Pine Mountain Settlement School
Series 09: Biography

STAPLETON: LETTER TO PETTIT FROM DARBY & JOAN 1930 – August “What a most attractive trip …”

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GALLERY:  Original Document of STAPLETON: LETTER TO PETTIT FROM DARBY & JOAN 1930 – August “What a most attractive trip …”

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ORIGIN OF THE STAPLETONS’ NICKNAMES

Darby and Joan are nicknames Ida used for Robert and herself – she sometimes refers to Robert as “D.D.” (Darby Dear). The names are taken from the following song. The second verse is especially poignant as they buried their two baby sons in Erzurum; one on his first birthday in 1902 and one at eighteen months of age in 1909. [Source: Gretchen Rasch, Great-granddaughter of the Stapletons]

Darby and Joan

Darby dear, we are old and gray,
Fifty years since our wedding day,
Shadow and sun for everyone
As the years roll on;
Darby dear, when the world went wry,
Hard and sorrowful then was I.
Ah, lad, how your cheered me then.
“Things will be better, sweet wife, again!”.

Chorus: Always the same, Darby my own,
Always the same to your old wife Joan,
Always the same to your old wife Joan.

Darby dear, but my heart was wild
When we buried our baby child,
Until you whispered “Heaven knows best!”
And my heart found rest;
Darby dear, ’twas your loving hand
Showed me the way to the better land;
Ah! lad, as you kissed each tear,
Life grew better and heaven more near.

Hand in hand when our life was May,
Hand in hand when our hair is gray,
Shadow and sun for everyone
As the years roll on;
Hand in hand when the long night-tide
Gently covers us side by side;
Ah! lad, though we know not when,
Love will be with us forever then.

Words by F.E. Weatherly, music by L. Molloy, published in 1890.
From Heart Songs, Chapple Publishing Co., 1909

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TRANSCRIPTION: STAPLETON: LETTER TO PETTIT FROM DARBY & JOAN 1930 – August “What a most attractive trip …”

Gilley, Kentucky
August 23 – 1930

[1] Our dear Miss Pettit –

What a most attractive trip you are having! I don’t wonder travelogues say – “See America First” – Well – if not first at least second – You must indeed be “full up with joy” as our Natalie said when we came home from Turkey in 1908 and she saw wild strawberries growing for the first time. There are all sorts of beauty for those who have eyes to see and the more we see the more we wish to wander and so we are glad you want to wander back here in 1932 – and you can have the entire summer from May 1st until Oct 1st and garden to your heart’s content and “shoo” off Nancy Lewises [sic] turkeys just as often as you like. Neely is sure they ate the blossoms from her

[2] beans – but Nancy avers that they don’t do any harm — I myself had to run them out of the cabbages – however, she may invite us to help eat one of them.

We are hoping you can introduce us to a freight ship whose captain would take us on a cruise to the Baltic Sea or mayhap to the Adriatic – but those detail can wait.

Darby’s sister has visited Natalie in Berlin and we had letters from them both. It almost seemed like visiting her ourselves.

And – great news. Billy and Sibyl – and the children are driving here with Father and Mother Cooke in the Ford – next week. So we shall have them for a day or two before they drive back to New York. My nephew who lived with Bill and Sibyl is to be married today in Oberlin O. and D.D.’s niece is being married in Ann Arbor at the same time.

Miss [Marian] Purbrick and Miss Simmis, the primary teacher, came over last Sat. for the night. Miss Simmis seems an enthusiastic young teacher and was at Carcasonne with the Hadleys.

Miss [Anne P.] Halliday and friend Miss Garret came

[3] thru on Monday and “camped” in our back yard – They had Nell and Peggy and were going to Caney, Carr Cen [?] and Hindman and possibly to Wooten and Hyden. They had been walking thru the Great Smokies. We enjoyed Miss Halliday especially.

All is quiet on Line Fork. Lou Riddle and brother and two other preachers are at Bear Branch School this afternoon and tomorrow. Neely said she wouldn’t go if she couldn’t get some better stockings. I suggested she could hear just as well sitting out on a rock.

Willie Hall has actually got started in school down at Sugar Grove. Nancy Jane said he couldn’t stand the Cornett boys nagging if he went to Pine Mt. He is living with his grandpap Ira Holcomb and riding down to K.C. in the car that brings Mrs. Miracle to Trace Br. School every morning.

Oh yes, we had another grand surprise. My sister Carrie who lives with my mother in Lapeer – drove down to Com. with my

[4] young nephew Robert from the farm & my sister Anna and niece from Birmingham Mich. They all walked from Com. except Anna who rode Swallow – and Darby walked with them. I was going to Leatherwood the next day but one[?] and Carrie went with me, quite enjoying the long ride.

The day of Nancy Jane’s Baby Party – Anna baked bread – cookies and pie – so we were well supplied for the table – and the next day I took Anna to see N.J. and the day following Carrie went and she told Frank she wanted to see a wall under his house the next time she came. She loved it, and will come again next summer.

There – you see how I run on when I get started – Thanks for your card from Glacier Park. We just skirted it when we came thru from Oregon in 1918. One of my nephew who lives in Montana is one of the guides.

