Big Bird's Adventures

We are getting into the final weeks before Vivien’s graduation, and Elvin has stepped up. Maybe, all the letters between these end of May letters and the beginning of April letters weren’t worth saving. It’s hard to say, as here Elvin talks about polishing the car. Good stuff yes.

Elvin passed away in 1967, so I wasn’t all that old, and so my memories of him are pretty slim. Images mostly, no real memories of the soul of Elvin, but reading these letters breathes quite the personality into him. Let’s remember he is 26 (March) in these, and Vivien is not quite 21 (July) yet.

Dearest Darling,

It has been a beautiful Sunday darling. Practically cloudless. After dinner, I took a ride out to Florham Park and visited Bernie and Al¹. I asked them if they wanted to go out to Denville to see Gard and Mary if they were in. They said they couldn’t as they had work to do but that I should go and they would finish their work and I should come back and have supper with them. So I rode out to Denville but Gard and Mary weren’t in² so I rode slowly around Indian Lake and back. Indian Lake looked summery today. Had supper with Bernie and Al. Then we pitched some horseshoes and afterward came in to clean the dishes. We talked a while and I left at 9:30. Riding home, the moon was just rising and I certainly did wish you were riding with me darling. It was one of those big yellow moons that looked just as if you could touch it. One consolation – there’s only nineteen days to go. Gosh, they never skip any days in the calendar do they?

On the way home W.O.R.³ was and is still presenting “The Great Waltz” on the radio. In addition to the stage presentation, it also presented the life of Johann Strauss the elder. Both lives are most fascinating. Some day darling we’ll have to read the stories of their lives. It was interesting to hear it again.

I played golf⁴ yesterday on West Orange Course⁵. It was terrifically windy. One shot I hit went up about 150 feet in the air as the wind got under it and it was carried back to about fifty yards from me. I shot a 94 which wasn’t bad considering conditions. That W.O. course is the hilliest course I’ve ever seen. You darn near have to qualify as an Alpine Guide to play it.

After I got home last night, I washed and polished the car. I found an auto polish that looks and acts like Simonize but it is the easiest polish to apply I have ever seen. The car looks like new again – I whish you could see it.

When I was out to Bernie and Al this afternoon and noticed the duties they had to perform weekends, I couldn’t help but comment that possibly I would be doing the same before the year was out. And I’m going to love it darling. I’m looking forward so to getting further along with this “us” combination of ours. It was hard work getting the car all shined up but what made the job fun was the realization that I was doing it for “us” because it is to our advantage that our car be kept up⁶.

We will be off on the biggest summer of our lives darling within the next two and half weeks plus. Now I know why one is so anxious to get married when the step has been decided upon. It is darn lonely once you have set your mind on it and your fiancée is 350 miles away. No wonder people get blue! I just don’t know what to do with myself these weekends and nights. I feel like a fifth wheel.

You’re nice darling⁷. I love you because you’re Vivien and I love you too for being as nice as you are⁸. Yes, you are ! Don’t argue! I just love the thought of having you love me. It is a feeling I would not exchange for anything. And believe me dearest I shall do everything I can to keep you loving me. I won’t even have to work hard to keep loving you because that just comes naturally. You’re the most valuable part of my life and I mean it.

Darling, I’m just waiting to go up-river with you on a trip to our tree.

Goodnight darling. I love you and love you and love you and I’ll always be

Just Yours

“Dutch”

P.S. It was Ray’s birthday today. More love “Dutch”

¹ Bernie is Vivien’s older sister, and Al Ennis is her husband. I guess they lived in Florham Park!

² Clearly Elvin didn’t think to call first! Of course, that is exactly something I would have done and have done many times over. Just pop in!

³ WOR Radio, AM 710

⁴ I guess Elvin wasn’t just hamming it up in a picture in this post.

⁵ I believe this now known as The Essex County Country Club which is bordered by Pleasant Valley(low), Mt Pleasant (Note the Mt), and Prospect (High), so the entire course is set on the rise in elevation from Pleasant Valley to Prospect.

⁶ Is that Manspeak or what? Do you think Vivien made a comment under her breath when she read that?

⁷ There is that “you’re nice” reference again.

⁸ He’s really piling it on in this line!

Tagged: Love Letter, The Hallanders, The Hollanders, Vivien and Elvin