Cootes Store, Va.
Dec. 7, 1933
My dear Sweetheart,
Being Thursday evening again I feel like (as if) the week is about gone. School didn't go so good on Monday but has been getting better every day afterward. It's a joy to see how much I can teach my eight pupils on the west side of the ridge. It is a test of ones disciplinary ability to teach during the first three(??) days. I find that force is a very poor way of commanding order and that praise is about the best (that is, if I can find something to praise.)
This evening, I got home at 3:45 as usual. I've washed my head so I'm somewhat light headed. I wash my head in creek water because that is not full of minerals. I'm glad for 4 o'clock to come because I can feel free then for several hours. Talking of sleeping, I think that I do pretty well even though I do usually sleep in three different beds a week. One has a feather tick on it which doesn't come in amiss nights like last night when the thermometer said 17° F.
It is quite a coincident that we told each other about Zeigler at the same time. I was with him at ______ (??). I could tell that he thought a great deal of her because he even went along with her out into the garden after potatoes. I didn't have any idea that he even thought of putting her between him and Roder. I can imagine Roder getting jealous quickly however I don't blame her so much if he told her that he found somebody that he would like to go with. As for Jesse, he will have a scar on his life which will injure his value as a preacher and as a personality if people should hear of his history. I figure that he could not afford to twist about. He has more to regret than Melvin and Aona(??).
I'll try not forget to ask Joe about the typewriter. I'll give Dove and invitation to come along but she wouldn't do anything like that, I won't think. I'll test her to see if she can stay away from her old man a little bit.
I saw lots of folks I knew on Tuesday evening. Melvin seems well and happy. I don't know how often he saw Betsy but he told me that he had been running around a great deal. He likes teaching fine. I wouldn't be much surprised to hear of him getting married this summer. I think that he was 25 the other day. She's about that old too and I know that Melvin doesn't believe in always getting out of debt before getting married. I agree of course but I think it works a lot better if they are out of debt.
Your last letter reveals in you great happiness because of the place where you are and the friends that you have. I rejoice that you are glad to accept me as your lover. It thrills me to know that I have the dearest girl in the world, my first choice, to be my partner. I can only hope and work that you can be proud of me. I hope that we will always think that we are bound together by cords of love instead of bonds of promise.
My prayer is that God may continue to bless you in such a way that you may realize the dreams of your life and that some day we can serve Him together by weaving into His great pattern a Christian home and family.
With sincere affection,
Jacob S.
*****
I am not entirely sure that I transcribed this letter from my grandfather to my grandmother completely accurately. My apologies for any mistakes I may have made as I tried to decipher his writing.
My heart was warmed as I read his words of love for her towards the end of this letter. "It thrills me to know that I have the dearest girl in the world, my first choice, to be my partner..." So sweet.
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