Grandma had more game than I’ll ever have. There are love letters going back and forth between Grandma and Grandpa in 1929-1930 when she was visiting family in Ontario and they were in what seems to be early stages of dating.

Now, Grandma clearly tells him in the letter to burn this and he didn’t. I found it in a bunch of Grandma’s things along with letters from her dad. So she didn’t burn it either. And now here it is.

512 Cooper St.

Ottawa, Ont

February 3, 1930

Dear Friend

Your welcome letter arrived here several days ago but I couldn’t find a chance to answer it sooner and I must try and cut this one off short if I possibly can as I owe about a dozen now. My pen just seems to run away with me when I start your letters and you really only deserve short notes like you write, but you see I’m not afraid to write bunk I guess.

So you are having nice weather out there now eh? We are too it’s just ideal carnival weather and the carnival people are certainly making good use of it. I saw the snowshoe races Saturday afternoon and Saturday night 5000 snowshoers from Quebec had a torch-light parade. It was a beautiful sight to see them all in their many coloured costumes. After the parade the chimes in the peace tower of the Parliament buildings played many familiar tunes while gorgeous fireworks of every description were set off on all sides of the Parliament buildings illuminating them beautifully. It was a sight worth seeing and one that I won’t forget in a hurry.

I went down and watched the dog races this morning. They were interesting too. And there was a nice long letter from California waiting for me when I got back. He was asking how you are, and I’m very sorry to say he has had bad luck down there. Some machine or something cut off the ends of two of his fingers on his left hand. It must be painful, I feel awfully sorry for him and I’m going to write him a nice little letter one of these days. I think I can compose a short one that will show my sympathy and friendship and make it clear there is nothing more. I wish he wouldn’t write to me, it’s hard not to answer once in a while and I would rather not as I am just forgetting that there’s such an animal as men while I am down here.

You don’t seem to understand why I like it so well down here. I don’t like the people as well as my friends in Cochrane, it’s just the fun they go in for and the places and scenery that I like and it’s that that makes me want to stay here for a year at least. If you could only come down you’d understand. Just picture a warm night in spring, a big round moon casting its mellow light on a cosy Alberta chev parked in one of these apple orchards when the air is heavy with the perfume of the blossoms. Does it not appeal to you? It does to me, at least the trees and flowers and spring time does and I must admit I’d enjoy it all a little better if I had either you or Jean with me to express my thoughts about everything to and to help me treasure every memory.

I think that if I stay away a year or two it will be a good test for our affection. If you can’t wait a year you can’t care very much, you know when you’re afflicted with the real thing, absence makes the heart grow fonder. We don’t know each other very well yet, we have only each others word to depend on without the test of time.

When I said I didn’t care for anybody else in the real way and that I wouldn’t fall for anyone down here I meant it and I am living up to all I said so you can depend on that. And I’m believing all you said and trusting you are playing your part fair too so there is no deed of any doubt or mistrusting for either of us. But perhaps you were only joking in you last letter when you suggested that my reason for not wanting a job in Calgary was that once a week visit of yours etc.

However be sure and burn this letter won’t you cause I sure wouldn’t want anyone but you to read all this bunk I have written and if you don’t burn it right away, it might fall out of your pocket or something.

I’ll line up to those orders and come home sometime and it may be just next month and it may be a year from next month but it will be sometime and I’m looking forward to the day when I get back, but I’m looking forward to a lot of fun before then too.

You were asking my advice about writing to your friend the nurse. Don’t you think that is a question for you to decide. However, I’ll pass my opinion if you want it. I fail to see why you shouldn’t write to her or take her out to shows etc., just as you used to do. I’d feel hurt if I thought you gave up a good friend just because you think it wouldn’t look nice for you to be chasing around with another girl while I am away. Good, clean, true hearted friends are mighty precious in this world whether you ave plenty or not.

How are all the folks at your house and everyone else that I know? Have you got over your cold yet and have you started to round up your horses yet? And did you ever go out hunting deer again? Have you been to any shows or dances since I left or are the roads still bad. Has there been any births, deaths or marriages since I left? Nobody ever puts any interesting gossip in their letters, at least not enough to satisfy a nosy person like me, so far from home and friends.

Write 2 letters a week or else big long ones won’t you? I write closer together than you do and one of my pages equals 3 of yours. I shouldn’t kick about them though because I’m always glad to get them even if there was only one page.

Harrison let me write the last paragraph in his last letter to his girl, this is what I wrote. “Well, dear little light of my eyes, your twin should and lover must toddle off to his trundle bed to dream the sweetest dreams of you. I remain as ever sober and affectionate with barrels of love and kisses H.S.” I won’t tell you what she answered back. He has been stepping out with a nurse too and his girl is sure sour about it too. We have lot of fun teasing him about it. He’d sure tease me if he knew you chum with a nurse too. They must be professional _____. Well I must sign off now, don’t you think it’s about time I did too!

As Ever, Edna