esc to dismiss
x
Home / 📁 Harrington / 📄 Letter, Preston Jr. to Katharine, December 25 1931

Letter, Preston Jr. to Katharine, December 25 1931

Addressed to Miss Katharine S. Tone, 5305 Westminster Place, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Nyack, N.Y.

December 25, 1931

Katharine darling,
There's been so much to be happy about this Christmas, and you are the cause of most of it, and I hardly know where to begin. I don't know if I have appeared dreamy all day, but my thoughts have certainly been with you all day, dear.

Haing two letters in one day from you was just perfect. There's only one way it could have been nicer, and that would have been to have you in person. Somethimes I think you're too nice to me. Thank you, darling, for being that way. I wondered if the postal clerk on the train noticed that there were two letters for me, one to New York and one to Nyack, and that they were both from the same person. This was a busy house yesterday. The special mane cam twice, once with your letter and once with one from my sister.

Last night we must have been doing the same thing for part of the evening at least-- trimming a Christmas Tree. I thought of you early on in the evening as being at your S. S. party, and hoped that all the kids would act the way they were supposed to. Last night was one time when I really missed my brother. He has trimmed the tree all by himself for so many years, that it was almost a new experience for me. The family, including the cat, were all asleep and I had the job to myself and the only companion was the radio. It was quite funny. The first piece I heard was Louise with all the little tinkling variations. After I had been wishing so much that I was on my way to you, it was quite a coincidence that I should hear a piece that we both have listened to so much. After that I listened to the Sistine Choir from Rome, principally to hear them sing Ave Maria. They did sing it but the melody was not familiar. The sining was very good but the radio reception could have been improved on.

This morning we were all awakened very early, 5:30 to be exact. For several years, the Epworth Leage members from the church have gone around singing carols for the sick and shut ins. They get back about seven o'clock to the church and have breakfast and a short service there. Every year I have received several invitations to join them and every year have declined. They sang in front of our house for the benefit of my great-aunt. She is far from being a shut-in and they must have chosen her on account of her age, 85. The funny part was they woke up every one in the house, and my aunt was up but didn't hear them. Her hearing is about the only thing that has failed. There was such a bright moon at that hour, that it seemed as though daybreak were earlier than usual. I looked out at the moon and made our special wish on it before going to sleep again.

Somehow I've lost the art of sleeping late in the morning, unless I'm up very late the preceding night. Today I was up at 8:30 and of course the first thing I did was to open your package. I had it in my room so I could hop right out and get it the first thing on Christmas. When I got down to the outer box, it was done up so attractively that I took it downstairs to show the rest of the family. Darling, the robe is beautiful and thank you ever and ever so much. I have nothing at all like it. It's so nice I'd like to wear it more than I can, and I'm so proud to show it with my Christmas things. I'll have to wear it on our evenings at home, after the great day is over.

I've been wanting to tell you ever since I started writing, how much I like it, and how sweet I think you are to give me such a lovely gift. The engineering training crops out at times and I was writing in a logical sequence, starting with yesterday morning, then evening and this morning. But I'm so happy and thinking about you so much, that I'll probably wander all over for the rest of this letter.

Sometimes when I think of how I wrapped up the stick of candy I sent you, I want to laugh. It wasn't the least bit like Christmas and the stuffing paper wasn't anything but plain, brown wrapping paper. It was a very busy week and although I know what I was going to get, there was no time to do it. Tuesday was the last possible time to send it, so I missed my train and sent it with the only available wrapping material at hand. Please excuse the appearance of the package.

This has been a different Christmas than usual. It's the first time I've ever really wanted to be some place else. I hadn't thought much about seeing you today because I wasn't planning on it. Yesterday afternoon, nearly everyone in the store said "I suppose you'll be traveling this Christmas". With so many reminders, after the rush was over and I was on my way home, I never wanted to go any place so much in my life. I was tempted to wire you to meet me at East Liberty this morning, but couldn't do it very well. Ruth has been away on Christmas before, but Dan never has. The family didn't say anything but I guess they felt more than they said, and I was glad to be here for their sakes.

We went out of town for Christmas Dinner today for the first time. Our relations in Hackensack, N.J. have no one to come home for Christmas, and we had no one this year, so we went down there. It's only sixteen and a quarter miles each way, so we had a nice lazy morning. Since we were here for breakfast only, we let the maid stay home, and it was a luxurious feeling to loaf around just as one felt like. We finally got around to opening presents about eleven thirty A.M. We were driving home at the twilight hour, and of course my thoughts were many miles away with you. But they've been there all day anyway and still are.

We'll really be having two Christmases this year. Ruth and Lloyd and Lloyd, Jr. will arrive tomorrow afternoon, and Dan said that he and Miriam would arrive in time for dinner tomorrow night. Our Christmas Dinner will be in the evening for a change, and one day late.

I sent you a short wire about noontiime to wish you a Merry Christmas but a wire is so unsatisfactory. I hope you'll read between the words-- there was only one line, maybe two. What I wanted to say was that I love you and it's so nice to love and be loved by you. It's been the best Christmas yet and all because of you, dear. The note you enclosed with the robe was so nice, and it is just like my darling to send one like that. I've talked with some people today whom I haven't seen or talked with since the 15th, and I'm so glad to tell them about you.

You will have a busy time with your house full, so you are excused from writing me long letters. You will certainly have a lot of departing people on January third. Would you like to have another leave on that day? With two three day weekends in succession it's too bad if we can't use one of them, even though it isn't such a long time-- by the calendar-- between our meetings. We haven't written anything about New Year's weekend although we talked about it, when we saw each other last. I'd like to see you on January 1st. That will be starting the New Year in the best possible way. It's a terrible day to get you up early to meet me at East Liberty. The right thing to do would be to leave at 2 o'clock on Thursday afternoon, and arrive in East Liberty at eleven seventeen that night. Then we would see the beginning of our lucky year. I'm afraid that it can't be done that way. By working New Year's Eve in New York we can save at least a week's time in finishing up the year's business. There is no business that afternoon and most of the business places are closed for business by three o'clock, and consequently there are no interruptions. The place will be open the day after New Years' although it is closed tomorrow. I expect to go to the city tomorrow and will be the only one there. But I only expect to stay about an hour and visit the bank and that completes the business day. I'll be entitled to have next Saturday off after that. There are a few errands in Brooklyn, too, so my father may drive down with me. It's almost time we started to look for our winter quarters. Several people go south after Christmas and there is usually a better choice of rooms than there is before.

It's only eight o'clock now, so you can see I'm not sitting up late writing to you. This is by far the longest letter I ever wrote and I could go on writing for some time yet. i'm afraid I'll make you late for S. S. on Sunday. Every year I go up to a friend's on Christmas evening and he'll be expecting me soon.

But you've been so nice to me and are so nice, and I love you so much that I had to tell you about it on Christmas Day. I hope that on New Year's Day the sun will be shining for us.

My love,

P. M.

Enclosed are engagement announcements from the Nyack Daily News on 12/22/1931, "Eagle", 12/18/1931, and "Journal", 12/17/1931. Also enclosed are two illustrated cards reading "I ain't lonesome 'cause I'm here, it's because-- you ain't" and "You know I'm lonesome".

Notes:

Tags

x