August 23, 1914

Dear Diary,

I’m back in Mona. Hazel and I came back last evening. My wisdom tooth is bothering me a lot again this morning. I wish it would finally cut through. Mostly it doesn’t bother me that much but today it does. It makes me feel fretful.

I got a letter from Roy. He said he had been helping to fight a fire in the forest. I hope that it the last of those for it sounds like a very dangerous business. It makes my stomach churn just thinking about it. Logging is dangerous enough without firefighting. It’s all so worrisome.      

Hazel says she is ready to go plum picking. There are lots of them ripe now. Guess I should go put you away and join her. We need to can a lot more of them for this winter.

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Mona, Wyo

Aug. 24, 1914

Dear Roy,

I received your letters last Saturday. I did well got two at once but they were written a week apart. When you write on Sunday I get it Tuesday and on Saturday I get it Saturday, but we did not get the Tuesdays mail I never got any until Saturday, but was two times glad then.

Was glad to hear you were well and you are still that way. I am pretty well now only have a sore throat and tooth I am cutting my wisdom tooth and Oh, my how bad it has been hurting. It is nearly throu tho it has been for six months. We took in the dance Friday night. Had a fine time most every body did any way. I did not dance much as I got sick about seven oclock and so missed a good deal of the dances. Hazel had a fine time tho. Wish you had been there. Hazel and I went down to Donald last Tues and was there for a few days. We were over to Pearl Hunnicutts you know that is where Uncle Tom and you and I went my we had a nice time. We had a nice crowd at church wish you could have been there too. (Author’s note: Pearl was Mae’s mother’s cousin; Pearl’s mother was another one of the Harden sisters.)

Hazel and Daniel are riding after horses and Mama is picking plums, so I am alone Papa went down to the other place today. He will soon be throu, I will sure be glad for he is not a bit well and I am very worried about him but most every body is sick now. Today is just cold I am almost frozen. Yesterday was just awful hot, that is Wyo for you. My I am glad your folks are not going back to that place for I know you are much more pleased too. Vera was just telling me she got your card. She was much pleased, she says she is crazy over pictures and Lela got your card too. I was there when she got it, she said she had not forgotten you either, I was over and saw Clara and Holley too.

Well I do hope that fire is out by now you must not fight fire any more or I will be worried. Now I guess I will stop and write to Aunt Sadie. I wrote this in such a hurry I don’t suppose you will be able to read it all.

Best wishes

Yours Mae

P.S. We may move to Belle Fourche before long,  

China letter in this envelope translates to: “I missed you so when I was at the dance and I was sick, O, don’t say a word.”

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Dear Diary,

August 26^th, 1914

The supper dishes are done. And I am sitting out in my garden. It’s such a beautiful late summer evening, the air is calm, the temperature mild and soon the stars will be twinkling like diamonds in the sky. Wouldn’t it be nice if Roy was sitting here with me? For now, I can only wish upon a star.

Vera and I went riding with our ponies today.  We just let them amble along slowly, their ears a twitching and their tails swatting flies. It was such a beautiful day, the air smelled sweet and clean. Occasionally a hawk or an eagle would soar across the sky looking for lunch in the golden fields of wheat, oats and rye.

I had packed us a lunch of sandwiches and cookies. We stopped along Deep Creek. We tethered the horses to a tree and sat under the shade of some scrub oaks. After we ate we laid on our backs and watched fluffy white clouds move across the blue sky. We began to talk of what the future might hold. Like me she was some worried about the thought of war but supposed that the U. S would never become too involved.

Of course, I said I hoped my future involved marrying Roy and Vera said she hoped she’d marry Clarence. When she asked me how many children I would have? I said a boy and a girl for sure and maybe another girl. Vera said she wanted the same. “And what will you name them?” she asked.

I said maybe I’d name the girl Vera after my best friend.

She chortled and said, “Well I’m not naming my daughter after a month of the year.” She added she might consider Mae for a middle name though. She said her girls would be named Dorothy and Ruth. I said if I had a second girl she would be Mary and I teased; Vera would not be her middle name.

 Laughing we decided our boys would be John and James, whoever had theirs first could have first choice of the names. Of course, our girls would be the prettiest ever, the boys as handsome as their fathers. And all would be smart, they’d be able to go to high school, maybe even college. And we’d live in a town where there were proper shops, a theatre and a library.

I closed my eyes and could see it all. Dreaming aloud, I told her about the house I’d have with bedrooms enough for all of us, a big kitchen, dining room with a plate rail to display my fine china and a proper parlor. The front of the house would have a long wide porch across its width, where I’d have white wicker furniture for us to sit on when the day’s chores were done.

Realizing I was getting a little carried away with my dreams I asked Vera what her dream house would look like. When she didn’t answer I opened my eyes and turned toward her. Silent tears were streaming down her face.

“Did I say something wrong?” I asked.

“No, it’s just Clarence, I know he will never write to me. He’s not like your Roy. He’s going to forget all about me once he’s in Nebraska and I will end up an old maid for I shall never love another.”

 I tried to reassure her that he would return soon enough, tired of Nebraska and longing for her. But if I am honest I have to say I have the same fear for myself. Will Roy and I ever be together or will he tire of waiting for me to turn 21?  I wish I knew for sure; it would make the waiting easier. 

After we untethered our horses and headed back out to the road I must confess we got confused and headed down the wrong one. The roads out here aren’t so well defined in places and it is easy to get confused as there are miles and miles of hills and little valleys and only a few ranches. We had ridden quite a way before we realized we somehow got ourselves headed to Hulett instead of the road that circles back to Mona. Mama was getting some worried about me when we finally galloped into our yard.

All was forgiven though when she saw we were safe and sound. She knows with Vera leaving for Belle Fourche soon this might be our last chance to ride together for a long, long time.

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Mona, Wyo

Aug. 29, 1914

Dear Roy-

I am going to start a letter to you as my dish water is not hot enough to wash the dishes yet. Well I wonder how you are this evening, fine I hope. I am pretty well and do hope you are not lonesome for that is a bad thing.

Vera was up today and I was down there and stayed all night last night, and she and I are very sleepy today, so that accounts for being sleepy we talked about half of the night and I guess the biggest half of that ha ha

Waddingtons are going away to Nebraska soon so she will soon be lonesome too. She is looking pretty blue all ready but I tell her to cheer up so when are together we are all right. I think she will go to Belle Fourche this winter and we are going to maybe, so we will be together. I hope we will not get disappointed.

I got your letter today Harvey Plummer got the mail, and I was glad of coarse to get it.

Well it is so dark I must wash my dishes so will close for to night and will write more tomorrow so good night.

Mazie

Sunday 30

 Well here goes for another start. I wonder what you are doing to day, fishing maybe. We are going to drive over to the river a while this afternoon and see what we can get there are lots of chickens now and we wanted to get a few buffalo Berrys. It’s pretty warm tho. We had three or four awful cool days but is warm again but not so hot as it has been.

Papa has been cutting the hay up here and he only has one patch of corn to do yet and they will have to stack it and thrash the grain.

Frank Risher is doing fine but is so busy he can’t write to no one hardly. He is going to business college in Sheridan so won’t be home for a long time.

Well I guess I will have to stop and get my bible lesson and get dinner also. Wish you was here too.

I am not working to hard, so don’t say that for I don’t beleave in working hard you know.

Hazel and I are going to cook for Uncle Tom’s thrashing crew. I think so will be busy for a few days.

I haven’t sent that card yet but will soon

Well I guess I have written a news paper all ready. I must stop.

Best Regards

Yours, Mae