Here is Nellie at age 18, five years before she met William Glass Meggs.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Postmark April 12, 1899
Wednesday
Dear Miss Nellie,
The ladies of the ME Church are to give an entertainment at the M.E. Church Friday eve (14th). The proceeds will go to the Pastor in charge.
I have forgotten what the programme will be but it seems as though they called it a box supper.
They requested me to write Mr. Lewis & all of you to come up.
Will you kindly extend this invitation to all & bring a whole hack load up.
Do please come. I want to see you real much & it seems as though Sunday will never come.
If you get this in time to get a line to me in Thursday mail let me know if youl be at church Friday eve.
I’l get it by Friday 2:00.
Your friend in a big hurry
W. Glass
Tell Mr. & Mrs. Upton too & bring them all.
Dear Miss Nellie,
The ladies of the ME Church are to give an entertainment at the M.E. Church Friday eve (14th). The proceeds will go to the Pastor in charge.
I have forgotten what the programme will be but it seems as though they called it a box supper.
They requested me to write Mr. Lewis & all of you to come up.
Will you kindly extend this invitation to all & bring a whole hack load up.
Do please come. I want to see you real much & it seems as though Sunday will never come.
If you get this in time to get a line to me in Thursday mail let me know if youl be at church Friday eve.
I’l get it by Friday 2:00.
Your friend in a big hurry
W. Glass
Tell Mr. & Mrs. Upton too & bring them all.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Postmark April 11, 1899
Monday Eve 10:00
Orange Springs
Miss Nellie Lang
Ft. McCoy
My Dear Miss Nellie,
Shall I address you as mine!! Yes indeed & until you give me a more tedious job than you gave me Sunday I’l call you mine & you’l be mine.
Of course I might find it hard to gain the Old Gents consent but you only said that if I would ask him for you you’d be mine. You didn’t say any thing in regard to his giving his consent. Now my Dear Girl I am ready to broach him on the subject any time you suggest.
Miss Nellie you seem to doubt me but here it is in black & white. You can keep it for reference if you wish.
I want you for mine & mine forever. You & you only. I’l gladly give my heart for yours & at any time you wish we’ll make the exchange.
While I don’t feel that I am worthy of a good true Christian girl for a wife yet I feel that I have found it you the girl I want & one I can love forever. You told me Sunday that if you could only believe me & know that I meant what I was saying that you would be a happy girl. If this is all assure yourself that you are happy & tell me you’l be mine forever. Then I too can say that I am happy & can feel as though I have some thing to live for & hot have to live such an aimless life. And too if my Dear old mother knew that I had given my whole heart & some to a true good Christian girl as you she would one more we could add to our happy list for I fear as I have oft told you she admires a true Christian above every one else for her baby & boys associate much less for his life long companion.
Miss Nellie with your love & influence you might bring me to your ideas of a true husband while I must admit that I am not good enough for you as I am.
Now if this is any proof to you of my love for you, you can have it to keep in black & white & unless you change we will someday [illegible] each other & live & love each other in some lovely little Cottage which we can call ours (if we wish). And at most any time when you are ready youl find me waiting & ready for you.
I’l certainly expect you at church Sunday. In case it rains & you can’t come I may get out in time for S.S. Any way I’l be there & do please come right home after S.S. is over because I’l be there waiting for you. Can we go for a drive or a stroll? Maybe you’l prefer a stroll after so much droning as you have on your programme for the day.
You may be sure if I get there first Sunday p.m. I’l do all kind of nice talking to Papa C.
Miss Nellie yes I’l gladly give up all for you.
Do please write so it will leave your office not later than Friday am & give it a start Thursday if possible for it will seem an age until I get your letter.
With much love
Your own
W. Glass
Orange Springs
Miss Nellie Lang
Ft. McCoy
My Dear Miss Nellie,
Shall I address you as mine!! Yes indeed & until you give me a more tedious job than you gave me Sunday I’l call you mine & you’l be mine.
Of course I might find it hard to gain the Old Gents consent but you only said that if I would ask him for you you’d be mine. You didn’t say any thing in regard to his giving his consent. Now my Dear Girl I am ready to broach him on the subject any time you suggest.
Miss Nellie you seem to doubt me but here it is in black & white. You can keep it for reference if you wish.
I want you for mine & mine forever. You & you only. I’l gladly give my heart for yours & at any time you wish we’ll make the exchange.
While I don’t feel that I am worthy of a good true Christian girl for a wife yet I feel that I have found it you the girl I want & one I can love forever. You told me Sunday that if you could only believe me & know that I meant what I was saying that you would be a happy girl. If this is all assure yourself that you are happy & tell me you’l be mine forever. Then I too can say that I am happy & can feel as though I have some thing to live for & hot have to live such an aimless life. And too if my Dear old mother knew that I had given my whole heart & some to a true good Christian girl as you she would one more we could add to our happy list for I fear as I have oft told you she admires a true Christian above every one else for her baby & boys associate much less for his life long companion.
