As I perused through fragile, old letters and newspaper clippings that have been saved by many generations in our family, there was one hand-written letter that stood out among the rest! 📝
It was a sympathy letter from Max E. Trepuk to his friend, Henry O. Creque upon the death of his father, John Bedford Creque (1902).
The Letter
My Dear Henry,
On the 25th, I received yours of the 18th, conveying to me the very sad and painful news of the demise of your revered father.
Please accept my sincere condolence.
Were I in St. Thomas, I would not have failed to be there in Tortola to pay him the last mark of respect and attention, a good sincere soul.
You know that I participate in your sorrows, like in your joys, and hope that very many of the latter shall always be your share and that you will be spared from experiencing more of the former for a very long time.
To avoid it entirely, no human being can.
Like my dear wife often repeats,
Life is but a little story, punctuated in the main with commas of our happiness, and periods of our pain”.*
You can console yourself with one great fact, that you have been “the pride of his heart, and have always been, the stay and charm of the winter of his life. *
Please convey to your good mother my sympathy and best wishes, for long life and good health. Mathilde joins me in kindest regards to Mrs. C. and yourself.
Yours very truly,
M.E. Trepuk
Nurtured Friendships
This personal letter, which has survived through the history of the Danish West Indies, gave me a small glimpse into the life of my forefather and the personal pain he endured.
Although this letter was written 114 years ago, it’s a clear reminder of how important nurtured friendships are in our daily lives.
* “Edgar Selwyn was a poet that penned this phrase during the heyday of his courtship with Margaret Mayo (the early 1900s). He sent the lines to a popular weekly publication and was rewarded with a check for $1.50.” ~ The San Francisco Dramatic Review, 1908
