Postmark June 29, 1899

Wednesday aft.

My Darling

Deceived!! Yes I do believe I am deceived in you.

Well dear I am surprised at you.

And truly is it possible that youv always looked for & prayed to find one like myself!!  Well I am sure I am deceived in you for I surely though[t] your aspirations were based on a higher platform & that I had found a girl looking high up in the world for something.  This is how I am deceived & well I am certainly proud that I am deceived for you are all on earth I am looking for.

You often hear me say I feld sure Id never marry & I did!!  Not because I didn’t think it best for me.  Not because I didn’t have a number of friends to tell me it was better & ect & I would at times wish I could find a true good girl & then Id marry if she was willing.

This I had long since given up finding & this is why I would always think I’d never marry.  There are so many girls that are so weak in more than one thing.  Consequently when you put all their weak points together there isn’t anything left only nice girls for company & ect.  When I would think of marrying any one of these girls I would think marrying was a horrible crime & Id be miserable until such an idea would vanish from my mind entirely.  When I met you I could realize that you were more than worthy of my love & that I was not worthy of you for a wife but I made my mind to tell you all & let you decide & praise to my God youv considered the matter & consented to marry me.  Consequently I believe my miserable life will turn out to be a life of pleasure.

When I stop & think of marrying you it seems as though it will be a pleasure rather than look upon it as being a horrible crime.  I never think of anything but to marry & then what are we to do & of course this will be to decide later.  That is one reason I could assure myself at first that I loved you because I meant to marry you from the beginning.  Then not until this day have I found a fault in you.  Now darling as to what I said about believing Fitz was dead.  I was sure you understood it.  You are always guying me about being stingy & I was merely joking thinking youd think I was to stingy to feed the poor fellow.   Yes I can still say Il love every thing Nelly loves.

Realy you have time to write every day but thought I didn’t.  Now darling who failed to keep this up even after we agreed to write every two days.  Ive been writing every day except this one.

Now then you haven’t done this.  So lets write every day.  I mean to write you every day & if I am busy Il only write a short note & let me beg of you to do like wise as surely I get lonely without your letters to read as you know they are all I look for nowadays.

And you like long cheerful letters do you?  Well I must say I have been felling much better since I returned home.  A few days rest (tell Uncle Paxton) did me lots of good & I am more able to keep up with my work.

I feel sure had I tried to have worked another week without rest I would have had to have gone to my bed as I was near broken down the day I left here.

Now Nelly I fear what I have said to you about the people of this place that youl learn to dislike them from the beginning (& so you may if you wish) but I want you to greet them all with a friendly (Smile).  It doesn’t matter to me about the young ladies or the old ones wishing Id come back here.  They all know I love Nelly & they all know I haven’t confidence enough in them to be influenced by them in anything.

Nelly I love to write it: Yes We’ll Marry no matter what they say & praise to my God if he led us in such a way as to cause us to meet as you seem to think.

You must come by all means next week.  I can live this Sunday all alone but the next I must see you.  One more Sunday is all I can stand so try & arrange to be at old Klondy on Sunday week as it’s a better more [illegible] than Folkstone.

I am not hurrying the wedding at all & if youl come & Sister Burnice cant come we could wait a few days until she can come home so we can be together.  Nell if I could only be with you this lovely evening Id be the happiest boy in this old town & you can have your [illegible] sent on by express & honey I’l pay the express to get to see you but wouldnt spend that much for anything else.

Yes if we are ever rich (we) can have a nice horse cow & dog.  Also cat if you wish but darling don’t be disappointed if we are never rich!!  Miss Godson came in today to stay a month with Mrs. Livingston.  She & Miss Clark live near each other & are best of friends.  No other visitors yet.  Mrs C Thomas & a croud I guess from (Pine) Greenwood will be here next Saturday to Picnic under the oaks.

If it was & affair of ours Id send out for Miss Kate & the others but don’t know just who will be here.

Why do I put two 2¢ stamps on some of my letters.  Well I guess youl know time you finish reading this one as I know it will take 4¢.

Do Darling be at home by Sunday week.  You know dear I love you & want to see you.

Love to all

Glass

Didn’t you say you liked long letters!!

Postmark June 26, 1899

Orange Springs

June 23

My Darling Nell,

Your long letter recd today & strange it is that we were thinking of the same thing.  You [remember] that I had written you on last night that our little affair had opened my eyes too.

Yes dear I’ll [illegible] you & from this out we will both lay down our willfulness & learn to be affectionate to each other.

Yes dear those words pierced me to my very heart however I have always been of a nature to forgive & in a short time over come such feelings.  I felt sure when you wouldn’t take the ring we were done with & in 30 minutes after I reached the Hotel I would have followed you to the new world or had another talk with you & so nice in you to come after me which you said you were had I not come.

No I’ll never regret my trip to Folkstone though it cost me the $16.  [illegible] why is it such trip always cost me more than any one else.

I’ll venture any boy in this place could have made the trip on less.  Now suppose I’d gone to some city but we are not on that subject are we?

Nell I realize every day I love you better thinking all the time too it’s impossible for me to love you any better.

Darling I didn’t think of Fritz’s until I was near home.  Darling was you realy meaning for me to bring the poor fellow? I am realy ashamed of myself because I was only teasing you & would have been glad to have brought him for you. But its to late now.

The first thing Sister said to me was Did you have a good time!! Now guess the second. = = =

The second was “ Well have you guessed & what did you guess before you turn over.

Write me what you guessed.

