it gets pretty old by the time you get it. But Pa says you shall have it. He says he hated to let Xmas go past without sending you something. He says I have been looking in all the jewelry stores for something and did not know what to get him. I said I didn't feel anything about not sending him anything as I don't think he needs anything. I didn't want you to send us anything as we don't need anything and it is only a waste of money to send it.

    Mrs. B. came down Friday evening had supper. She said they had a letter from you but did not seem elated over it. (What did you say.)

    She said Foraker did not have much fever now. Getting along fine. He weighed 115 lbs when he got out of bed. He has gained about 10 since then. He wants to go right out to Broadway when he leaves the hospital. The mother thinks they ought to wait while Polly says she will have to go to work if she don't get married right away.

    They want to live at Broadway with Mrs. B. but Stanley told her to not let them, to make them go to themselves as she could not put up with Foraker's attention to Polly. She says sometimes Foraker says little things that makes Polly mad. She said she was mad one night and said she had a good mind to throw his ring at him and give him up. She thinks Polly likes him because of him being such a good Christian.

    Jim Dow called B.'s up, wanted to know where Polly was. He went downtown after her.… She told him she was as good as married. So she went to Foraker and told him about Jim, how he thought she was the only girl and Foraker said he doesn't love you as well as I do. She said you were so slow last summer when she went riding with Jim and could not see anything and Foraker cried. Next morning Stanley went to see Foraker and he said Polly doesn't think I love her as much as Dow does and he cried. (I don't think Dow ever made much love to her but she was trying to be mean with F.) She said Dow looked fine weighed 210.

    Mrs. B. said Polly went to a funeral in the country with their minister. He is a widow and she had a fine time. She believed she could win the heart of the preacher. The preacher told Foraker he was getting the choice of the Congregation.

    Another pretty good thing I must tell you she said when F. could sit up they pinned him in blankets. She said he looked awful and big shoes on his feet. Polly kept hinting about getting a bathrobe for him. The mother knew it would come out of her pocket, so she thought she would get it and a pair of slippers and get the honor herself. So she paid $2 for slippers and $5 for the bathrobe and gave them to him. He was tickled about them. She told Stanley what she paid and he said, Ann bought him a dollar blanket (cotton) and made him one so when Xmas came Foraker bought a cut glass dish and a box of chocolate for Polly. (Sent a nigger to get them) Polly eat all the candies before she came home and showed the mother the dish, and she said what did he send me, nothing. She was terrible mad raged and foamed all day and night. Stanley and Ann came up. Still she called him and all of them everything. She said after her buying him $7 worth that he could not buy her a handkerchief. She said she never was so crushed in her life. The funny part Polly eat all the candies before she got home (if that had been you you would have been afraid to eat one for fear we did not get our share). She told Polly she did not think she could ever like him (I'll bet Foraker will have a hot time of it with those two women. I don't think Polly cares very much for him).…

    They were at Gornals one night and Gornal said Polly I would not marry an American. Why don't you marry an English man. She said who would I marry. He said Walter Dandy. She said Walter would not have me. He will be looking out for some moneyed lady. Mrs. Gornal said like Daisy Washington. She is going to be a moneyed lady some of these days. She said he used to send her cards. Mrs. B. said he had quit sending cards to girls and Mrs. Gornal says and I believe to married women too. He hasn't sent me any this Xmas. Mrs. B. said she was mad leaving you to Daisy (I just laughed). Mrs. B. seemed very anxious to know what you were going to do when you got through. More anxious than usual to hear about you.

    I just heard that Mrs. Bremer's boy has pneumonia fever. I am just sitting at my little heater. It keeps this place fine and warm. We are very comfortable here.… Glad you have such a good boarding place. I am glad you are not worrying about grades or anything else. Goodbye and God bless you and give you the desires of your heart if it is for your good and his glory.

    Your loving Mother

We use cookies to improve the performance of our site, to analyze the traffic to our site, and to personalize your experience of the site. You can control cookies through your browser settings. Please find more information on the cookies used on our site. Privacy Policy

×