Fragmentary notes from Opal to Arthur Rue
Fragmentary notes from Opal to Arthur Rue
Explanation
Because of her husband's deafness, Opal Rue often him wrote notes when communicating by use of the manual alphabet was too slow. A few such notes have survived. Essentially, they represent one side of a conversation and give a limited view into this relationship.
The first note, my grandmother explained when I found it in her home, years later, in a cigar box with some letters, was written after the two of them returned home from attending the dedication of a new "stake center" of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Detroit. George Romney, later elected governor of Michigan and an unsuccessful candidate for President, was among the speakers, as noted below. According to the Deseret News, Salt Lake City, Utah, "Church News" section of 2 May 1959, p. 5, that building's dedication took place on Sunday, 26 March 1959, which would therefore presumably be the date of this note.
The second note is simply dated "May."
The third note is undated. Because they took a trip to England in 1969, it was presumably written shortly before. The proposed home improvements were never made. -TSR
First note
Tell me what he did mean. He didn't use the word reincarnation and when the question was aksed if he believed in reincarnation he said no. And yet he said that John the Baptist had come back in the form of some man and given them the Authority to baptize people. I can't think of the word he used.
I have never said he was stupid. I don't think Catholics are stupid. I wish I could be so full of faith I could believe what some dope gets up in the pulpit and spouts but I can't And it annoys me when any one has a nerve enough to say his church is the only church and everybody else is going to Hell. And that's what Romney said. Not in so many words, but certainly by insinuation.
I was much more impressed by the Minister at the Kirk of the Hills, who advised everyone to use his time to better advantage by putting it to some use and to make memories he'd like to look back on instead of wasting precious hours quarreling and making memories which would be unhappy. If you want to be a Mormon, go ahead. I wouldn't be in a church so bigoted for anything.
I don't make fun of them but I think it's a wast of time to ponder an obviously bigotted religion. I'm only interested in religion as far as I myself and my family are concerned.
I guess I am only interested in sermons which are reached by a logical point of view. I can't bear going to Episcopal churches and listening to their high minded fat phrased sermons which are so full of words and hot air and don't mean a thing and most of the sermons bore me sily. Maybe that minister today just touched on a theme that interested me. But that kind of a sermon is my idea of an hour well spent.
Second note
Let's don't quarrel or have bad feeling between us. I'm not angry with you. I only am upset because apparently you can act as tho things are okay and have so much anger and animosity bottled up inside of you. I'm not a perfect wife. I never claimed to be, but I think I have been a good a wife as you have a husband (and that is something you can't prove one way or another by blaming or patting yourself on the back, so let it lie.) At least however I do not go around thinking about all the grief I have to hold against you. And I don't allow myself to get all tied up in knots with anger at the same time. I'm putting on a show of togetherness. It should be talked out and forgotten, not living over and over for twenty years. Not as tho I don't have things I can grieve about either.
Third note
We have discussed buying another house and selling half our land and going to England. What would you say about having a family room built on the back of this house big enough to accommodate your books and my dolls with a fireplace and a central gas furnace to heat the whole house. I'd rather have that than a trip to England. It would be security in our old age because it would give us enough room for the books you need and we'd make it pleasant with the dolls and fireplace. It would be wonderful, and our taxes would be reduced at 65 anyway.
I'm going to get together with a batch of stuff and take them to the Treasure Mart. The shadow box, etc.
I don't intend we should set up business. Just an added room for extra books.
FAMILY WRITINGS