august 27，1929

　　frances darling，

　　i've been reading your letter over all day，it's so dear，even the part that worried me.i imagine that tomorrow morning's mail will tell me what has happened and whether i really upset things.my mind has been constantly on the cape——i can see you，but i don't know what you are doing and saying，and i want so dreadfully to know.tell me that everything is all right，and tell me again.i've wanted to telephone，but i know you don't like the telephone，and besides i remember that yours is right out in the middle of everything and conversation is impossible.damn the distancebetween us！you won't get this until thirty sixhours after i write it.but remember that when itell you now that i love you i shall be loving youeven more by the time you read the words.lastsunday i couldn't have believed that my love couldever be bigger and stronger than it was then——but it's growing every hour.can't you feel it？

　　yesterday i couldn't do a stroke of work.i was exhausted——burned out——stunned.theterrific suspense and emotional strain and then theunbelievable happiness left me without much bodyor mind.but today i was myself again，only betterthan ever before；you were the motive for everything.i've never had so much energy.youhave done that；don't stop.

　　haven't you a photograph or even a snapshot of yourself？i want to look at and touch，as i readand touch your letters；it helps bring you a littlecloser.

　　frances dear，don't be afraid；it's for me to beafraid；afraid that you are too beautiful，too sweet，too adorable，actually to be mine；afraid that i amnot good enough to make you happy when i haveyou.yet i'm not really afraid i can't make youhappy；i worship you，and i know that such a lovecan create only happiness.

　　tonight i have to read two manuscripts.i tryto believe that it is your hand that turns the pages；that you are sitting and reading with me.it's lovelyhere；real country；with crickets that are doing theirbest to sing your name.

　　good night，and i love you，and again，remember when you read it that my love will bethirty-six hours bigger.have you room for it？ilove you.

　　ogden

　　親愛的弗朗西絲：

　　我整整一天都在看你的信，你的信太可愛了，甚至令我擔憂的那部分也如此可愛。我想象著明天早上收到的郵件將告訴我發(fā)生了什么事，是否我真的把事情攪亂了。我的心思一直都在好望角上 ——我能看見你，卻不知道你在做什么、你在說什么，但我卻如此渴望知道這一切。告訴我一切都很好，再告訴我一遍。我多想給你打電話，但我知道你不喜歡電話，而且我還記得你的電話總是出故障，不可能交談。真該死！我們相隔這樣遠！在我寫完這封信三十六小時之后，你才能收到它。但你要記住，我現(xiàn)在對你說我愛你，而在你看到這些話的時候我將更愛你。上個星期天，我沒有想到我此時對你的愛比那時更深、更強烈——我的愛每時每刻都在增加。你能感覺到嗎？

　　昨天，我一點兒工作都沒做。我感到精疲力盡，勞累不堪，頭暈眼花。可怕的不安與緊張的情緒以及后來的令人難以置信的幸福使我身心疲憊。但今天我又恢復(fù)如初，而且比過去任何時候都好；你是這一切轉(zhuǎn)機的動力。我從來沒有如此精力充沛過。這一切都緣于你，一直做下去吧。

　　你有照片嗎？或者一張你的快照？在我閱讀和觸摸你的信件時，我也想看一看、摸一摸你的照片，這使你離我更近一些。

　　親愛的弗朗西絲，不要擔心。感到擔心的應(yīng)該是我。我擔心你太美麗了，太溫柔了，太可愛了，你不會真正屬于我。我擔心當我擁有你時，我無法使你歡樂。可我也并不真正擔心我不能使你快樂。我崇拜你，我知道這樣的愛只會創(chuàng)造出幸福。

　　今晚我得閱讀兩份手稿。我憧憬著正是你的手在為我翻開每一頁，也正是你和我坐在一起閱讀。這兒非常可愛，是真正的鄉(xiāng)村，蟋蟀都在盡情地吟唱著你的名字。

　　晚安，我愛你。再一次告訴你，請你記住，當你讀這封信時，我的愛經(jīng)歷了三十六小時后膨脹得更大，你有空間接受它嗎？我愛你。

　　奧格登

　　1929年8月27日