A Little Blue in Deep Water: A 1894 Love Letter to a Dear Friend

“I know you would forgive my presumption if you knew how blue the house is since you went away.”

Pulling this letter out of the archives feels like holding a small, warm piece of the past in your hands. Dated February 20th, 1894, these two yellowed pages are filled with a flowing cursive that tells a story far beyond the simple ink on the page. You can see the fold lines where it was tucked away, perhaps kept close to the heart or stored in a dusty trunk for over a hundred years. It is a bit faded now, but the heart behind Robert Mankin’s words to Miss Cynthia Gwinn is as clear as a bell.

Robert writes from Deep Water, West Virginia, and boy, does he make it sound like the whole town is moping without Cynthia there! He tells her that the house has gone ‘blue’ since she left, and he even claims that poor old Brune the dog has a case of the blues, too. There is a lot of local gossip mixed in, mentioning folks like J.B. and Hermann, and the quiet struggles of D.H. trying to close business contracts in St. Albans. It gives us a real sense of how tight-knit these mountain communities were, where everyone’s business and everyone’s absence was felt by all.

My favorite part has to be Robert’s sense of humor. He teases Cynthia about his ‘new mash’—a fancy old word for a crush—describing a ‘cute little woman’ with curls and a dainty cap, only to reveal she is seventy years old! He ends his letter with a clever little nudge, asking Cynthia to send a photograph because, strangely enough, photos sent by mail always seem to go missing. It is his charming way of saying he just wants to see her face again without being too forward.

Reading a letter like this reminds us that history is not just about big wars or famous leaders; it is about the quiet moments, the inside jokes, and the way we miss our friends. Even back in 1894, people were just trying to get by, keep their spirits up, and wait for the mail to bring a smile from someone they cared about. It is a beautiful reminder that no matter how much time passes, the way we love and miss each other never really changes.

Original Transcription

Renova, W… [cut off]
Deep Water W Va
Feb 20th 1894

Miss Cynthia Gwinn
Dear Friend
I know you will be surprised to get a letter
from me But I know you would forgive
my presumption if you knew how blue
the house is since you went away. Why even
Brune has the blues. As for Mr Shoully it
was almost impossible to console him a-tall
Hermann says he Mr H has the Bunos
He has things a little mixed but that isn’t
to be surprising, considering that we are all
slightly off (Excusé slang). J.B. went to 20 Mi
to day but came back on 13. D. H. has failed
to close the contract for any work here and
left here yesterday for St Albans. Walked
away without a word to poor — It seems to be
the proper thing of late to walk away without

[Page 2]
telling any good by. Tho, I must be a little
behind the times, Sure! I’m not left by a
long shot Guess who my mash is now Ha ha
She’s the cutest little woman with nice little curls
clinging all round her dainty head And a perfect
little love of a cap set ^squatily on the aforesaid
curls which she wears ^all day and at meals. Her
age is only 7___________0. But you will have to
guess her name I’m still trying to make
my work last till you come back. So if you
don’t want me to cause J.B. to make an assignment
Hurry! and get this with the ^knot tie them tight.
Something strange that Photos coming by mail
fail to materialize. Did you ever notice it?
Suppose you try one and see if it will come
Good Night
Your Friend
Robt. Mankin

Ans. Soon. Very.