Musings of a Young Bride

I found this letter among some of our archives. I hope I don't get in trouble with Gma for sharing it. It was written about six weeks after we were married. A "round robin" sort of letter that was passed among Gma's girl friends. I thought you might be interested in some 'girl talk.' I'll try to add some appropriate pictures. Check back later.

Gpa G

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[A note at the top read:]

Alice, honey, in the flurry of getting ready to move I’ve lost your new address.
What say we all put our addresses on the letter??

Bob Jones University
October 14, 1948

Buenoes noches, senoras!

How’s that for a salutation? It is now twenty-five minutes until seven and my husband won’t be ready to go home until 8 o’clock. Please note the date on this epistle—I’m trying to get back into your good graces for my past misdemeanors. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll get this finished before he comes riding up on our two-wheeled Plymouth to carry me off to our den.

Jiminy snakes kids, but I’m happy!! I knew married life would be wonderful and then some from all you kids told me, but I never knew it would be like this. Truly every day grows sweeter than the day before—because we have our Saviour and each other.

Doris, honey, I’m in love with your son—I could just eat him with a spoon! I ‘spected that he was adirable—but, joy, he’s so precious. Hope I have a picture real soon for my very own. I can’t exactly figure out where you all are located—is it in Indiana [Winona] and is Bud going to Goshen like you all had planned?

Roy says if you’ll drop around the BJU kitchen he’ll give you some baking lessons—or have you acquired a proficiency since you last wrote, Viv? He and Wayne Clay [from Calif.] have complete charge of the baking department here. Roy gets up at 4:30 a.m. and works until after breakfast [biscuits, coffee cake, etc.] and then goes in again at five, bakes biscuits for supper and mixes the dessert for the next day. Sometimes we go home about 7:30 and sometimes not until almost ten.

Oh yes! I had to pay 3 cents postage on this epistle today—and Mrs. Trivette just mailed it from downtown. Ain’t that something!

Alice, Dick Shurtz married Charlene Barge from Mississippi. The girl from California was Helen Hartley. He gave her a diamond last fall and they broke up around Christmas. Charlene is a commercial artist—graduated last year. Shuler is married too—Marie is quite a few pounds heavier since the wedding. She is teaching downtown, I hear. Someone said there were 66 weddings this summer involving BJU students. Sure are a powerful lot of married ones. Goodnight, Viv, I see LaVerne every day and didn’t know she had broken her engagement!! Mr. And Mrs. Lovestrand seem very happy—they are in a few of my classes.

Guess I’ll start at the beginning and tell you about our wedding. I stayed here until August 14. Dr. Carruth said if I didn’t get all the records posted there would be no nuptials!! The kids here gave me a personal shower—even Miss Riley came and gave me a pair of hose. They gave me some lovely things—I wouldn’t have had them otherwise. Mr. Mercer took me to the station and some of the kids went along. It sure was a funny feeling getting on that train and knowing that I was traveling toward the one who would soon be my husband. (Dr. Bob, Sr., was very interested—he even gave ne $5.00 as a personal gift! You know, kids, he’s really a grand old man, even though he has given me some hard times. Ever since we’ve been back he’s been more than kind).

Dick had been sick the week before and couldn’t drive with us to Altoona. I stayed in Alexandria Sunday and Roy and I drove on to Altoona Monday morning. We went to the Dr. for our blood tests in the afternoon. We had a gay time going up in the car—we hadn’t been alone together since Christmas. He drove back Monday and didn’t come up until the next week. I had quite a hectic time. My grandmother had gone to the hospital for a very serious operation [they removed a 20 lb tumor]. That left me home alone because everybody worked and it rained for three days. I couldn’t get the wash dry and seemed like we couldn’t get anything done what with going to the hospital every day to see Ma. Then we got word that my Grandma Sommer had died and the funeral would be on Friday of that week. We all went—and saw my Daddy. I was glad to see him again, but didn’t know whether we would be on speaking terms or not. I had sent him an invitation to the wedding previously and he told me that he planned to come. My sister hadn’t invited him to hers. On Sunday morningI taught a class down in East Altoona and then went to our own church. They gave me a sum of money as a gift from the S.S. and Church which quite thrilled me. I hadn’t been able to save anything what with going to summer school and all.

Roy came up on Mondaay and from then on things were even more hectic. My fingers were all thumbs and I was more of a hindrance than a help to mother. Rosalind Jackson and Carson Rottler arrived for the wedding on Thursday, and Lorraine and Dick came that same evening. I washed my hair about two a.m. My sister had given me a Toni which didn’t take. We had our rehearsal at 3 Friday afternoon, because Nancy and the preacher couldn’t come until then. Altoona is the dirtiest city in Pennsylvania—I ruin my white shoes just walking through the grass. At 5 p.m. on the day of our wedding Roy and I were down town trying to find me a pair of white shoes. Nancy discovered that she had left the key to the organ at home—three miles across the city. She and my brother-in-law jumped into the car and broke all speed laws, I guess. Then to my horror, I found that I had left the rings at home! Roy’s dad called home and had my Grandma hang on to them until the kids came for the organ key. (She had come home from the hospital the day before). The wedding music began at five minutes to eight. We took the pictures afterward. I have a large one that I’ll have wallet size photos from and send you. And my Daddy did come! Sat in the same pew with mother only at the other end. Mother gave me away. I went down the aisle alone. Nancy played “Savior Like a Shepherd Lead Us” during the ceremony. Lorraine sang “The Sweetest Story Ever Told,” and “At Dawning” before the ceremony. Just after the preacher began little Teddy, the ring bearer, sneezed. Since he was holding the pillow with both hands, he couldn’t get his hanky. We tried very hard to control ourselves!

