Dear Bess: November 3, 1913
Transcript
Welcome to the Dear Bess/ Dear Harry podcast for November 3, 2023, brought to you by the staff of Harry S Truman National Historic Site, a unit of the National Park Service.
Today, we’d like to share with you one of the greatest of all the Dear Bess letters, written on this date in 1913. It is a sequel to the one we shared earlier this week.
In this letter, Harry S Truman, harmer, begins by making reference to a letter that his great love, Miss Bess Wallace, wrote him. How much we wish we had that letter. But as we have shared many times in this podcast series, in the mid 1950s, Bess Wallace Truman destroyed her letters to Harry Truman pre-1919.
But in the midst of this letter Truman is pretty brave in telling Miss Wallace that they should get engaged. Perhaps the most fascinating line in the letter is “Bess, why am I an enigma?”
We wish we had Miss Wallace’s answer to that, if in fact she responded to that.
As always, thanks for listening. Here’s the letter.
Dear Bess-
Your letter has made a confirmed optimist out of me sure enough. I know now that everything is good and grand and this footstool is a fine place to be. I have been all up in the air, clear above earth ever since it came. I guess you thought I didn't have much sense Sunday but I just couldn't say anything only just sit and look. It doesn't seem real that you should care for me. I have always hoped you would but someway feared very much you wouldn't. You know I've always thought that the best man in the world is hardly good enough for any woman. But when it comes to the best girl in all the universe caring for an ordinary gink like me--well you'll have to let me get used to it. Do you want to be a farmer? or shall I do some other business. When mamma wins her suit and we get all the buyers and things out of the way I will then have a chance for myself. We intend to raise a 400 acre wheat crop which if it hits will put us out of the woods. If we lose, which I don't think about, it will mean starting all over for me. You may be sure I'm not going to wait til I'm Montana's chief executive to ask you to be Mrs. Gov. but I sure want to have some decent place to ask you to. I'm hoping it won't be long. I wish It was tomorrow. Let's get engaged any- way to see how it feels. No one need know it but you and me until we get ready to tell it anyway. If you see a man you think more of in the meantime engagements are easy enough broken. I've al- ways said I'd have you or no one and that's what I mean to do. (This darned pen has it in for me.) Luella and the kids are here today. They are sure a fine pair. I haven't told Luella my Sedalia and Regalia story yet. I have the most awful job a- head of me you ever heard of. It is necessary for me to pay a visit to six country schools and and make a speech at each one about the Washington [illegible] Fair. It is going to be at Grandview and I am on the committee to get exhibits. The schools have to be notified because the school that has the best exhibit of school work gets $10.00. Also the Com'l Clerk of which I am also the re- presentative is offering a prize for the school with the biggest attendance. Don't you feel sorry for me? you know I've got a timid disposition anyway and school kids especially country ones haven't very much sympathy for a person. It has to be did though. Washington T[illegible] is trying to beat prairie which contains Lee's Summit. I hope we can. Mr. Shewbury is the man who is having the fair for the benefit of the farmers. I am going to borrow a car and see if I can't win $10.00. Mr. Makin is pasturing the finest Hereford cow I ever saw, here. There is $10.00 offered for the best cow. If I enter her and win there'll be $10.00 toward a show or diamond ring. Twenty five premiums like that might get a real pretty one. I'm going to get you one as soon as the change is forthcoming. Bess why am I an enigma? I try to be just what I am and tell the truth about as much as the average person. If there's any - thing you don't understand I'll try and explain or remedy it. I feel very much stuck up at being called one especially by you for I always labored under the impression that it took smart people to be one. This letter seems to me to be more erratic and incoherent than the last but you shouldn't blame me very much be- cause I'm all puffed up and hi- larious and happy and any thing else that happens to a fellow when he finds his lady love thinks more of him than the rest of the beasts. Send me a letter quick. If I can raise business reasons enough to please papa I hope to see you before Sunday.
Most sincerely Harry
One of the great Dear Bess letters.
Harry S Truman, farmer, bravely makes another proposal to Miss Bess Wallace.
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