Prelude: The letters to Miss Frances Fairfield continue… This letter from Bob was written only three days after his last letter, December 8, 1938. Bob is now living in Rochester, while Frances is home with her parents in Hornell. Not a long distance by today’s standard, but I sure it was quite a trek in 1938.

 

THE LETTER:

Dearest Fran!

Just got home -11pm- went to a 15-cent show, ‘twas lousy- Got your letter- I’m not slipping, I always get around to writing you every day but it’s the mailing I miss out on.  I was sorry you couldn’t come and I dashed right home to see if you were and got the letter, but it will be a short time anyway so I’ll see you – Oh yeah, I almost forgot if you come up Friday afternoon and are here at 5, stop at the place we stopped when we got the interview, you remember? And I’ll be right out at 5. Oh yeah, about the job I’m still very much enthused but there is so much to tell, I’ll wait and tell you when I see you- OK?

So, you’re going over to Mom’s.  I’m glad to hear it even if I was the instigator and here should cement a strong and lasting friendship.  I only hope you get in- she’ll probably be so far inside the radio that she won’t hear anyone at the door.

Hope you pass your test- I love you darling an awful lot and I’m fairly busting to hold you close and kiss you and well, you know ‘cause you must feel as I do. Well darling, so long for now and I love you.

X for ya       Bob

 

COMMENTARY:

As we watch this relationship develop, I can’t help but wonder how Frances feels. Because we only have the letters that were written to Frances and not the letters she sent to Bob; we’re left with many unanswered questions.  Is Frances as crazy about Bob as Bob is crazy about her?  Does she write him as many letters and he writes her? What do her parents think? They let her go to Rochester to see him, but how often?  There are two sides to this relationship and we’re only seeing one.

 

 

HISTORY:

Just for fun, I looked up what the fashions were for 1938 and found a few pictures:

    

Prelude: The letters continue from Bob to Miss Frances Fairfield. This letter was written on December 4, 1938. Bob’s last letter was from June of 1938. So here we are 6 months later and Bob is living in Rochester, NY.

 

THE LETTER:

Dearest Fran,

Well, you’re gone an hour and I’m lonesome as anything.  My friend the crooner is sure liking tonight- I don’t know whether you will be able to read this or not, as I forgot to bring any other pencil than this and it’s sort of like a crayon.  I hope your mother wasn’t mad at you, getting in so late, but I hated to see you go- I hope you didn’t mind my not kissing you- I wanted to bad enough, so I’ll just use Monday’s kiss tonight and it will make me one short all week. So happy over now that I’m way over here and alone.  I appreciate all the nights that you were with me and am so grateful that we have made the most of our time together. It’s kind of a good thing we didn’t carry out our plan for today as this would have been a funny way to spend our first night- The land lady was here and I paid her the dollar, leaving me a dollar a day ‘til Friday- Gee!

This summer was swell- in fact everything has been, if only you could be here all would be complete- I miss you darling and will continue to until I see you and kiss you. The Paper is drawing to a close but not me, I’ve just started.  I hope you’ll go down and see mom once in a while.  Well, I’m going to take hike tomorrow and see if I can’t find a little better place- It’s not my idea of a place to spend 5 nights a week- It was a different event in Brooklyn, I was learning much but now I think I can afford something a little better.  It isn’t at all my idea of the place I thought I’d stay when I got working. However, It will have to do ‘till I find something.

I love you- that keeps running through my noggin so, I guess it’s time I put it down. I’ll wait ‘till morning to mail this as I have no key and it wouldn’t do to wake the house tonight.  However, I’m writing it tonight- Well it’s time I quit and went to bed. I love you darling and will work hard for you starting tomorrow-

I love you.

Bob

 

COMMENTARY:

This is an interesting letter. It seems that Fran came for a visit and stayed a few nights, but I’m not sure where. Bob seems to be renting a room in someone’s home. We have to remember that this was 1938 and young women didn’t just stay at young men’s places at least I don’t think they did. Anyway, it seems that Bob has fallen deeply in love with Fran as he tells her he loves her three times in this letter. It’s interesting to see how their relationship is developing considering we know how it ends up. What do you think?

Prelude: A short letter from Bob to Miss Frances Fairfield. This letter was written a month later than the last one I posted. Bob is graduating from the Pratt Institute located in Brooklyn, NY. and he includes an invitation to his commencement in this letter to Fran.

