A Wagner Week Letter From Oxford In 1904
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Hill Country Living
By Coulter Fussell
It’s a Wagner Week! Let’s take an ice storm break and see what the people with no worries were up to in the warmer weather of 1904. Oxford socialite Elma Coleman Meek is writing to our own George Wagner who is off at school in New York. She’s in love with Relbue Price of Oxford and calls him “The Rel Thing” in all of her letters. I suspect it’s a play off of a popular Henry James story at the time called “The Real Thing.”
Oxford, Mississippi May 25, 1904
Dear George,
It was awfully nice of you to answer my letter so soon, especially when I sent you such a scrap of a letter. But, to be honest with you, I wasn’t in a humor for writing and about like I am in here — I have nothing to say. Possibly, you can remember a few times when I had nothing to say.
Julia, Lucille, and myself went out for a walk tonight. The moonlight was so beautiful. One of the boys joined us, so we went out and sat on the campus for quite a while. The boys are all busy just now getting ready for exams.
We at present are in trouble about moving again. The Comptons have no servant, and it is too much work for them to keep boarders in this warm weather. We will probably take meals with Miss Harris along with Professor Bondy and Seathers. In fact, we may take the lower floor of the house the professors are in. Won’t I have an excellent opportunity to flirt with them? Dr. L came over last night to see me and, as usual, found someone else here. Fortunately, he was in an excellent humor with himself and the world in general so we got along very nicely.
Went driving with “the Rel Thing” this afternoon he certainly has a good horse. Goodness, but I wish you were here. I have to wait so long to tell you it will all be stale and I will have forgotten. He said this afternoon that he was tired of this foolishness, etc. But such tales never bothered me in the least.
I’m glad Mr. Beckett has decided to play society a little bit. Wish he would come back sometimes, I’ve always been very fond of him.
Temple Roane is here from the Philippines, looking quite sporty in his light clothes and a beauty of a Panama. He has grown quite a good deal. I had to be told who he was. In fact, if going over there improved everybody so much, I almost wish he would take Bessie and me back with him.
I certainly spend a life of idleness and, as you said once, I’ll be absolutely good for nothing when I do get home. But sometimes I feel that as long as I’m well and look so well – everybody says I do — why, I feel that it is doing me some good. Of course, you will wait before coming home until I have been exhausted by the heat and look like the ragged end of a misspent life.
Well there’s absolutely nothing doing here except that the dust is 6 inches deep and that it is 12 o’clock and I’m sleepy. Why don’t you write to me whenever you feel like it, even if I don’t answer your last.
Good night to you,
Elma C.M.
