Letter 17 ~ September 19, 1918

The Girl at the Gate, Clausen 1889

Minnie tells me she thinks about me all the time and that it's nobody's business "but our own" if I kiss her in public.

Addressed to Mr. Ward C. Griffing, 25th Company, 164th Depot Brigade, Camp Funston, Kansas
[Sherman, Kansas]
Thursday evening, September 19, 1918

Dearest Boy:

I had two letters from you today and I was nearly “tickled to death.” My, but it was great. I couldn’t wait till noon. I opened and read the first page of one of them right away. I bet the children [in my school] wondered what was in that letter that made me change my attitude so quickly. Just before, I had been kinda peevish at some of them and I got so goody goody all of a sudden and nothing could have made me mad, but I was just so happy.

I want to see you so much Sunday but the folks won’t come for me unless it is perfectly clear [weather] Saturday evening. They won’t risk coming on Friday. Don’t think it’s because I don’t care to come if I don’t get to. Why, I’m just wild to come. I want to see you as much as I possibly can before you leave – if you do.

Just had supper – 7:35 P.M.

Boy, please don’t say things anymore like (memories remind you of a time you may never see again) and other things that infer you may never come back. Why, you don’t know how it makes me feel Ward, or I know you wouldn’t. I never think for one moment but that you’ll come home. I couldn’t if I wanted to. Why, I know I would just go crazy if I didn’t think you would. It’s just awful. I can’t think but what you will, but just all the time I have a feeling of fear. Why, sometimes I think I won’t be able to stand it. If you were only near, then it wouldn’t be half so hard. But you’ve just got to come back, and you think you will, don’t you boy? I wish you were the girl and I was the boy.

You said it seemed a long time to you since we have been together. Well it sure seems ages to me and I don’t know what I would give for another chance. And I keep looking forward to the time we can. Surely you will get off by next Sunday (a week from next).

Mrs. Parkerson called me to come down and have some melon with them. I’m gone.

9:30 P.M. – Melon was fine. This is sure a cut up affair, but I’m sure glad she called me. I was sitting here crying before she called and now I feel different. She wanted to know what in the world I did up here. I didn’t tell her that I spent most of my time writing to you when I’m in my room. I have a fine big room. But there’s a big framed picture just above my bed. It’s a picture of a girl standing all alone in an open gate waiting for someone. It’s pretty but I don’t like to look at it very well. I’m too lonesome.

Talk about getting homesick. I haven’t been hardly homesick at all for the folks but my I have been for you. Won’t we be the happiest people on earth tho Boy, when you come home? If you ever get out of the Army, you’ll never get many miles from me again.

I’m sorry boy that you have to wait in line and see others get mail and you not get any. That is something I can do and now since I know your address, I will send a letter everyday and more than glad to if it will make you any happier, Ward.

You know, Ward, how seriously I’ve always objected to your kissing me [in public]. I wouldn’t miss one kiss from you for anything in this world. I imagine our folks were rather shocked or surprised, “But it’s no business but our own.” If they don’t like it, they can turn the other way.

Ward, does Sunday ever come for you? It doesn’t for me and won’t till I can be with you on Sunday evening like we used to be [in] what seems to be ages ago. Will the 10th Division go to Siberia? Your sweetheart, -- Minnie G. Frey

I sure want to see you Sunday.

Footnote:

• An American Expeditionary Force was sent to Siberia during the late stages of WWI.