This letter from Sally to Gustaf has no date, but from its content, I conclude it must have written only two days after the previous one (cf. last weeks post for Sepia Saturday 666).
On the day in between (5 March), Gustaf signed a contract to buy the plot of land where he and Sally were going to build their own house. Comparing the two letters, it seems that the plan was that Gustaf would inform Sally by letter about the outcome of that meeting. However, it seems that after the meeting, Gustaf had instead decided to go to the farm and tell Sally the good news in person. But when he got there - she wasn't at home... (Must have been a disappointment for him!)
Storegården, Thursday morning [6 March 1930]
Darling!
My heartfelt thanks for your letter. I'm so sorry I wasn't home last night, but that's because I didn't know that you were coming! I didn't stay long at Komlösa, and if I had gone straight home, I'd had been back before you arrived. But they wanted me to come in at Källeberg on the way home too, and as I did not know you were coming, I did. They invited me for coffee before we went to Komlösa, and then supper and coffee afterwards as well. Annie then accompanied me part of the way back home, and I did not get home until after the last train had left. But had I known you were here, I'd have hurried straight home! [1]
Well, my friend – this Saturday we're all invited to Stommen, including you. I hope you'll be coming then, and will come with us. Couldn't you arrange to switch your work shift this Sunday with one of the others, and then work the two next Sundays in a row instead? Then I could go into town and visit you there. And you would not have to leave so early this Sunday. [2] [3]
Darling, I'm sorry for my sloppy writing, I'm in such a hurry because I'm about to start washing soon. I'm happy that it's all settled now about the plot.
Thankfully my throat is well again, but I still have a runny nose. I hope you are well.
Lots of love from your Sally
Do please come on Saturday at 6. If I can find the time, I'll meet you at the station.
[1] Komlösa is a hamlet in the neighbourhood mentioned quite frequently in Sally's letters, and I think there must have been a chapel of some kind there back in those days. For all I know, the family may also have had friends living there, but I can't recall any personal names connected with the place. Källeberg on the other hand is the name of a farm where they had friends, situated somewhere in between where Sally lived, and Komlösa.
[2] Stommen I think refers to a neighbouring farm, fairly close.
[3] Gustaf was a journalist at a small newspaper in town, and from the letters I get the impression he probably had to work every other Sunday.
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| Sally & Gustaf |
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| Hildur, Selma, and Sally |
Storegården torsdag f.m. (6? mars 1930)
Min Älskling!
Hjärtligaste tack för brevet. Vad det var tråkigt att jag ej var hemma i går kväll, men jag visste ju ej att Du skulle komma. Jag var inte länge i Komlösa, hade jag fått direkt hem så hade jag gott hunnit hem tills Du kom, men så ville de att jag skulle gå med in på Källeberg i hemväg också, och då, när jag inte visste om att Du skulle komma, gjorde jag det. De bjöd på kaffe innan vi gingo till Komlösa och sedan bjöd de på kvällsmat och kaffe återigen. Annie följde mig en bra bit på hemvägen, jag kom inte hem förrän sista tåget gått. Men tänk om jag vetat att Du var här, vad jag då skulle skyndat mig hem.
Nu är det så, min lille vän, att vi är bjudna till Stommen allesammans på lördag kväll, och Du är också bjuden. Hoppas att Du då kommer och går med. Kunde det inte gå för dig att få byta bort arbetet på söndag till någon av de andra, så kunde Du ju vara inne 2 söndagar i stället, då kan jag hälsa på Dig. Det skulle vara så roligt om Du kunde fått det ordnat så, så sluppe Du att resa på dagen på söndag. Det är så tråkigt tycker jag.
Älskade, du får ursäkta att jag skriver så illa, men jag har så rysligt bråttom. Skall börja tvätta sedan. Det var ju roligt att det nu är ordnat med tomten.
Nu är jag bra i halsen, som väl är, men jag har lite snuva kvar. Hoppas du är riktigt kry.
Slutar med hälsningar i mängd.
Din Sally
Kom säkert på lördag kl 6. Hinner jag, möter jag dig vid tåget.
As always, it's such fun to follow this couple through their letters. Yes, I imagine Gustaf was rather disappointed when he had such exciting news to impart and made a special trip to tell her in person only to find she wasn't home. Shucks.
ReplyDeleteI certainly can relate to how Sally and Gustaf began making plans around a new home. When my wife and I first met we both lived in London but it took a couple of years before we decided to marry and by that time I had returned to the US. So all our wedding plans, etc. were made with letters and occasional phone calls. It's strange how primitive that seems compared to today's instantaneous communication. Who in our modern time would ever show up unexpectedly without phoning or texting ahead? Life was not always simpler then, just complicated in another way.
ReplyDeleteOh that story is so poignant for the loving couple and the times when phones weren't even available. I'm glad they finally got together!!
ReplyDelete