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Dear pen pal,
My school wants us to rite letters to kids from difrent schools and become friends with them. I think its a pretty fun thing to do so Im riting my letter now. The teacher says the letter will go to a school in Bostun. Ive never left West Virginia. What is Bostun like? Have you ever gone other places? My papa used to live in Scotland but he came over here before I was even born so I don’t even talk fun or anything. I talk like my mama and teachers. My teacher says people from Bostun talk difrent than us or they sound difrent. I think its like how my papa sounds difrent sometimes. Do you talk difrent?
From,
Carrie
Dear Carrie,
It was nice to get your letter. I have been to places other than Boston. My family is actually from Scotland too, and I was born there. We moved to Boston when I was 4 so I don't have a Scottish accent and I don’t really talk like I'm from Boston either. My older sisters and brother say I talk kinda flat. I don’t know what they mean by that. I talk how I talk. Maybe it's different from how you talk though. I've never been to West Virginia so I don’t know what people there sound like.
My teacher says we should ask about the things you do there. She says you live in Huntington wich is a city but it is smaller than Boston. I think I read once that West Virginia has a lot of coal mines. Have you ever seen any? Do you know anyone who has? They seem pretty swell.
Sincerely,
Ronnie
Dear Ronnie,
I was very happy to get your letter! There arent any coal mines near Huntington but papa used to work in one in another place in West Virginia when he first moved over here. Thats where he met mama but papa was getting sick so they moved to Huntington when I was 2. Mamas papa used to work in a coal mine also but he died before I was born. He got sick too I think. Mama and papa dont like talking about coal mines much so I dont ask. We have a bording house now, I help out with it sometimes. We meet people from all over and some of them do talk different wich is why I asked. I will ask them if they know what people from Bostuon sound like next time I see them.
It is swell that your family is also from Scotland. Papa says he misses it but he thinks these mountains are the same as the ones over there so its always felt familiar being here. Do you remember what Scotland was like? I cant remember much from when I was 4 so its okay if you cant too. Boston is near the ocean my teacher says. Ive never seen the ocean. What is it like?
Your pen pal,
Carrie
Dear Carrie,
I asked my father what people from West Virginia sounded like but he didn't know either. Maybe some day I'll meet someone from there and I'll know. I don't remember Scotland mostly. I think it was very green. Mother says that everything here in Boston is brand new but everything in Scotland is much older. Boston seems very old to me so I'm not sure she's correct. The ocean is big and blue and cold but I like getting up to watch the sunrise on it as best I can. Then it has more colors like orange and yellow and red and it's quieter out in the city because less people like to get up early. No one else in my family wants to go watch it with me and Mother says I'm too young to go by myself, so I don't get to go often. When I'm older I think I'll go every day. Anyway I think it's swell that you run a boarding house and get to meet people from all over.
Do you like to get up early? I don't know any other people our age who do. Most other kids think I'm a bit odd but I'm just quiet. I just don't have much to say to them most of the time. Do you think we'd be friends if we ever met in person?
Sincerely,
Ronnie
Dear Ronnie,
I asked my papa and he said that Scotland was made way before Boston became a city so I guess your mother is rite. The ocean sounds really swell. Id get up and watch the sunrise with you because those colors sound like what the leaves look like here during the fall. I think they are very pretty but other boys in school think I am weird for saying that so I dont say it offen.
I like to get up early because I like listening to the birds in the morning. I also help Mama make breakfast for the guests sometimes. Its fun but other boys make fun of me for cooking because they say only women should cook but I like making my own snacks. Sometimes my little brother helps and so does Papa and we all make food together and its very fun. I do think weed be friends because we both like to get up early and we like pretty colors so I think I could talk for us if you needed to be quiet. Mama says Im good at making other people feel calm so I think we would get along.
What do you like to do for fun? What sort of things can you do in Bostuon? Mama says there are big fancy museums and restaurants out there. We dont have those here but theres a diner that sells really good cheeseburgers and I like it when my family gets those every now and then. Also I think you said you had olders sisters and brothers so what are they like?
Your pen pal,
Carrie
Dear Carrie,
I guess that makes sense, about Scotland being old. The ocean sure is swell and I hope you get to see it one day. I like listening to the birds here too, but they probably aren't as loud here as they are there since this is a bigger city. It sounds fun to make food with your family. My family is too loud because there are lots of us and I get mean and tired when I'm around them too long, I don't know what's wrong with me. I have three older sisters and one older brother. I like Dottie the best because she's quiet like me. My brother Bert is nothing like me and he annoys me sometimes but I think it's because he cares. Mary and Elsie don't live with us anymore because they're older but they come around for meals a lot.
