Letters to Nancy
Here are the excerpts from the letters in the “Letters to Nancy”book. The last letter dated December 1883,the one where he tells her goodbye,is an entire transcript of the letter.
September 26,1881
In this evening take my pen in hand…
Oh if I could see you now I think I could tell you more than I can write oh forgive those many words that I have spent with you in vain but if you loved me like I love you I could spend a great many more with . Then again I have traveled all around and a great many fair ladies have I seen and there is no one that ever has touched my heart like she and oh to think that I have all most looked with tears in my eyes and would not believe me what I would say I hope you will not get disgusted at my letter for I am first like I say I am.
Let my pleasures be great or few but the happiest hours I ever spent I spent them along with you.
September 27,1881
I this evening take my pen in hand …
I would like to see you and hear to you talk those sweet words again.
To love is painful it is true and not to love is painful too but oh it gives the greatest pain to be loved and not be loved again. Oh but how I wish I could but see the girl I love so dear but I cannot say that she loves me.
January 17,1882
I this evening take the opportunity of dropping you a few lines…
I hope you will not think hard of me for not coming to you sooner. I suppose you will think that I did not want to see you. I had rather see you now than any body else.
So dear oh will you not forsake me while I am staying here because I am keeping bachelors hall…
January 23,1882
I this evening with great pleasure take the pleasure in dropping you a few lines to let you know I received your letter and was read with pleasure.
I cannot tell you when I will see you but my heart is filled with love when I think of you O that I could only be present with you I think I could talk and never cease talking of the never changing love I have for you and I wish I knew you loved me like I do you it would make my heart leap for joy.
March 1882
I have had the measles and have been very sick since I wrote you you…
I was aiming to comne up their last Sunday and I got sick and could not come. You said that they all said I wouldn’t come back and you think so too. I am to come if I live…
March 30,1882
Dear friend I this morning take the pleasure in dropping you a few lines…
I think of you when you are far away oh that I could see you I could tell you more in one hour than I could write in a day and it would be pleasing to my very heart. Oh when I think of you it fills my heart with sorrow witch cause me to think of those past days when I was so I could see you very often. You must think how sweet love is close or far. I love you as well as love will allow me.
May 16,1882
Dear friend I this morning take great pleasure in dropping you a few lines in return to yours which I received the 13 day of this month.
I was sorry to hear that you all had the measles.
I have love you every since I first got acquainted with you. I cannot say that you love me,love is a trying thing and one of the greatest things among human nature. Love is the thing that has me to spend those many hours with you. It was not to keep others from coming it was that I loved you better than any one else.
July 24,1882
It is with great pleasure that I take this morning to drop you a few lines…
I haven’t heard from you since I was there. I would not have thought you would have forsaken me as you have. “I have looked for a letter every since I was their but my looks has been in vain. It has filled my heart with sorrow to think that my love has been spent in vain. But it has been my great misfortune that all the young ladies has forsaken me and I cannot tell why. I always have tried to treat them with my greatest respect. Oh I sometimes think that I will not never undertake to keep any young ladies company any more for it seams like they enjoy some others company better than mine as some love birds without it’s mate my weary heart is desolate.
August 11,1882
I this evening take the pleasure in answering your letter which came safe to hand and was greatly surprised for I thought you had forsaken me.
Oh that I had some way of telling you how I have thought of your when perhaps you was sleeping…
I loved you the first time I got acquainted with you and my love has grown stronger and truer.
September 12,1882
It is with much pleasure that I this morning take in dropping you a few lines…
I was glad to hear from you. I had thought that you had got mad about some thing and had decided not to write.
You may think that I don’t love you but I love you beter than any one else. Oh if I could only see you I could tell you more than I could write and would like it much better.
If you knew how often I thought of you would write often. My love has been spent freely with you hoping you have spent your love the same
October 5,1882
It is with much love and great enjoyment that I take in answering your lovely letter…
Oh if you only knew my love to you it would all most make you sorrow,for my poor heart. Oh when I get in crowds I look around and cannot see the one I love so dear.
October 23,1882
My dear friend…
My love has been spent free with you hoping you have spent yours the same.
Remember who is true to you and love is kindly given. Oh then remember who is your best friend and your love may so early come and may never have no end. So I will come to a close for this time hoping to hear you explain your love once more.
November 13,1882
Kind friend…
I was glad to hear from you I thought you was not going to write any more. I did not know what you thought you said you thought I was tired of writing. I do not know why you thought so if I wrote anything that made you mad I am truly sorrow.
I have thought of you oftener than any one else. I cannot say you ever think of me only while you read my notes. If you are as true in what you say as I am you will not forsake me but if you see some one else that you think is truer to you and loves you better than I do let him join you in your pleasures and write me a farewell letter and sorrow will be my thought.
November 30,1882
It is with much pleasure that I take in dropping you a few lines to tell you now that I haven’t forgotten the promise that you made me…
For I have not heard from you in so long that I think you have forgotten what you promised me you said you would prove as true to me as I would to you…
December 17,1882
It is with much love and great pleasure that I take in answering your note that I received the other day. I am sorrow that you cannot take time to write no more than you do.
