Up to All Sorts - Sepia Saturday 662

Letter from Sally to her fiancé Gustaf, 
[Thursday] 12 December 1929

Introduction: Sally (born 1900) and Gustaf (born 1904) were my grandparents. They got engaged in September 1929. When writing this letter, Sally is still living on a farm in the countryside with her mother (Selma) and three grown-up siblings (Gustav Hildur and Nils). Gustaf (who grew up in the same village) is working as a journalist in the nearest town, some 15 km away. He is renting a room or small flat in town, and goes back to the village (by train) perhaps once or twice per week. 

Storegården 12-12-29  

Darling!

Lots of thanks for the ”surrogate”! It was both anticipated and welcome – even if it had been even better if you had come in person! But when you couldn't, your ”surrogate” served as a substitute. I read bits of it aloud, and we all had a good laugh together – i.e. we womenfolk. [1]

Now I'm sitting at the table in the bedroom, in my usual spot, and before me I have a big pile of big grey gloves – bigger than those you've seen here before. Mum is sitting in her usual spot on the sofa at her spinning wheel, and Hildur at the table, alternately singing and sighing while stitching up a big grey glove. [2]

So you see that things are as usual – fortunately. Caj went back home to her own place again on Tuesday. She was then feeling better, although looking a bit tired. She wanted to go back to work yesterday, in spite of our protests – and she did. Nils was there yesterday evening to check how she was doing. I hope she continues to get better so that she gets back to feeling quite well again. [3]

I'll be coming [into town] on Sunday with the 3 o'clock train. I expect you to meet me, and then we'll go and have a look at the Christmas displays in the shop windows, if the weather allows. Perhaps it's best that I get off the train at the”upper” [= north] station, in case it's raining. Well, meet me there anyway, and we'll see where we go from there.

It's Lucia night tonight [12^th December], but no "pranksters" have turned up yet. I don't suppose anyone will, in weather like this – raining more or less non-stop. [4]

Tomorrow I'll be going to fetch my new coat and dress.

Signing off now, with warm greetings from ”everyone”, but first and last from myself.

Yours, Sally

PS. Please excuse me for writing in pencil. The ink is in the other room, and I don't want to disturb Gustav, who is in there at the moment. 

[1] The "surrogate" seems to have been a letter or some other piece of writing from Gustaf, sent to "represent" him when he was unable to come in person.

[2] This letter gave me a clue to the photo below, in one of the albums. I'd never been able to figure out before what's in that pile on the table, but it's obviously the gloves mentioned. From another letter, I also gather that they were making the gloves to sell in town (I suppose at a market). 

Left to right: Nils, reading aloud to the others from a book. Mother Selma. Hildur, and her fiancé Olle. Sally, busy sewing. Gustaf, with a newspaper. (And the other Gustav, the older brother, behind the camera?)  Probably a typical evening at the farm, in the winter of 1929...

The gloves also made me think of the photo below, showing that they also had sheep at the farm. I think it is Nils holding the sheep in the photo; I can't identify  the woman doing the shearing though. But the text underneath the photo in the album says it's from the farm. Putting things together, I think they probably produced the gloves all the way "from scratch"  - i.e. using wool from their own sheep. 

[3] Caj I think must be a nickname for Nils' fiancé Carin. I never heard that nickname before, but one or two more old letters seem to confirm it.

[4] Lucia night: While nowadays Lucia celebrations in Sweden are more ceremonial - with Lucia wearing a crown of candles, and her maidens (sometimes also boys included in the choir) singing Christmas hymns and other traditional songs of the season. Back in the 1920s (at least in this part of the country) it seems still to have been celebrated more like the British/American Halloween, with people wearing masks and dressing up to be unrecognisable. I've read about this, but also have one photo (below) to confirm it. Year unknown  - and I  can't tell who's who! -  but the text beneath it in Sally's album says  "Lusse i Hillared". I know the family had friends in Hillared (another village). Whether they had been invited there or paid them a surprise visit, I don't know!

Further back in history, Lucia night (12-13 December) was considered the longest night of the year; which would be the root of traditions to celebrate in various ways relating to light vs darkness. (One of those nights that were considered "haunted" until the light took over again.)

Linking to Sepia Saturday 662

Storegården d. 12-12-29 [torsdag]

Älskling!

Tusen tack skall Du ha för ”surrogatet”! Det var både efterlängtat och välkommet. Fastän nog hade det varit bra mycket roligare om Du hade kommit själv. Men när nu inte det lät sig göra, var det väl roligt att få någon sorts ersättning, och som sådan var ju Ditt ”surrogat” alldeles förträffligt. Jag läste högt en bit, och vi fingo gemensamt ett gott skratt. Vi fruntimmer förstås.

Nu sitter jag vid bordet i sängkammaren på min vanliga plats, och har framför mig en stor hög med stora grå vantar, större än dem Du sett här, dvs stora fingervantar. Mamma sitter på sin plats i soffan vid sin spolrock [?] och Hildur på sin vanliga plats vid bordet, än sjungande, än suckande och pustande, och syr på en ”stor grå vante”.

Så nu hör Du att det är sig likt – dessbättre. I tisdags gick lilla Caj hem till sitt igen. Hon var då rätt kry fastän hon såg ju lite trött ut. Hon ville så gärna börja att arbeta i går, trots våra protester, och hon gjorde det också. Nils var där i går kväll och hörde sig för om hennes välbefinnande. Hoppas hon fortsätter att krya på sig nu, så att hon blir riktigt kry igen.

Jaha, nu kommer jag på söndag med 3-tåget. Och då möter Du väl mig och så skall vi väl ut och titta på stan och julskyltningen, om det blir vackert väder.

Kanske det är bäst att jag säger att jag stiger av vid Övre [stationen] ifall det skulle bli regn, och i vilket fall som helst kan du ju möta mig vid Övre, så för vi se ”sedan” hur vi går.

Ja, nu ha vi ”lussekväll” i kväll, men ännu ha vi inga ”lussegubbar” hört av. Det kommer väl ingen tänker jag, i sådant väder. Det regnar ju nästan jämt.

I morgon skall jag gå och hämta min kappa och klädning.

Nu slutar jag med hälsningar många från ”samtliga” men först och sist är Du värmt hälsad av

Din Sally

Ja, som sagt, då är Du snäll och möter mid vid 3-tåget vid Övre.

Hoppas du är snäll och förlåter att jag skriver så illa och med blyertspenna. Bläcket är inne i det andra rummet, och jag vill inte störa Gustav, han är där inne för tillfället.