Miss Nellie with your love & influence you might bring me to your ideas of a true husband while I must admit that I am not good enough for you as I am.
Now if this is any proof to you of my love for you, you can have it to keep in black & white & unless you change we will someday [illegible] each other & live & love each other in some lovely little Cottage which we can call ours (if we wish). And at most any time when you are ready youl find me waiting & ready for you.
I’l certainly expect you at church Sunday. In case it rains & you can’t come I may get out in time for S.S. Any way I’l be there & do please come right home after S.S. is over because I’l be there waiting for you. Can we go for a drive or a stroll? Maybe you’l prefer a stroll after so much droning as you have on your programme for the day.
You may be sure if I get there first Sunday p.m. I’l do all kind of nice talking to Papa C.
Miss Nellie yes I’l gladly give up all for you.
Do please write so it will leave your office not later than Friday am & give it a start Thursday if possible for it will seem an age until I get your letter.
With much love
Your own
W. Glass
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Postmark April 4, 1899
Orange Springs, Fla
April 4
Miss Nellie Lang
Ft. McCoy
Dear Miss Nellie
Please don’t think because I asked you to correspond with me that I can promise interesting letters because I fear you will be disappointed.
The weeks seem to me as though they get longer & to look forward to the Sunday coming seems an age & I think were it so I could get just a short missive from you between times it wouldn’t seem quite so long. I truly hope you won’t think I am asking to much of you when I beg for a few lines this week.
I found my way out the new road Sunday night OK & arrived home on time to attend church but felt as though I needed to sleep & soon found my self in the happy land of “nod”.
I didn’t know it was cold until I left you but I came near freezing, however it wasn’t so bad as having dreamed I was a fish & the flat woods was an Ocean.
I came near letting Mrs. Uptons axe get misplaced. You should come for it by all means this week because it wouldn’t do to loose it. Have you had anymore propositions to go driving!! Ha. Ha. Well the nickel is yours don’t forget it.
You know if I had enough cash I would propose to you that we buy a buggy on the installment plan. You furnish the money & I pay the installment & we own equal parts in the buggy. So long as you are accepting or rather getting proposals on going for a ride I’l make you this one & we can ride real lots then.
The top buggy. Gray horse & pretty girl. Your Father made inquiry of us about was Mr. Wimberly of this City & Miss Broughton. She would be considered I guess as one of Klondykes Fair Maidens as she live out from you on Citrus road about 3 miles.
Miss Nellie:: doubtless you’l be surprised when I state to you that I have not forgotten that you told me you could not give me your heart but would exchange it for mine. I know you thought I’d forget it but I didn’t – C – !!
Now you seem to think that mine is in several parts which I must admit that you have good reasons for thinking so, however let me assure you that I can easily get mine all in a lump when you can make up your mind to make the exchange.
Now Miss Nellie I feel that I am unworthy to make such an exchange with you as this; yet I beg of you to think the matter over where you can’t find any think else to think of. Then why should I wish to make such an exchange unless I could feel that I was getting something that I was unworthy of then I could feel the more proud of the exchange. This is why I can assure you that I am heart whole & fancy free & stand ready to make the exchange with you.
Now I’l tell you of the dance last eve.
I saw we couldn’t find enough young ladies to have a good dance so I proposed to take my harp & Guitar and play for them to waltz.
They were thoughtful enough to accept my proposition consequently I played until the end of my finger fell off.
The lady of the house was kind enough to play one waltz on Piano for me so I got to waltz. Just think of it only one time.
I wish you had been here Monday to help me eat Bananas. I fixed them Sunday am to take out with us on our drive Sunday aft noon & laid them & really I didn’t think of them until Monday when I saw the package tied up & an examination found it was the Bananas that belonged to you & I. I thought of you while eating them (and several times since) & ate one and a half for you.
I’l be on time Sunday, trusting that I’l have a letter from you ere that time.
I am your friend truly
W. Glass Meggs
P.S. Remember the nickle’s yours.
April 4
Miss Nellie Lang
Ft. McCoy
Dear Miss Nellie
Please don’t think because I asked you to correspond with me that I can promise interesting letters because I fear you will be disappointed.
The weeks seem to me as though they get longer & to look forward to the Sunday coming seems an age & I think were it so I could get just a short missive from you between times it wouldn’t seem quite so long. I truly hope you won’t think I am asking to much of you when I beg for a few lines this week.
