Encoded for for the Veterans History Project, January 30, 2017.
All letters in the McNutt collection were digitized.
The following letters were transcribed from the handwritten originals by the donor. No alterations to this transcription has been made, although spelling errors are indicated with [sic]. Any special emphasis (i.e. underlining) is presented *between asterisks*.
At last we rec'd the long waited for mail from New York. I got seventeen and tho they were old believe me I enjoyed myself for about an hour reading them just the same. I got four from you dated April 3- May 15- June 3- June 7 I also got your letter written from Knoxville last night. In the four I got in the N. Y. mail I noticed such a change in them. The first one was written with enthusiasm and life. The next one was a little less and each one
grew less and the last one it seemed the life had grown very cold. It was like a letter from a cold distant friend. I just wondered when I read it and noticed how the life in them gradually died away. Great changes take place within ones self in a few months don't they? I guess you had begin to think very little of me and when you did think of me it was just in the dim past. I am (aim?) to say again soon and I suppose when I come back and you get a letter from me I am back in the States you will say oh! Really I had about forgotten him. I thought probably he was dead and before I get to see you again I am afraid I will be dead to you and no longer have a place in your thoughts. I wish I could forget easier then I can and that I wasn't so serious especially with the girls. I know you and most girls I ever had much to do with get sick of me being so serious. You remember down near the mail box where we sat one evening under the oak tree reading your mail and then some things we talked about and you said you wished you could go with
boys without them getting so serious and making love to you. I guess you meant me a good deal didn't you? Myrtle some say I will learn a little sense and can be a careless go easy go lucky devil and tell the girls some wonderful storys [sic.] and what beautiful eyes they have and how attractive they are and so on and go away that night and think no more of it and go out to see another girl and tell her the same story. I wish I could do that way and like all the girls and have a good time with them and my thoughts and feelings go no farther. I can't do that now and when I like a girl very much I love her and don't care very much about going
with other girl. With a few more heart aches for such things I will learn not to take girls serious and not to let them take a very large place in my heart. I can learn my self to do that and by heck I am going to. I know girls think it sickening for a fellow to be always telling them you love them and so on. I know they like for you to tell them how pretty they are and how beautiful this and how beautiful that they have and so on but not I love I love I love you. I don't wonder that you hate me for that very thing and I think that is the reason you don't
care very much for me. After this letter I don't think I will mention such things to you if you don't like them and I know you don't now do you? You said in your last letter that you really thought that I did care a little about you. Now you silly little ass you know I care for you and always did since I first knew you and always will as long as you are nice to me and don't do some few silly things you have done in the past. I don't know if I could survive some things in the future again that I have in the past with the same feelings. It is up to you my dearest little girl as to my feelings toward you. I will always do so, but if you don't care or don't want me to I will forget My! But it would be hard but I can do or in fact I would have to. I hope you want me to care for you tho and will never have to forget. I am afraid you could never love one fellow alone and will soon forget me for some one else. I am going to ask you Myrtle if you ever love any one or care more
for any one else then you do for me to tell me so. I think it would be your duty to do so and you will do me a fovor to do it for the longer I think you care for me the harder it will be for me to forget you.
Myrtle you said something about talking to some sailors going back on the train and I want to say a few words on the subject. Now I suppose you will say I wish he would keep his brotherly advice to himself and I am old enough to look out for myself and know what I am doing. I really have no right to say what I am going to say to you and wouldn't to any girl but you but I am sure you will take it as it is meant or at least you seemed to take things before that I have
said to me that way. You have always been so sensible that way. It is a very delicate subject to talk to you about but here goes. Now I would advise you to be very careful of soldiers and sailors you chance to meet informaly and especially sailors as I know more about them then the soldiers. Most of their ideals are vary low and more so while they are in the service then outside for they are here today and know not where they will be tomorrow. I know myself that our opinion's are not the best of a girl that we can just walk up to and butt into and get a conversation out of her and Myrtle the remarks I have heard them make about girls they chanced to meet on the train when they would come back to the smoker for
for a but (cigarette) to some sailor friend who hadn't been as lucky as he and it would make me cringe and my blood run hot and even fight to hear the same thing said about you and still maybe they said about you. Now if I were you I wouldn't give these fellows a chance to say such things about me. It is far better to be a little lonesome for a few hours then to have such companions now don't you think so? Some of these fellows wouldn't think of saying such things in civilian life but here they say nobody knows me so what do I care. Myrtle it is your business to do as you like, but please be careful. A girl has to be so much more careful then a boy. Gee! But I am glad I am not a girl. Now little girl you won't get mad at me for saying these will you? Please don't for it is not for any gain for meself (sic) but for your good that I have said what I have. I don't care how many boys you go with or how many you meet just so you meet them thro some one you know and it is none of my business either or how you meet them but I am
always interested in you and anything for your good.
You said something in your letter about sending a card. Well there was no card in the letter you must have forgotten. Who was that girl you said thought I was a nice looking sailor Dora baby? Gee! She is some kid and I feel very much complimented and I am just crazy about her. I felt awful insulted because she didn't come up and kiss me good bye, but I guess she forgot. Did you kiss Uncle Sam good buy? He said you sure was a pretty girl and didn't blame me for loving (I don't know who told him I loved you) as if he was a young man he would love you too. He also said
to me you wouldn't mind leaving if she was going with you would you? And of course I said no. Well, at that Uncle sam is a pretty nice old man isn't he? I'll just bet you will hear from Donney Barger before long for I think he got kindly daffy about you and he considers himself a ladies man among the chickens down his way don't you know the Davis girls gave me a can of preserves to give their brother what's in training here and I haven't been able to locate him as yet and I think it would be pretty wise not to as I get to eat the preserves if I
don't find him don't you think it wise? I really haven't had time to go over to the training station and then you have trouble getting in and out but I am going to try to find if he is still there for I like him fine and he is the nicest one of the whole set. I sure wish you could have met Perry Groce he is awfully nice and you didn't get to meet any nice boys while I was there. I just know you had an awful bum time there. It is a good place to go just for a rest but no place for a good time. If this war is ever over I want you to go up again and the boys will be back and maybe we can show you a better time.
We just got a notice not to have any more mail addressed to Y.M.C.A. And that several fellows here on a ship have gotten court martials over it. When you write send it in care of P.M. N.Y. And I think we will get our mail without delay here-after. Write just as soon as you get this so maybe I will hear from you once more before we sail for it will be so long before I can hear from you then.
Won't that be fine if you can
get that position for 8.00 per month. I sure hope you can get it and like toe place and won't be so lonesome for you.
We are supposed to sail for Europe the eighteenth of this month and mines our cargo will be and for the banks of the bonnie Clyde. We may not get away by the 18th so please write any way and maybe I will get it before I leave. It seemed a long time before I got your first letter after I left home. This is my third to you and I hope you get them all and can write before we sail. I am real anxious to get to sea again and am glad we are going. I guess this letter will be long enough for you eh? I will write again just before we sail if I can if only a few words. Don't forget me and think of me once in a while, while I am acrossed the sea. Won't you?
With all the love for you my heart can hold,