Elma Meek Didn’t Mince Words — Or Men
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Hill Country Living
By Coulter Fussell
I hope everyone had a terrific Christmas. At least nobody around here was cold. The temperatures were so mild that we could’ve all gone swimming at Enid.
I write this column on Tuesday morning, but by the time most of y’all read this, we will be just hours from learning our fate in the Sugar Bowl. I’ll be watching the game from Georgia, where I’m helping take care of an ailing parent. Although I’ll physically be in Georgia, the football section of my heart will be in Mississippi.
In the meantime, it’s a Wagner Week. My goal for 2026 is to have the self-confidence of a young Elma Coleman Meek when she talks to, and about, the men who love her!
Winona
May 20, 1905
Dear George,
The last time you wrote you were trying to recover from a celebration, so I thought I would give your suffering time to fully recover before I wrote. You seem to be in the business of celebrating these days.
Now, you wonder if I expect to live here — well, to tell you the truth, I haven’t fully decided, as the young lawyer grows more interesting daily. He was up to see me only five times this past week, and last night I feared the fatal time had arrived but I kept it off by one of those laughs. You know about them.
We expected to go home this afternoon for a few days and then on to Tennessee, but Irene insisted on giving a party Friday. We will go to Ox Saturday, sure. For some reason I’ll be glad to go but possibly you will know one reason why I won’t enjoy my stay.
Guess I won’t see you at all if you don’t get home until June sometime and by then I’ll be in Tennessee and gone for the summer. We won’t take the house until September so you won’t have the exquisite pleasure of holding down your place on my front steps.
I’m now getting resigned to the inevitable and say nothing to all of Mama’s plans. Went to a Japanese Exhibition last night, but can’t say that I enjoyed it. Would have preferred staying at home and talking to my lawyer, as he made up for last time after we did get home.
I am slightly sleepy this morning. A crowd of girls from here are going home for Commencement. They are very enthusiastic over it and of course it seems so silly to me, who has been through all that excitement for the past forty years.
When do you expect to come back to Miss — or do you think you will continue to flirt with your Yankee girls?
I hardly know where to say for an address for me but guess Oxford will be the safest, as it will be forwarded to me. Saw Miss Ella when she passed through. She said she didn’t tell you a thing about that ring — so I guess somebody fibbed — or you frumped me all right but you know you can’t work me.
Sincerely,
Elma C. Meek
