Letter from Clarence Edmonds Hemingway to Grace E. Hall

Sunday - Oak Park, Ill. U.S.A May 10. 1896.

My darling Love, -

Your John is thinking of his Ursula this warm Sunday afternoon - Tis 92 ° Fhr in the shade; and it makes us flee to some cooler climate where others are whom we love so much.

you - my dear - are so near to me this moment, - your who I love as pen can not tell whose ideals are uppermost in my mind, which I shall try and attain; - let us each moment come nearer. and nearer to each other, - it is impossible

for me to picture to you all my thoughts, - they are all and all for you.

There seems to come over me one of the quiet moments when we are so near each other that neither can speak, - we are so mutual in our ideals and so united in our plans that every once in a while a strong impulse comes to me of my being your other self and how I represent you by my words and actions one before the other and to the outside world.

How near we are to God when we stop and realize our dependence upon Him and how he has planned our past and has our Future all mapped out, -

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surely it is impossible for us to see very far beyond the horizon. -

More and more I realize this when I think of where we were a year ago and how I told you my plans of leaving home for four months and how we agreed on ideals which were most noble and of such a nature they grow stronger and more firm each day. -

Little did I realize what sorrows we should divide and what joys we should share during this year, - how beautiful it is, we

can come to the same Heavenly Father and share our joys and sorrows. - Then to realize we have in Heaven - a mother - who is watching over us and who can interceede for us each moment, while we are awake as well as asleep, - she will always be as dear to me as if I had two mothers; for many times there are points of resemblance brought to me between my mother and yours. For instance both are pure christian mothers whose lives are to make their husbands happy, - ready and willing to share sorrows as well as joys, - both always alert to have their children represent them as a great credit to their family spirit, - then too

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it seems as if they both enjoyed themselves most when they were making others happy - in fact in no way selfish, always doing for those in the home as well as for those about them.

Tis now Monday evening - no longer am I talking to my Love, far far away, - no indeed you came to me in the first mail today. - What a joy to see your handwriting after two long weeks of silence, now to think that twice a week I shall hear from you, - oh how joyous - for I must confess your possum has been a little wee lonesome, - but all's well and Elsie and I

are learning to do more and more for each other in every way. -

Yes my dear, I came right over and closed - the south curtains and will do all and every thing you suggest, - so far the carpets are well kept, so are hoping they will not get excited and flee from the new housekeepers -

Please begin to give dear Leicester great credit as a thoughtful careful housekeeper, - for each night he invariably goes the rounds much as your father did - tests all the windows and doors and we help each other in putting out the lights and sometimes he is first in bed and sometimes I am asleep an hour before the retires, - but so far I have slept in your Uncle Tyley's room, every single night

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since you left. - we are both growing so truly to love each other. It quite seems as though nothing will prevent me staying with Elsie each night until you return! My office is still a vacancy, - but dearest Love this afternoon I wrote my last examination on [?], - the Lord willing, I shall graduate without a flaw, - the 27th - of May - All I have to do now is to cheer up those about me and will call on your grandma tomorrow and tell her - the news from you -

At least a part of it - for she might not know how to interpret your jokes - I am more than

delighted that your passage was so pleasant and I can but be happy to know you were in agreeable company and that you had pleasant ship companions - nothing else would do and I am the "chap" who would desire nothing else for you and you know all too well my faith and trust in you wherever in the world (we) I meant you, but it is all right, - are .

Give my best to your father, - your uncle Miller is about midocean tonight - I have seen Will Hall and your Aunt Emma since he sailed, - and they both seem happy.

I was about to say I shall not be in such a hurry about going to sleep in my office these last nights - for the good mother is a little delayed in the moving sheme, the architect has not yet

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turned over to the contractor the approved plan I saw a little model of the new house on Saturday and it was elegant -

Bye the Bye, the "Rubenstein" concert went off last Thursday night O.K. The town were pleased so far as reports go and I am glad your glory was elsewhere, - for her Leadership Hulbert is reigning supreme in certain circles.

You were so truly Christian not to send that letter - it means so much more for us both -

Your plan of sending me your journal letters suits me to the "T" - I am waiting for the next one -

Nettie has an excellent chance of teaching in Riverside H.S. next year so