Letters Received from Ellen (Price) Wilson (Wife)

Summary:The collection contains 55 letters from Ellen to Henry. The earliest letter dates from 1894 and the last letter from 1909. More than half of the letters were written during 1898 (20 letters), 1908 (5 letters), and 1909 (9 letters). Four letters are undated or incomplete.

There are two main themes in Ellen’s letters to Henry: her love and devotion to him and her feeling of profound loneliness whenever he is on official duty away from home. A typical passage illustrating the first theme can be found in an early letter from Ellen to Henry: “The best of all came today though; your dear letters sent from the capes – The dearest and sweetest, that ever came, and I read and reread them, and cried and was happy and sad all at once, like an April day – I was so glad to know about all the ‘little’ things you told me, everything which comes into your life being important to me. How many sweet memories your words brought back to me, and how glad I am that we were married when we were, instead of waiting until April. You asked me before your left if I was sorry I was married. No, no, a thousand times! I would marry you if you had to go to sea the next day, for even though you are away from me, I know you love me and to be your wife, is sweeter than all else in the world, and makes even separation bearable. I think of you constantly while I am awake and dream of you while I sleep, for I love you as I did not know it was possible to love anyone (four months ago [they got married in March 1895]).” (June 14, 1895) A typical example for the latter theme can be seen in one of the later letters: “I will be so, so happy when we are together again, and can make our own atmosphere – and not have to live in some one elses. I don’t get enough mental oxygen here and sometimes I almost suffocate. Do try to find a place for us to go as soon as you can dearest, for I can’t stay here very much longer.” (May 18, 1909)

Ellen lived in her parents’ home in Newark throughout the time documented in her letters to Henry. While this provided her some solace in the beginning of her stay (see letter from June 14, 1895), it seems to have compounded her feeling of isolation as time went on and led her to make the statement that she didn’t get “the mental oxygen” at home and feared to suffocate (May 18, 1909) In her letters, she often refers to being tired, sick, or having spent a day without any purpose. The birth of their son Henry in 1906 does not seem to have given her a clearer sense of purpose, and it is astonishing how little she mentions him in the letters to her husband.

Ellen spent several periods of time abroad. In early 1898, she spent a few months in Montevideo, Uruguay; in late 1903 and early 1904 she spent some time in Shanghai and Japan (letters from January 1, 1904, and August 5, 1908); and at some other time (possibly 1899) she was together with Henry in the Philippines (letter from July 24, 1908). However, she seems to have taken little interest in foreign cultures and refers only in one letter from Montevideo to local customs (letter from February 19, 1898).

In 1908, when her husband Henry was tempted into an affair while being deployed in California (for details, see the entry on Henry D. Wilson), Ellen urges him to lead a “wholesame life” (letter from August 9, 1908) and entreats him to love her: “Do not be afraid to tell me you are enjoying yourself dearest if you are, for I am not mean or selfish indeed I am not. I want you to be happy as ever you can, only love me, that’s all. I don’t what you to be unhappy or not go to things, but oh, I want your love, all of it, and always. Keep me close to you Sweetheart, love me hard, - for I – well I love you like a little pagan and I always will.” (July 28, 1908) Later in the same year, she seems to have softened her stance and writes: “Darling I was reading your letter from Japan again last night, and I think I understand a little better than before. But I do hope you will write me a little more often, and more and of your heart, if you love me as you say, for it has been bitterly hard for me these last few months, you have no realization how hard.” (November 17, 1908)