 

The Commencement Invitation reads: “The Trustees of Pratt Institute request the honour of your presence at the commencement Exercises on Thursday, June the ninth nineteen hundred and thirty eight at half past two o’clock, in the Academy of Music, Brooklyn, New York.  (and yes, the word “honor” is spelled like above in the invitation)

 

THE LETTER:

Dearest Fran,

Sorry that I haven’t written to you befor now but I’ve been very busy—School was over last Friday but we’ve had baccaulaurate or however you spell it, anyway we had it Sunday and we have a faculty reception tomorrow night—Sorry, that you couldn’t get down as I’d have like to have taken you—but as it is I’m going with a gal—aren’t you jealous—Well, anyway I thought that I’d rather take someone than go alone and not have anyone to talk to, but I’ll be good so there—My mother is coming down Thursday and my sister is driving down from Binghamton Wednesday—I’ll be home the latter part of next week—So get ready—I went in to see about a jobs today at the school and they said that there probably wouldn’t be anything more doing now until the last of August, but if there was they would let me know—So get me any Electrolux sample kit ready gal—I thought that maybe you’d like to have one of these invitations to the exercises for your scrap book so I’ll send it—When do you graduate,, I’m going down and be a witness, can I? Well I can’t think of anything more to say and so I’ll close—So long for now darling and I love you…

Bob

 

COMMENTARY: Each letter gives us a little more insight into the lives of Bob and Fran.  It’s kind of interesting that he is taking some gal to the faculty reception but, I have a feeling it was the thing to do back in 1938. Bob seems very excited to get home to Fran as he tells her to “Get Ready.”  We know where they eventually end up from the previous letters I’ve posted but it’s really fun to look back at their beginning and see the ups and downs of this young relationship.

A Special Note to my Friday’s Letter readers…

I’m so sorry that I was unable to post this letter on Friday. My computer crashed and it took me a couple days to get a new one and recover some of my data. I really appreciate you taking the time to read these letters with me. Sometimes, with all the technology around us all day long, it’s nice to escape into the words of the past. Precious words written by people just like us, accept they had to wait days, and sometimes weeks for their correspondent to reply. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this week’s letter.

Prelude: The letters between Bob and Miss Frances Fairfield continue. Our last letter was from October 1935. This letter is from May 1938. Bob is now in Brooklyn, NY and as he types this letter you can feel the stress of a long-distance relationship creeping in.

 

THE LETTER:

Dearest Fran,

Well, I guess I got no girl anymore have I ??  –Hope there is nothing wrong—I know just how you feel when I don’t write now—I thought for sure there would be a letter today but alas—you must be awfully busy—well I am too—So, I guess I can excuse you this once but—I hope that I hear from you Monday—You haven’t gone and gotten yourself another guy have you?  I mean gotten serious about one—I know that if I were to worry about all of your other guys, I wouldn’t have much time to do work—I don’t know yet whether I’m coming home or not.  I’d like to but if things keep up as they have been—I don’t suppose you’d be able to find much time for me—Ain’t I being mean—Well, there’s nothing new—except Arny got a job in New York and he starts Monday.  I don’t know whether it’s permanent or not but he’s taking it for a little while anyway—A few others have them too, but I haven’t been doing any looking for them as it would be just my luck to find one that would stick me here all summer when I want to be with you—So, I’m just minding my own business and going to school.

Donald was over tonight, in fact he just went home and as usual he’s telling me what he’d done last night- unquote—I stayed up until four this morning doing some work and fooling around just to see the eclipse – unquote —Did you see it? Well, I did and it was swell and all I could think of was you and me sitting in the car at the top of the hill watching the moon slide through that big tree—But I’m determined I couldn’t be a-thinking of ya and the moon and me when you don’t even write to me—and so, I stricken you from my thoughts and went back to work and finally to bed—Where I did allow myself my usual quota of thoughts of you and they were as swell as ever—but I don’t suppose you ever have time to do a little wondering my way—but I mustn’t be too harsh with you cause I lovey you regardless of how often you write and all that—Well I gotta fo for now and so I’ll quit.  I love you darling more than ever so please write me soon.

Bob

COMMENTARY: Well, Bob is sure in love and he’s a bit romantic too. We can tell he’s a bit worried that Fran has found someone else.  We also find out that Bob is going to school in Brooklyn. I looked up the address he posted and I the nearest school I found was Pratt Institute. It was established in the 1800’s and was still there and offering 4 year degrees by 1938. (see link below) I also looked up the eclipse Bob mentions and found that it was a lunar eclipse. (see link below) All in all I really enjoyed this letter from Bob. You can read between the lines and see how much he is in love with Fran, and knowing that, just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside…What do you think?

 

HISTORY:

Here is a link to Pratt Institute: https://www.pratt.edu

Here is a link about the eclipse: https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/1938-may-14