I like it when we go to museums because everyone is supposed to be quiet in museums, so the crowds aren't so bad. Sometimes I go to the library even though I can't read most of the books yet, just to sit in another quiet space. I really like reading about Roman history. Did you know that Julius Caesar's last name wasn't actually Caesar? Caesar was a title, not a name, so the guy who led Rome after him was Augustus Caesar. My father wouldn't believe me about that and told me to stop talking about Rome, so I hope you don't mind me mentioning it.
I'd like to get a cheeseburger at that diner with you. Some of the Scottish meals my family makes are gross and I don't like them but I eat them anyway because I know I need to keep up my strength. You mentioned you had a little brother. Do you have any other siblings? What's your brother like? What do you do for fun?
Your pen pal,
Ronnie
Dear Ronnie,
You have a lot of siblings! I only have my little brother George. He's two years younger than me but he's real smart. He can already read better than me I think. I try real hard but the words always get jumbled in my head and I have to go slow. But I get by well enough that my parents and teachers aren't too worried. I have to write the letters to you real slow to make sure they're all right and then I have my papa look them over to make sure you can understand them. Your hand riting is much better than mine.
Anyways I didn't know that about Julius Caesar but I do now. It's real swell that you know that. I don't really know much about Rome but I'd like to hear more if you want to share more. That would be fun.
We'll get a cheeseburger together some day I hope. Maybe I can show you that diner. We'll have to be much older but I hope we'll still be friends later on. For fun I like to go outside and wander. I really like animals so I watch ducks at the river and try to catch crawdads. They're weird looking fellas and sometimes they pinch my fingers but they just do that cause they're scared because I'm so much bigger than them, so I don't stay mad. Sometimes I help my papa build things or fix the house too because I like knowing how things work.
What do you want to be when you grow up? Do you think you'll go to college? I think I want to but I don't think we can afford it.
Your pen pal,
Carrie
(P.S. I finally learned what contractions are or at least remembered it enough that it stuck so I hope things are easier to read now!)
Dear Carrie,
I have a friend who has the same trouble with reading as you. He's real smart but he struggles with words and other kids make fun of him, but he and I get along because I never have made fun of him for reading slow and he never makes fun of me for being quiet and staring and saying weird things. Maybe that's why you and I get along so well. But don't worry because I've always been able to read your letters. I can tell you take your time with them.
Did you know that sometimes they flooded the Roman Colosseum to host naval battles? I think that is pretty neat because it probably took a lot of water to do that. I wonder what they did with the water after. Hopefully there weren't crawdads in that water pinching everyone. That sounds fun, wandering around outside and finding critters. There aren't a lot here but sometimes I can pet a stray dog or cat. I'm no good at building things but I haven't really had much of a chance to try.
I think I want to study history when I grow up. Sometimes I see university professors around the city and they seem so smart and they even answer my questions about Rome sometimes. So I think I'd like to be like them when I grow up, so that means I'll have to go to college. I hope you're able to go to college, too. What do you want to be?
Your pen pal,
Ronnie
Dear Carrie,
It's been a couple months but you still haven't replied to my last letter, so I hope you're okay. You normally reply a lot quicker. I hope I didn't scare you off with my Rome facts. I can stop sharing them if they annoy you.
I went to the library and found a book on West Virginia because it made me think of you. We haven't talked about the Civil War in my classes yet but I've already read some books on it. Did you know West Virginia split from Virginia because West Virginia wanted to abolish slavery and Virginia didn't? The Civil War is a really odd time in US history but it's still not as interesting to me as Roman history. But I won't talk about that today.
I hope you're alright. I know we've never met in person but I consider you a friend.
Your pen pal,
Ronnie
Dear Ronnie,
I'm sorry it took me so long to reply to both of your letters. I got them both but a lot has been going on here and I haven't really had time to write back. I don't really want to talk about it all. It's been a lot and I've been sad but I'm trying to be better for Mama and George.