I found my way out the new road Sunday night OK & arrived home on time to attend church but felt as though I needed to sleep & soon found my self in the happy land of “nod”.
I didn’t know it was cold until I left you but I came near freezing, however it wasn’t so bad as having dreamed I was a fish & the flat woods was an Ocean.
I came near letting Mrs. Uptons axe get misplaced. You should come for it by all means this week because it wouldn’t do to loose it. Have you had anymore propositions to go driving!! Ha. Ha. Well the nickel is yours don’t forget it.
You know if I had enough cash I would propose to you that we buy a buggy on the installment plan. You furnish the money & I pay the installment & we own equal parts in the buggy. So long as you are accepting or rather getting proposals on going for a ride I’l make you this one & we can ride real lots then.
The top buggy. Gray horse & pretty girl. Your Father made inquiry of us about was Mr. Wimberly of this City & Miss Broughton. She would be considered I guess as one of Klondykes Fair Maidens as she live out from you on Citrus road about 3 miles.
Miss Nellie:: doubtless you’l be surprised when I state to you that I have not forgotten that you told me you could not give me your heart but would exchange it for mine. I know you thought I’d forget it but I didn’t – C – !!
Now you seem to think that mine is in several parts which I must admit that you have good reasons for thinking so, however let me assure you that I can easily get mine all in a lump when you can make up your mind to make the exchange.
Now Miss Nellie I feel that I am unworthy to make such an exchange with you as this; yet I beg of you to think the matter over where you can’t find any think else to think of. Then why should I wish to make such an exchange unless I could feel that I was getting something that I was unworthy of then I could feel the more proud of the exchange. This is why I can assure you that I am heart whole & fancy free & stand ready to make the exchange with you.
Now I’l tell you of the dance last eve.
I saw we couldn’t find enough young ladies to have a good dance so I proposed to take my harp & Guitar and play for them to waltz.
They were thoughtful enough to accept my proposition consequently I played until the end of my finger fell off.
The lady of the house was kind enough to play one waltz on Piano for me so I got to waltz. Just think of it only one time.
I wish you had been here Monday to help me eat Bananas. I fixed them Sunday am to take out with us on our drive Sunday aft noon & laid them & really I didn’t think of them until Monday when I saw the package tied up & an examination found it was the Bananas that belonged to you & I. I thought of you while eating them (and several times since) & ate one and a half for you.
I’l be on time Sunday, trusting that I’l have a letter from you ere that time.
I am your friend truly
W. Glass Meggs
P.S. Remember the nickle’s yours.
Friday, May 13, 2011
A Courtship
This blog is dedicated to the courtship of William Glass Meggs and Julia Eleanor "Nellie" Lang, which took place over the course of the spring and summer of 1899. The young couple, my husband's great-grandparents, met in the springtime of that year and married on August 10, 1899.
The letters presented here are Glass' letters to Nellie. Although I am certain she wrote to Glass as well, it appears that he did not save her letters, as she saved his. So, we only have one side of the story, but it is easy to deduce how things went over the course of their courtship. Nellie was a strong-minded girl set to be a teacher, Glass a hard-working young man, working for relatives in a general store. They only saw one another about once a week, on Sundays. Much of their new relationship, then, was formed via the written word, using the U.S. Mail, which traveled quite quickly in those days. Glass wrote at least twice a week to Nellie for the four months between meeting, betrothal and wedding.
Nellie kept his letters, and they were given to me and my husband in a neat bundle, tied up with a ribbon. It's amazing that they survived so well in a non-archival environment, and before they deteriorated, I wanted to transcribe them. My husband asked, "Well, what are you going to do with them now?" So, I came up with the idea to post the letters weekly in a blog and share them with our family, and with anyone who stumbles across this blog.
I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I did!
The letters presented here are Glass' letters to Nellie. Although I am certain she wrote to Glass as well, it appears that he did not save her letters, as she saved his. So, we only have one side of the story, but it is easy to deduce how things went over the course of their courtship. Nellie was a strong-minded girl set to be a teacher, Glass a hard-working young man, working for relatives in a general store. They only saw one another about once a week, on Sundays. Much of their new relationship, then, was formed via the written word, using the U.S. Mail, which traveled quite quickly in those days. Glass wrote at least twice a week to Nellie for the four months between meeting, betrothal and wedding.
Nellie kept his letters, and they were given to me and my husband in a neat bundle, tied up with a ribbon. It's amazing that they survived so well in a non-archival environment, and before they deteriorated, I wanted to transcribe them. My husband asked, "Well, what are you going to do with them now?" So, I came up with the idea to post the letters weekly in a blog and share them with our family, and with anyone who stumbles across this blog.
I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I did!
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