With kindest regards
from
Darby and Joan

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SEE ALSO: 

Dr. IDA STAPLETON & Rev. ROBERT STAPLETON
Line Fork 1927 – 1947

GUIDE TO Dr. IDA STAPLETON & Rev. ROBERT STAPLETON REPORTS
1927 – 1936

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Title	STAPLETON: LETTER TO PETTIT FROM DARBY & JOAN 1930 – August “What a most attractive trip…”
Alt. Title	Dr. Ida Stapleton and Rev. Robert Stapleton Line Fork 1927 – 1947
Identifier	https://pinemountainsettlement.net/?page_id=8487
Creator	Pine Mountain Settlement School, Pine Mountain, KY
Alt. Creator	Ann Angel Eberhardt ; Helen Hayes Wykle ;
Subject Keyword	Dr. Ida Stapleton ; Rev. Robert Stapleton ; Pine Mountain Settlement School ; Line Fork Settlement ; Katherine Pettit ; Nancy Lewis ; gardening ; freight ship ; Darby and Joan ; Erzurum ; Miss Purbrick ; Miss Simmis ; Miss Halliday ; Miss Garret ; Hadleys ; Great Smoky Mountains ; Lou Riddle ; preachers ; Bear Branch School ; Lou Riddle ; Willie Hall ; Sugar Grove ; Ira Holcomb ; Mrs. Miracle ; Trace Branch ; Swallow (horse) ; baby party ; Glacier Park ; Pine Mountain, KY ; Harlan County, KY ; Line Fork, KY ; Gilley, KY ; Letcher County, KY ; Carcasonne, France ; Caney, KY ; Hindman, KY ; Wooten, KY ; Hyden, KY ; Lapeer, MI ; Birmingham MI ; Leatherwood, KY ;
Subject LCSH	Stapleton, Dr. Ida S., — 1871 – 1946. Stapleton, Rev. Robert, — 1866 – 1945. Pine Mountain Settlement School (Pine Mountain, Ky.) — History. Line Fork Medical Settlement (Gilley, Ky.) — History. Harlan County (Ky.) — History. Education — Kentucky — Harlan County. Rural medicine — Kentucky — Letcher County. Rural schools — Kentucky — History. Schools — Appalachian Region, Southern. Rural health services — Appalachian Region — History.
Date	2014-03-17
Publisher	Pine Mountain Settlement School, Pine Mountain, KY
Contributor	Gretchen Rasch
Type	Collections ; text ; image ;
Format	Original and copies of documents and correspondence in file folders in filing cabinet
Source	Series 21A: Personal Narratives (Written) ; Series 14: Built Environment – Line Fork Settlement ; Series 09: Biography – Ruth Dennis, Katherine Pettit ;
Language	English
Relation	Is related to: Pine Mountain Settlement School Collections, Series 21A: Personal Narratives (Written) ; Series 14: Built Environment – Line Fork Settlement ; Series 09: Biography – Ruth Dennis, Katherine Pettit ; Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) http://www.kyhistory.com/ ; Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) Library, Ida Stapleton Letters to Friends SC 462 http://khscatalog.kyvl.org/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=8347 ; Morris, Glyn. Less Traveled Roads. New York: Vantage Press, 1977.
Coverage Temporal	1930-August
Coverage Spatial	Pine Mountain, KY ; Harlan County, KY ; Line Fork, KY ; Gilley, KY ; Letcher County, KY ; Carcasonne, France ; Caney, KY ; Hindman, KY ; Wooten, KY ; Hyden, KY ; Lapeer, MI ; Birmingham MI ; Leatherwood, KY ;
Rights	Any display, publication, or public use must credit the Pine Mountain Settlement School. Copyright retained by the creators of certain items in the collection, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Donor	n/a
Description	Core documents, correspondence, writings, and administrative papers of Dr. Ida Stapleton and Rev. Robert Stapleton ; clippings, photographs, books by or about Dr. Ida Stapleton and Rev. Robert Stapleton ;
Acquisition	n/d
Citation	Line Fork Settlement School – Dr. Ida S. Stapleton and Rev. Robert Stapleton. Pine Mountain Settlement School Institutional Papers, Pine Mountain Settlement School, Pine Mountain, KY
Processed By	Helen Hayes Wykle ; Ann Angel Eberhardt ;
Last Updated	2014-03-17 hhw ; 2014-03-31 aae ; 2017-06-05 aae ;
Bibliography	Sources National Magazine. Heart Songs: Dear to the American People. Boston: Chapple Publishing Company, 1909. Print. Pine Mountain Settlement School Collections, Series 21A: Personal Narratives (Written), Series 14: Built Environment – Line Fork Settlement, and Series 09: Biography – Ruth Dennis, Katherine Pettit. Pine Mountain, KY. Archival material. Bibliography Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) http://www.kyhistory.com/ (accessed 2014-01-06). Internet resource. Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) Library, Ida Stapleton Letters to Friends SC 462 http://khscatalog.kyvl.org/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=8347 (accessed 2014-01-06). Internet resource. Morris, Glyn. Less Traveled Roads. New York: Vantage Press, 1977. Print.