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The second was I have a Pitcher of Ice milk. Do you want it

Of course I said yes & gave it a fair test too because I had not eaten anything except a 5 cent lunch in Pol & couldn’t eat that.

Dear one!! Do go to the Hotel & eat one biscuit for me but for Heaven sake don’t mention it as I thanked the lady 3 times for her kindness of taking such good care of me.

Nellie it’s late & I’ll have to retire as I am a little bit tired.  After this week I won’t have so much to do. I could write a whole book but no use.

I love you & you only.

Lovingly your boy,

Glass

Postmark June 7, 1899

L. L. Meggs, General Store and Real Estate.
Marion County.
Orange Springs, Fla.,
June 7, 189[9]

 My Dear Nelly

 Am truly glad you came up for I wanted to see you & it would have been impossible for me to come as I don’t know when Bro will be here. Don’t know how the Missippi Riv club tour got started though from disposition I guess as I don’t think I’ll ever see [illegible] soon again. Then too be is coming sure to be here on time. You can express my appreciations to our Sister for her thoughtfulness in inviting me up while you are there. I am sure I’ll be glad to come at most any time convenient to you both.

Do write me as soon as I [illegible] & I’ll write every day too. Hope your ring will come today but guess it can’t get here now. I’m truly sorry I neglected it so long as I did.

I sent my long coat this a.m. to have cut.

Lovingly & with best wishes for a good trip.

Love your own
Glas

[postscript] I didn’t think anything more of Mr. L. C. Then too I am sure I could take your word for what you had written him.

[postscript – on envelope] If Bro is here Friday and I can get off I’ll try to go over to Egar and back with you all to show you the way that is if you have room enough & can come this way.

Postmark June 6, 1899

Tuesday am

My Dear Nelly,

I truly hope before this reaches you I will have seen you & then I’l know what day you leave.

I guess I can never write & get a reply to my letter because it takes a week & I’ve always seen you & got the answer.

I guess Mr. Brinson will come Thursday.

He wrote he would.

Sold Nelly yesterday. I did hate it too but guess Bro will get a better one or at least he’ll try.

I wish Bullet was ok then I’d know you could come when you wanted too to see me.
There is a young man & his mother in the Old Globe for a few weeks. Came from Hawthorn.

Came to go in Spring.

Nellie if you have to go to Ga do go & come back & get the trip off my mind as I have always rather looked forward to it with dread. Then too I know you have to go.
Bro is gone this week to. I can’t see you before you leave don’t know what day he’ll come home.

But remember to write to me on first mail if it’s early & ok arrival notice.

Mrs. E two daughters will be here this week (today).

Ha Ha I sold my white vest yesterday now how about it!! Well it was to large for me any way.

Do write to me often because you are all now.

Lovingly
Glass

Postmark June 2, 1899

L.L. Meggs
General Store and Real Estate
Marion County.

Orange Springs, Fla., June 1, 1899

Dear Nelly,

Yours recd. To busy to write much any way you’l be here this week & I’l tell you all.
Nelly Nelly Nelly you must have had the blues when you wrote to me . No matter how many girls come here I mean to see you if I have to go to Ga.

Yes I’l get you a ring & a good one. The other rings I gave were of cheap construction was why I was so free with them. I’l bring ring gage Sunday & will have it time you go to Ga.

I’l get you any thing & you know it.

Excuse haste. Hope you come this week.

G

Postmark: May 30, 1899

[Note: I missed this letter in my list of files and so it is out of order, but just by one!]

Tuesday

My Own Darling

No one will ever know how I love you & were something to cause me to loose you I would soon grow miserable for I could never find another Nellie.

Were you to go to Ga & not write to me I’d go crazy. Nellie I truly hope your trip will prove a pleasant trip because I know you must get lonely where you are.
Pleasant as well as profitable because you must get your dress & have it ready by July.

I think that in that time Mr. Brinson will be well. He & I can easily get off to come to see you & most any time that suits you. You always say that there will be girls here & for to stay home. [Illegible] them if I want to.

Well Nellie there will be more than the [illegible] I told you of. Yet when you write me to come I’ll board the next train to see you. Of course there will be plenty of girls here the whole summer but there won’t be plenty of Nellies.

Mrs. McBride had a letter from Miss Cora stating she was going North 15th June & she wanted to come spend a week with her before she left. Then too in a few week there will be a very good crowd.

I have been hoping you ask me to Ga & propose to pay my way to have me drive you about & wait on you in general but you haven’t done so yet. So I have done spoken to borrow the money on my own face to go on & have already asked my Boss if I could get off to go. So if Nellie goes Glass means to go if not Glass will not.

Strange how people change. When I came to Fla I had a train ticket to Jaxville via of Waycross. When I struck west Fla thinking I never had & would never love anything in Ga & that my whole fortune would be in Fla & of course wanted to see it all.

I had my ticket transferred to F.C. & P. & came across the northern part of Fla. I don’t know whether it was so much to see Fla or to keep from having to see Ga.

Ha”Ha” how the wind blows these days. Now my whole life is in a Ga girl & so yes I’ll gladly go to Ga or anywhere else to see you & I know the trip will not only be a pleasant one but will be a good rest for me. I think maybe I can come anytime but can tell you Sunday.

Honey don’t stay long.

Lovingly your boy
Glass

Julia Eleanor Lang, 1899

julia eleanor lang, 1899, a photo by Katrina Elsi on Flickr.

Maybe this photo was taken on one of Nellie and Glass's Sunday outings.

The inscription reads: "In the Shadow of the Pines".