I have wrote my feeling to you and you will not give me satisfaction about what you think of what I write. I don’t think you love me as you said you did if you did you would write to me when I write to you. If your love is on some other young man I hope you will let me know and then I will not be troubling you with loving me.
January 11,1883
My dear friend….
I would like to see you and talk with you and see if you are like you was when I saw you last.
I have love you with more truer love than any one could explain or could have. I am coming to see you as soon as I can get the opportunity. You wrote that you was not married nor I am not either nor never will till I get the one I love that is the one that reads these lines…
March 5,1883
My dear friend…
For I want to see you so bad that I cannot hardly sleep at night. Oh if I could see you I could tell you more than I can write and would enjoyed much better. For I could tell you of many thing that has past since I got to talk with you. I expect I have stayed away too long but I hope you will bear in mind what you told me when I gave you your choice. You may thinik that I am trying to fool you but I am not. If you any body ask you about me you can tell them what you please for I am to come as soon as I can.
March 26,1883
Kind friend I received your letter yesterday and was glad more glad than glad to hear from you. I have been sick 3 weeks…
April 19,1883
My love…
I love you as well now as well as I did when I saw you last my love to you could not be explained by words. You may think because I don’t come I don’t’ think enough of you to come but I aim to come and then I will tell you why I have not come no sooner. I love you …
I will tell you of many things if I ever live to see you again and if I never see you now more you cannot even think of expressing my love I have to you. I am true in what I say. I loved you when first I saw you and my love has gain towards you hoping that we may live in happiness. I think I could live with you beyond all others. I have thought how happy that we might live if we could be whilst in the happy day of life….
May 17,1883
My dear love it is with great pleasure that I take in dropping you a few lines in return to yours that I received Tuesday evening…
You wrote that you wish that I had been with us. I do not know who you call us. I guess it was your sweetheart. I would like to been there to seen who you called us. I expect you have found the right one at last. If you have I hope you will not get deceived in him as you think you have in me. I have told you great many things of my loving heart to you and still you think that I am trying to fool you. If you see any one that you think will prove truer to you and love you better than I do you better turn your love to him for I don’t think that their can ever be any one that will have any more love for your precious heart than I do.
June 28,1883
My dear love I think evening with great pleasure take my pen in hand to drop you a few lines to let you know that I haven’t forgotten you yet…
I have wrote to you and haven’t heard from you in so long that I cannot tell how you are. I thought I would get to come up their last Sunday but I did not get off.
I loved you beyond all others if I could get to talk with you I could tell you why that I haven’t come no oftener. I have stayed away so long that I am afraid to come unless I could hear from you. You haven’t the love for me that I have for you. If you had you would have rote to me long ago. You cannot tell the feeling I have for you. I have the love for you beyond all others. You may think that I am trying to fool you but I hope you will not.
I love you as well as I did when I could see you every two weeks. If you have got tired of writing I hope you will tell me so and then I will no what to do if you have found some one young man that you love. Don’t turn him off for me for I will not interfere of course. The time seems long since I have seen you but I have had no chance to come as I once did. What pleasure is life without love.
October 2,1883
Dear friend I this pleasant evening with much love and pleasure take my pen in hand to answer your welcome letter that reached me safe a few days ago.
Oh that I can say that you filled my heart with love when I first met your acquaintance hoping that this love may grow to more fullness and firmness with I and you and not be passed by and forgotten.
Hoping that if your love is as mine that they may be in the future … and be as one and that we may be as one love until one or both of us is called away to a happier home.
November 15,1883
My dear friend…
I am truly sorry that you have lost confidence in me as you have but I cannot think hard of you for it as I have treated you as I have…
I know that I promised you things that I have not done and I hope you will forgive me for I could not do as I thought I would when I told you so but as far as me being tired of writing or even sorry that I am under the obligations that I am to you I am not sorry in the least. All that I hate is that I could not do what I promised to do and as far as me being tired of you and love some other girl better than you as you think I do you are mistaken.
December 19,1883
Remembered friend I this morning with much love and great pleasure take my pen in hand to drop you a few lines to let you know that I am yet remembering you and I hope you haven’t forgotten those many kind words which has passed between us. I think though that you have for you have not never answered my last letter that I have written you. Although it does not make any difference,for I cannot blame you as I have treated you as I did but it was not my intention to do so. But as things has went like they have I cannot expect you to do as if things had went different. I shall not hold you to no promise that you have made me for I have not done as I aim to do and if you find any one that you love do not turn him off but love him more. I have often thought of thee more than any one else and have loved thee more than one but that does not make any difference with what you have told me although this may be my last opportunity of writing to you but I hope not. Oh those many lonesome hours I have seen while perhaps you was enjoying your many pleasured times has brought many changes since you and I made first acquaintance. Time has seem to me short. All time should be enjoyed with you and perhaps could have been enjoyed much better than it has. Although you may think it the best as it is and I cannot say but what it is time tells all things but the perhaps will be too late. I am one that loves and wishes you well and if you stay single will see you again. I am now in trouble and do not know what to do for the best and cannot tell what I may do. I am going to send you one of my cards and I hope you will appreciate it and remember it as the poetry ascends from ones heart. Loves and wishes you with much success and happiness. May the rose head of your happy life ever bloom with true happiness is the wish of your true friend. Write me a long letter as soon as you get this if it be your pleasure.
Good bye
