The courtship of my parents would shape their married life. The essence of the needed understandings in their life-long relationship is conveyed in these isolated excerpts from their letters. They fall into distinct categories: Walter’s view of the world (possibly followed by Margaret’s reaction), Margaret’s view (possibly followed by Walter’s reaction), their joint interests as potential soulmates, what is happening in their social groups, or what is attracting their attention in the world at large.
These excerpts from the encountering phase of their courtship give a sense of how they came to recognize their soulmate, a helper made for them à la Genesis 2:18-24. Each excerpt begins with the date the letter was written and the page in the published book of edited letters. No page is given in a couple of exceptions when the expression has not been published but comes from
The Letters of Walter and Margaret, a privately printed and unedited version of the entirety of their courtship letters. To reflect the fact that letters are usually read and interpreted in their entirety, each letter is represented here by only one paragraph-sized excerpt conveying the essence of the letter’s evoking concern.