I promise I really like your Rome facts. You didn't scare me off, I was just busy. I'm happy you thought of me and read about West Virginia. That's a fact I did know because one of our boarders told me all about it once. He was an older fella who musta been young when the split happened because it sounded to me like he still wasn't over it. He was from Virginia, not West Virginia. I wasn't sad to see him leave. He seemed kinda bitter and mean.
I don't know what I want to be when I grow up. I thought I had an idea, but I don't think it's gonna work out. I think I'll stay with the boarding house and keep it up and running. Right now it's all I can see myself doing. I hope you get to study history. You'll have to keep sending me letters with what you learn.
I want to say sorry now because my responses are going to slow down. I was busy and I'm still busy. There's a lot of things to take care of here. I'll reply when I can but I'm sorry that it'll take me some time. Don't worry though because it's nothing you did. I read your letters offen because they make me smile even when I don't have the time to reply.
Your pen pal,
Carrie
Dear Carrie,
I am glad to hear from you. I hope everything is okay. I'm sorry you've been sad. You don’t have to be better for me. You can tell me about it if you want to, but you don’t have to. Don't worry about replying quickly.
I'll tell you about the founding of Rome. Legends say that brothers Romulus and Remus first settled at Rome, and they fought. Romulus killed Remus, and so Rome was named after Romulus because he survived. It's sad, really, that they fought like that. I fight with my brother sometimes, but I'd never want to hurt him for real. Not like I could, anyway, since he's 4 years older than me and bigger than me. Still, when we fight, we're just playing.
Where is the coolest place you've met someone from? I think everyone I've ever met is either from Boston or Scotland. I don't know much about the rest of the world except what my teachers have taught me so far. I hope I'll get to see and learn more some day.
I hope I get to study history too. I think it's alright if you think about things other than the boarding house. What did you think you wanted to be?
Your pen pal,
Ronnie
Dear Ronnie,
Sorry it took me so long to write back again. The boarding house has been busy.
It is sad that Remus and Romulus fought like that. I don't really fight with my little brother all that often but I think he's been sad that he can't play with me as much anymore. I do more around the house than he does, but I do that on purpose so that he doesn't have to work as hard.
The coolest place I've met someone from is probably Texas. They were from Dallas and the dad wore a cowboy hat wich was funny to me. They had real Texas ways of talking too, wich aren't very different from mine but some things were. We both say y'all at least.
I thought I wanted to be an engineer maybe. Math is easier for me than reading and I'm a lot better at it and I like seeing how things work. Money is very tight right now in my family and I know I have a lot of time until I'm old enough to go to college but I don't think it will be much better then. I have to be there for my family.
Say, what kind of music do you like? If I can spare the time I like to go to that diner I mentioned once and sit and listen to the music they got on the record player in there. I really like that Duke Ellington fella, his tunes are pretty fun to listen to. Plus that diner always gives me a dessert without makin me pay when I go so that makes his jazz all the sweeter.
Your pen pal,
Carrie
Dear Carrie,
As I said before, don't worry about responding quickly or anything.
Sorry I don't have time for a Rome fact this time. I'm writing this not long before Bert'll take out the weekly mail to send out so I'm having to write quick.
I always thought cowboys were cool. I like old west stories about the mysterious sheriff who'll come into town almost in a magic way and is all no-nonsense and doesn't care what he has to do to get things done. When I was littler and didn't know cowboys weren't real anymore, I thought I wanted to move out to Texas to become that sheriff. I wanted to be that fella who is quiet and a little scary but real good at his job. But cowboys aren't around so I guess maybe I'll have to find a different way. Kids at school seem to think I got the quiet part down.
I think you would be a good engineer. We've got a school here in Boston that would be good for that I think. Then I could study history there and we could meet each other and hang out. But money and family are another matter for sure.
My family enjoys the composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. His music is very pleasant and reminds them of home, they say, home being Scotland. But I don't much remember Scotland so I don't always get it the same. I sure like Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue though. It's a lot of fun.
I've got to give this letter to Bert now so I can't ask any more questions. Hope you're doing well, and have a Merry Christmas if your family celebrates.
Your friend,
Ronnie
Dear Ronnie,
Boarding houses are very busy during Christmas so I don't have a lot of time to write back. We can't much celebrate this year and I think it wouldn't feel rite anyway but they say it's going to snow soon so I hope it does so George and I can have some fun outside.
I hope you have a Merry Christmas with your family. Maybe some year I'll have enough money to send you a gift. And in case this letter doesn't reach you until later, happy new year.
Your friend,
Carrie