Prelude: We are still in a series of letters to Miss Frances Fairfield of Hornell, NY. These are (The early years when Fran was still in High school.) Again, this letter was written by someone named “Bern” from Wellsville, NY. The letter was written on June 11, 1935.

THE LETTER:

Dearest Fran,

Received your letter this morning and was awful glad to hear from you.  Hope you get this before Wednesday evening. As yet Louie says he thinks it will be impossible to get there.  He might change his mind. I hope so.  I don’t know whether I can get there or not.  We just learned that they intend to hold school over until Thursday afternoon at 3 and so I don’t imagine we’ll be able to get down until Friday.  I have an exam Friday afternoon and so I might not get there then.

What the heck is Freida’s relation? I know nearly everybody in Wellsville and maybe her relations aren’t exactly friends of mine. I hope they are.  Please come Fran and we can have a swell time together.  I hope Bud plays a sport and doesn’t do me dirt and run out on me.  Even if he does we’ll get somebody nice to date Freida.

You darn old devil, you know when you hit me from behind when we were playing ball.  Well! My back has been out of place ever since! You’d think I was an old man.

Fran sweets.  I want to ask something of you that I shouldn’t, but I just can’t help it. I want you to promise me that you will never date a Wellsville fellow as long as I am going with you, accept Louie or Bud. Will you do this for me? I know it isn’t just the thing to ask, but Fran, It’s because of the fact that every time I go to see a girl, everybody else follows me.  Then they bust in and bust me up and then after a little while they quit going with the girl and a friendship is lost just because of a couple of mugs who want to bust up a nice, good to get along with couple.  So, you see Fran, It’s because of these and other things, I ask you to do this for me, as it will mean a lot to me and I’ll know that our friendship will never be broken.

Betty Doty, a girl from Wellsville, is going to stay with “Bobby” Stevens this weekend.  I imagine it will spoil a good time for Louie and Mandy if they go.

Of course, if by any chance, you fall for a Wellsville fellow, don’t be afraid to let me know then.  Then is the time to drop out and we can still continue our friendship.

Have some work to do now, so I’ll close.  Hope to see you soon (Not soon enough).

(Don’t ever let on any more how I used to feel and you used to get sick of it.) ( I still feel the same, honest!)

Love

“Bern”

COMMENTARY:  Well “Bern” is quite a character! My guess is that Fran once went out with him and it didn’t work out, now they are just friends. But “Bern” would like more of a relationship.  I don’t know why he puts his name in parenthesis, but he always does it. Ahhh… to be young and living in 1935… It’s interesting how he relates to her through his letters, asking her to not date others from his town, accept Louie and Bud of course. It’s all kind of funny and kind of weird too. What do you think?