Georgetown Idaho
June 13, 1932
Dot-
Ouch! Gee but I'm sore. Baseball can be quite strenuous when one play hard and is not used to it. Saturday I played with the town bunch, and then Sunday a practice was held and after church I went over and had another good workout.
But then what's the use of thinking about a little thing like that when thoughts about someone else seem to crowd other things out of mind. Your letter was a life saver (not a line drop either), but it so thrilled me that I got part of the way home and then sat down in an empty lot and read it. Seeing that there wasn't more to read when I came to the end I re-read it several times. If I had not received the letter it would have been a dull evening indeed.
I have been pretty well occupied until today. I guess that's the reason I'm a little blue and lonesome tonight. Since i wrote you last friday morning, I have been on a hike or to with the Larsen family
- - - - - - - - - - - - - END OF PAGE 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - -
and while I was not with them I have been with my old friend Lewis Munk, the teacher from Snowflake Ariz. He has had his troubles and love affairs, it seems. He told me that you could never trust a girl more than two weeks after you left them. He has been home four, and a litter hasn't arrived that he expected. Luck to him, it may have arrived tonight.
Larsens left for Salt Lake Sunday morning and my sister June went back with them. I suppose she will stay with Hazel & Helend until my Mother comes home. My other sister Iris is going over to Paris tomorrow to stay with my grandmother, and Gordon, my young brother has gone out on a Ranch 10 miles north of here to stay for a week so I'm left all to my lonesome self.
I have been figuring some rules on Ideals for a wife and for a husband. They are not ready yet but I will send them down pronto!
Trapped a nice cottontail rabbit this morning, and fried it in flour and butter it tasted pretty good. The fishing poor this season. I think it will get better soon, however, I hope it does.
I think Hazel will get the snaps right away. I wrote to her about them today.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - END OF PAGE 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - -
if she does I think she will try to get them to you. If she cannot find you she will keep them and you can call at the Kimball and get them, take a good look and then send them to me I'm anxious to see them too. I want to see how you looked while draped around the scout in Pioneer Park. When you send them tell me what ones you would like and I will send them back. I can have some more done up here from the Negatives.
You say you wonder what I meant when I said that Evelyn was not sympathetic. Well, she asked me about you and, it seems, tried to find out if I really liked you as much as I apparently did. At first she seemed to believe that I clever girl has merely caused me to become infatuated with her. Then she wanted to know if I had changed my ways of acting towards girls (bashful, not kissing etc.) I told her I believed I could act the same way I always had if given the same girls. She then accused me of being bashful (in a daring way.) That's a fine dare but if she thinks I'd be
- - - - - - - - - - - - - END OF PAGE 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - -
fickle she's mistaken. When she saw how things stood she made the declaration that I should not do anything rash and that she believed my liking for you would very probably change. She seems to think I'm a sort of a child who has found something different and then will turn. I think she is wrong. Dorothy, if I ever thought that you would be anything but the sweet companion and trusting friend you have been, I would have my apple cart tipped over, metaphorically speaking. Evelyn is a very good friend to me but she does not understand that I feel that you are a little more than a friend. So much for that. Just remember all that I have told you and remember that as far as I know that it is the very truth and that it comes from deep down in my heart.
Say! What do you think I am? I can't imagine you having any secret sins unless it might be being picked up by someone unknown. I can't imagine you doing that though because if what you said our last day together why wait until next face to tell me what you did between 3 and 4:30 PM friday evening.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - END OF PAGE 4 - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I never thought of it before, but sin is an awful word, don't use it again it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
Wouldn't it be funny if I went Victorian in my actions again. I really think I feel that way now I'm afraid it would be pretty hard for any girl to make me kiss them. By the time summer is over with I will be so set in my ways that even you would have a hard time to make me want to I think I'll be hard boiled with women from now on and if I seem that way when you see me again, it won't be because I have changed in my feelings, but in my actions.
Here's one conclusion I've reached. In love there is respect and in respect there cannot be that common indulgence of emotions which is such a common thing among most young people. Wisdom in love and affection is needed. that which is a common and emotional think before marriage is beautiful and beautiful, even if emotional, after marriage. Social traditions may be slightly wrong, but they are
- - - - - - - - - - - - - END OF PAGE 5 - - - - - - - - - - - - -
what we must cling on to. I do not meant to say that romance is not a good thing, but romance is not a mere play thing. There are too many hearts involved.
Think Dorothy, what might have been a sordid affair, but which was averted, not so much by you or myself, but by our subconscious selves, our training. It was if something clutched at me and said stop!! Then your clear-headed beautiful thought "Let us pray" Dot I love you for that if nothing else. We are all human and we are all flesh and blood, that is good, But it is also good we can so direct ourselves that our bodies will be temples of beauty and cleanliness. We understand ourselves better now Dorothy, and as far as I am concerned that incident is a bond, not a wedge to drive us apart. Well, Lewis Munk, just stopped in to listen to the Radio and spend the evening. I'll have to finish this later -------.
Morning
The only mail leaves at 10:00 AM and it is
- - - - - - - - - - - - - END OF PAGE 6 - - - - - - - - - - - - -
now 9:35 so I'll have to hurry.
I wonder if you will do a little favor for me? Tell Oliver to have the order of socks, which I ordered, sent at a later time. Say, about July 8. This will help me considerably. Thanks.
While Lewis was here last night he mentioned the fact that a new dance floor is being built up one of our canyons. The opening dance is to be held next Friday. He wanted me to get a girl, one I went with a little last summer, and go with him. I haven't decided whether to or not. If I start going out to dances I'll spend money and then I won't have enough for next fall when school starts. The girl herself walked part of the way home with me, from Sunday School last Sunday and she asked if I was going to be here this summer. I told her I wasn't sure. I didn't tell her that more than likely my body would be here but my thoughts would be with a certain sweet kid in S.L.C.
Well, the translation is right I guess only I can't see why you said almost wish you were. What I said later was "I would that you were here" It means the same as a wish.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - END OF PAGE 7 - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Well I'll keep the trail hot between here and the Post Office hoping to hear from you soon.
Du [You] bist [are] die [the] lieblische fraulein [girl] der Welt [in the world] für [for] min [me]. Mein [My] hearst [heart] ist hat in S.L.C. gegangen (I'll bet you can't get all that).
[[The words above in brackets written in pencil over the words above, presumably by Dorothy]]
Mit lieb
Ellsworth
(Excuse the type paper)
I thought of a dozen things to tell you during the night but they will not come back on so short a notice. E.C.