unraveling the mystery
Quite often, genealogy turns into a treasure hunt or a mystery novel, where subtle clues can send you off on sidelines, tracking
down other information, filling in missing pieces, making educated guesses, bringing sense to the story.
James Gorham Armstead I left a box of letters and artifacts when he passed away, mostly correspondences between his father, his mother, and his grandmother Louisa. Of the 23 letters covering mid-1909 through 1912, 14 are undated, leaving me to mine them for clues as to when they were written, and how they fit into the narrative.
There are two additional letters (along with the one on the previous page) that I can conclusively place in the latter months of 1910, after Marion took ill. They each had a cryptic reference that tied them together. The first, from George, shows him being optimistic, encouraging, and pragmatic. [The spelling and grammar errors are copied intact from his letter.]
"Dear Wifey:- I am taknig a few minutes in the heart of the day to write you and I hope that you are drinking in the grand air of those delightful hills and that you will find it doing you great good in a few days. It will if you do not let your sentiments outweigh your good sense and I know you wont do that. To get the benefit of the country and rest you must not let yourself get homesick for that would pull you down and counteract the benefits of life in the open. So be a good girl, and remember that in this separation you are best serving your dear little baby and loving hubby, because it is going to restore you to the home in perfect health, and then we can be happy all through the years to come. (This typewriter is on the bum.)
It was very hot and dusty going to Boston and when I got there my cold had developed until I felt very bad. My eyes itched and were running water, my nose was running a stream, and I had a fierce headache.
I stayed in the office until nine o'clock when I went home and paid the nurse and she left. I then made some hot lemonade and took six grains of quinine and went to bed and had quite a sweat. I am better but not cured, and this morning at breakfast took four grains more, and the same dose at noon. I am going to take six more tonight, and am going to bed with my lemon again and hope in a few days to drive out the spring attack. It is fierce.
I have not written home, but will later if I geel able but am not ambitious enough now for anything. I will be up Saturday but have to have my clothes cleaned, for they are pretty well spotted and I ought to look better. The man I came down with (name forgotten) is engaged to the girl who sat at the head of the table and has been for four or five years he said and she has had lung trouble all that time. Came down with it shortly after they were engaged and he said they had just planned time of their wedding when she had to go away. She went to Loomis San. in York state but did not stay long enough to get a permanent cure and now is back there in Rutland hoping to get permanent cure. She may have told you.
They all seem to think your case is not at all serious and that in a few weeks you will be very much improved and able to go to Lynnfield to live with Jim and me and await the arrival of the other member of our family.
I remailed letters and mailed my letter to you last night at eight thirty at the P.O.. Let me know when you received the mail so we can guage time required in transit.
Read the editorial on Minister who knows life which I wrote for today's paper. Knotts is man who helped stop moving pictures. Editorial on Rich yesterday was talked about a good deal and I think it was pretty good myself.
No letter from home yet. I have autographed picture of Billy Bryan which came today.
Don't feel very well as this letter advances and guess I will go home early and lie in the hammock.
Be a good girl and get all the rest and good out of your visit there that is possible. I told boy I wanted that trunk up there right away and he said he would take it right up. Did he?
We will go driving some day when I come up. The girls all chip in there and hire rig sometimes and go driving about. You go when they do, I want you to have all the pleasures.
It is not so hot here today.
I hope to find letter when I go to the box to mail this.
Be a good girl, darling, and remember that you must not get homesick or that will retard the good effect of the fine air and gentle breezes, the rest, and the recovery.
Of course I am lonesome, I miss you dearest, and wish you were here with me, but life has its trials, its valleys to cross, and its hills to climb. We have been very fortunate up to now and must not be disheartened or allow ourselves to become dissatisfied at our first obstacle for they will be coming at intervals as long as we live. Keep good cheer, a brave heart, and rememver that you and I are travellers on a long journey and must expect reverses, hardships, and trials, but if we
Marion penned a note to George, which I can now date to December 1910, likely Dec. 20 or 27 (both dates are Tuesdays). George marked it as 'in Worcester Hospital':
"George dearest:
I was very glad to get your note yesterday, and hope you reached home in good season. It cleared off about 10:30 yesterday morning, so I went out for an hour, then came in for dinner. After dinner rested till 2 oclock, then went out again till nearly four. It was lovely out yesterday - almost like spring.
I had a letter from Ella, and unless my baby comes before Wednesday or Thursday, she will be up to see me one of these days, and stay for two or three days, putting up at the Y.W.C.A. I guess. I shall be very glad to have her here. I will find out all about my little Jimmie, and the time will pass quickly with someone here to visit me.
I don't think I was coughing so much here as I did in Rutland, and I am sleeping better here. How are you feeling, dear? Take good care of yourself. I will try to be a very good girl, as you want me to be, but you mustn't mind if I shed a tear or two when you leave me, as I did Sunday.
