The letter was written by Sybil Seymour on February 11, 1932, from Afton, Wyoming.
The use of terms like "marriage fever" and the playful, slightly flirtatious tone regarding "shocking a missionary" reflect the youth vernacular of the early 1930s.
Afton, Wyo.
Feb. 11, 1932
Dear Evan,
Don’t think I’m neglectful for not writing before but I have been so busy with my lessons and every thing that I just don’t have very much time to write letters, although I surely like to receive them.
Say, your almost getting me religious. I need some one to talk religion to me. I would like to have a good talk with some one who knows their religion, so you can expect it when you come home.
One Relief Society woman said that I sure was a nice girl, but I wasn’t a member of the church, so she didn’t know whether she wanted her boy to go with me very much or not. That sure amused me. I guess I’d better join, don’t you think, ha ha. I don’t think
being a member of the church would change one very much, they’d still be the same person, wouldn’t they? I think that as long as one is honest in their dealings and live a good life, it doesn’t matter about their religion, what religion they have or if they have one or not. Maybe if I had been on a mission as long as you have, I would look at things some what different. There sure are alot of things I’d like to know about religion and science. I guess there are just as many different ways of looking at religion as you said there was of married life, isn’t there?
Yes people are still catching that disease you call “marriage fever”. Dorthy Edgreen and Dutch Turner
[Margin Note]: I need a missionary near when I write it I guess.
were the last ones who got it I think. I was the only one around here that was vaccinated and innoculated for it, but they must not have stamped out all the germs, cause I got it and almost elaped, but just at that point there was a “depression in love.”
Yes that subject of “married life” is an interesting one. I would like to have a debate on it. I agree with you that both men and women have their place, but I think a woman should be self-supporting before she tackles married life, cause you can’t never tell nowadays their married life might be short and snappy like mine is going to be. ha ha.
I haven’t got time to tell all I think about religion
[Margin Note]: I had almost a newspaper typed to send a while ago but decided that you, being a missionary would think it was ____ so we burnt it. I forgot that ...
and married life now with a big pile of books waiting to be studied.
So your going to stay away when your gone, and join the navy? Talk about me giving you some friendly advice, why not you give me some and then I’ll give you some. I’m more in the habit of having people give me advise than giving them some.
That picture you sent looked exactly like you. Your companion surely reminds me of some one I used to know. Don’t give up hopes of me sending you some pictures, because I’m going to send some as soon as I get some that wouldn’t shock a missionary.
How do you like the missionary work by now? I guess you are getting right into it now. Lets hear some more of it.
A Friend, Sybil
[Margin Note]: Thanks for the picture.