We had a reception at home for about 50—the folks from out of town and the wedding party. At about 11 p.m. we kissed our Moms good-by and slipped out the back door, down through the yard, up over the chicken coop, and into Carson’s car. Everyone thought we were going to the station about 1 a.m. to take a train to Washington. Roy’s dad was mad as hops because we pulled one over on him. Carson and Roz were in front and we were in the back. He drove 25 miles up over the mountain, before we came to enough to tell him that he was on the wrong road. We arrived in Hagerstown, Md., about 3 a.m. We stayed at the Hotel Alexander –quite lush, it was more fun. The next day we took a bus to D.C. and then on to Roy’s home. He had to preach Sunday morning. It was a very good sermon too—they all said married life must agree with him. Monday night the folks gave us a shower and we took a train at 9 p.m. to come back here. Isn’t that some honeymoon?—just having Roy after all this time satisfied my heart. I didn’t care whether we went on a long trip or not.

We’ve been living up at White Oaks—a beautiful little settlement about ¾ of a mile up the mountain. The people just built the house this summer—it’s the kind you always dream about owning someday. They charge us $40 a month rent—which is a little steep for just one room. But just this week we found out that we can move into the housing units on campus. We’re thrilled to death about it. It will just about cut our expenses in half. We get our food for Roy’s work in the kitchen and we’ll get the unit for my work in the office. They are bedroom-kitchen-bath combination. It’s practically like going to housekeeping—I’ve sent home for some of my things. They all have oil stoves and ice boxes. We won’t have the long walk any more. Cold weather will soon be upon us. Wish you could see all the pretty things we got—I sure hated to pack them away to come to school. Most folks gave us linens because they knew we wouldn’t be going to housekeeping for awhile. What we need now are things for the kitchen. I got the cutest salt and peppershakers—similar to those you gave D. Trivette, Dilly, only mine are red and white. I also have three pieces of club aluminum—Mrs. Taylor gave us a frying pan, Doris. Roy’s grandmother made us a double—wedding ring quilt—it’s just beautiful! I still don’t have all the thank-you’s written—I keep losing addresses.

My sister-in-law expects the stork any day now. George is getting a month’s leave from Uncle Sam’s Navy. It’s hard to believe that I’m almost an aunt—goodness it’s sometimes hard to believe that I’m a wife. We waited so long that it seems almost inconceivable that we’re married. But we have papers to prove it! I don’t think I’ve ever told you what a truly wonderful husband I have. My main difficulty is getting his shirts stiff enough. Last time I bought some liquid starch and put them in the straight stuff. If that doesn’t do the trick, I’m sunk. I do my washing at Mrs. Keefer’s this year. She’s truly the best friend I have here—you wouldn’t know her husband is on the faculty—he’s quite a character too when you get to know him. She’s expecting the stork in November. Mrs. Neal is due almost any day now, as is Mrs. Root and Mrs. Clough. Mrs. Parker is not pregnant according to the last report from Mrs. K. I guess that rumor will travel around until they finally put some truth to it. I hope they do—cause Dr. Parker loves children—she’s only about 37. Mary Jane Nuzum got married in June and expects a baby, I’m told. We want one, too, but graduation has to come first. They’re all sitting at home waiting to say, “I told you so.” Lord willing, we’ll make it through this year.

This has been a wonderful year thus far. I get kind of an ache when I think that this is our last year—we’re anxious to getout, yes, but four of the happiest years of our lives have been spent here—even with all our trials and tribulations. There has been less shipping this year so far than any I’ve known. The kids on the whole seem to be pretty swell, and I’m told they don’t mind living five in a room. We had a delegation from the University of South Carolina to visit us today—all the big wheels. They’re appraising our educational set-up.

There are a few new faculty members—a couple from France—he’s Russian and she’s Polish. They are swell folks. There’s a Spanish teacher from Cuba—quite young and pretty. I’ve seen Angel Aguilera with her. Remember him—from Cleveland? They asked a Ph.D to leave about two weeks after school started. He was a rank modernist—the kids said he told very shady stories in their classes—taught psychology.

We’ve had one artist series—a baritone and a contralto. She’s Margaret Daum who sings on the Bayer Asperin program Sunday nights. I t was grand. On Oct. 30 a Shakesperian company is coming to give “Romeo and Juliet.” Nancy gave her piano recital last Saturday night—I was an usher. She was scared at first but recovered sufficiently to give a very creditable
performance.

If D. Trivette isn’t hinting at what I’m thinking she’s hinting at—I shall spank her soundly when next this epistle comes around. It isn’t fair to keep us guessing—but then I guess one can’t be too sure, can one?

We’re having a scrubbing party tomorrow night—Roy and I. We’re going to scrub out our new dwelling and then move in on Saturday. We have to paint the floor and Kem-tone the walls soon—but will have to wait awhile. Just being together and in a home of our own—jiminy snakes, ain’t it wonderful??

Doris H.—Cliff’s sister is here this year and I heard the other day that Cliff is getting married—can’t find out who to. I do wish that boy would come back to the Lord and maybe come back here to school—wouldn’t that be super. He could on the G.I. bill and it would be oh so good for him.

Well, chickadees, the paper is running out and it’s almost time to go. I’ve been burning office electricity—hope I don’t get fired. Do send it on quickly now that I’ve turned over a new leaf. What say? Sho nuff do love yo all!

Arlene