Name/Title
AU Harris, Joseph Hastings - 1895-11-07 letter to Bertha Elizabeth LambertEntry/Object ID
1990.1.65Context
[Ada, OH, to Miss Bertha Lambert, Westerville, Ohio, “Franklin Co.”]
Ada, O. Nov. 7, 1895
Miss Lambert,
Westerville, O.
My Darling Bertha: Your loving message gladdened my heart at the usual time and found me enjoying life student fashion. How much I long to be with you and imbibe that inspiration that comes from your pure life, but since this opportunity is denied I feel very grateful for this privilege and must say that it is a happy hour to me.
Your letters are so inspiring and bear such a sweetness of love that they are a real blessing indeed and I wonder what we would do without our correspondence. Yes I really think we commune in thought although so far distant and I sometimes almost see you as you go about making the home happy and glad, and I look a little farther into the future and see you more vividly as the center and sunshine of another home which may it please heaven to establish.
Your ever increasing devotion certainly greatly moves me. One thought has sometimes made me feel somewhat sad and that is the thought of taking you from your hallowed home but I know now that I need not think of that but think only of deciding and preparing a place which with our happy union will be a real home. Would that I were able to repay you for the uplifting and inspiring utterage of that sentence concerning leaving your home to form another. How clearly you stand forth as my real joy and delight!
How could one help being happy with such prospects before him. Of course as people say we may be looking upon the bright side, but it would take a very dark side to overwhelm all the light and bliss there is in such a future. Of course we both anticipate our trials in life and I believe further that we shall be able hand in hand to extract even sweetness from trials and difficulties.
I attended the lecture and sat spell-bound for two solid hrs. It was a grand lecture and I find Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in my own nature every day. Fisher was “my girl” and I thought of you with Elsie as your “point” of whom you have just reasons to be very proud.
I left the Philo chair last Friday night and now am doorkeeper. Once in office you have to keep it up. I should like to hear you rehearse your oration. I cast my first ballot Tuesday and I seemed to grow an inch by so doing.
This is a very pleasant wk. to me indeed although my work keeps me very close. I think we both enjoy school so well that our fifteen yrs will pass before we are aware of it. How do you enjoy Greek by this time? You must take good care of those little peepers for they are mine now and I think lots of them and would not have them hurt or weakened for all the Greek in the world. They are the dearest and most expressive pair of eyes in the world and whatever heart-ache and sadness the affliction of the same may have caused my sweet-heart, let her banish the same from her thought, for they never were taken into considerations even, as an objection, but some how you always have seemed dearer to me on that account. I hope you never worry about them so far as our relation is concerned. I want you to feel perfectly free. But for the pain and inconvenience they cause you I could not wish them other than they are. You are so complete in every respect that to me you are really beautiful both soul and body. This is chapel hour, but I cannot resist such a temptation as this.
I do not know yet about going home holidays. If I go you had better go too had you not? People would be surprised then indeed. I am sorry to leave you but must do so. Continue to be a good little girl and take excellent care of my sweetheart.
Devotedly yours,
J. H. Harris.