There isn't much news today. I am feeling very well, and everything is going along nicely."
James Gorham Armstead I left a box of letters and artifacts when he passed away, mostly correspondences between his father, his mother, and his grandmother Louisa. Of the 23 letters covering mid-1909 through 1912, 14 are undated, leaving me to mine them for clues as to when they were written, and how they fit into the narrative.
There are two additional letters (along with the one on the previous page) that I can conclusively place in the latter months of 1910, after Marion took ill. They each had a cryptic reference that tied them together. The first, from George, shows him being optimistic, encouraging, and pragmatic. [The spelling and grammar errors are copied intact from his letter.]
"Dear Wifey:- I am taknig a few minutes in the heart of the day to write you and I hope that you are drinking in the grand air of those delightful hills and that you will find it doing you great good in a few days. It will if you do not let your sentiments outweigh your good sense and I know you wont do that. To get the benefit of the country and rest you must not let yourself get homesick for that would pull you down and counteract the benefits of life in the open. So be a good girl, and remember that in this separation you are best serving your dear little baby and loving hubby, because it is going to restore you to the home in perfect health, and then we can be happy all through the years to come. (This typewriter is on the bum.)
It was very hot and dusty going to Boston and when I got there my cold had developed until I felt very bad. My eyes itched and were running water, my nose was running a stream, and I had a fierce headache.
I stayed in the office until nine o'clock when I went home and paid the nurse and she left. I then made some hot lemonade and took six grains of quinine and went to bed and had quite a sweat. I am better but not cured, and this morning at breakfast took four grains more, and the same dose at noon. I am going to take six more tonight, and am going to bed with my lemon again and hope in a few days to drive out the spring attack. It is fierce.
I have not written home, but will later if I geel able but am not ambitious enough now for anything. I will be up Saturday but have to have my clothes cleaned, for they are pretty well spotted and I ought to look better. The man I came down with (name forgotten) is engaged to the girl who sat at the head of the table and has been for four or five years he said and she has had lung trouble all that time. Came down with it shortly after they were engaged and he said they had just planned time of their wedding when she had to go away. She went to Loomis San. in York state but did not stay long enough to get a permanent cure and now is back there in Rutland hoping to get permanent cure. She may have told you.
They all seem to think your case is not at all serious and that in a few weeks you will be very much improved and able to go to Lynnfield to live with Jim and me and await the arrival of the other member of our family.
I remailed letters and mailed my letter to you last night at eight thirty at the P.O.. Let me know when you received the mail so we can guage time required in transit.
Read the editorial on Minister who knows life which I wrote for today's paper. Knotts is man who helped stop moving pictures. Editorial on Rich yesterday was talked about a good deal and I think it was pretty good myself.
No letter from home yet. I have autographed picture of Billy Bryan which came today.
Don't feel very well as this letter advances and guess I will go home early and lie in the hammock.
Be a good girl and get all the rest and good out of your visit there that is possible. I told boy I wanted that trunk up there right away and he said he would take it right up. Did he?
We will go driving some day when I come up. The girls all chip in there and hire rig sometimes and go driving about. You go when they do, I want you to have all the pleasures.
It is not so hot here today.
I hope to find letter when I go to the box to mail this.
Be a good girl, darling, and remember that you must not get homesick or that will retard the good effect of the fine air and gentle breezes, the rest, and the recovery.
Of course I am lonesome, I miss you dearest, and wish you were here with me, but life has its trials, its valleys to cross, and its hills to climb. We have been very fortunate up to now and must not be disheartened or allow ourselves to become dissatisfied at our first obstacle for they will be coming at intervals as long as we live. Keep good cheer, a brave heart, and rememver that you and I are travellers on a long journey and must expect reverses, hardships, and trials, but if we
Marion penned a note to George, which I can now date to December 1910, likely Dec. 20 or 27 (both dates are Tuesdays). George marked it as 'in Worcester Hospital':
"George dearest:
I was very glad to get your note yesterday, and hope you reached home in good season. It cleared off about 10:30 yesterday morning, so I went out for an hour, then came in for dinner. After dinner rested till 2 oclock, then went out again till nearly four. It was lovely out yesterday - almost like spring.
I had a letter from Ella, and unless my baby comes before Wednesday or Thursday, she will be up to see me one of these days, and stay for two or three days, putting up at the Y.W.C.A. I guess. I shall be very glad to have her here. I will find out all about my little Jimmie, and the time will pass quickly with someone here to visit me.
I don't think I was coughing so much here as I did in Rutland, and I am sleeping better here. How are you feeling, dear? Take good care of yourself. I will try to be a very good girl, as you want me to be, but you mustn't mind if I shed a tear or two when you leave me, as I did Sunday.
There isn't much news today. I am feeling very well, and everything is going along nicely."
