Letters to Alice: Birth of the Kleberg-King Ranch Dynasty

My Little Pet

111 1884–1887 note. So I must close and go. My friend Dr. McGregor is better today. Poor fellow he has a very uncertain future to look forward to. What a blessing good health is. I thank God [I] am as well as a fish, am free of my cold at last so that I will be in good [trim?] for Santa Gertrudis Thursday morning—and having arrived there we will have that little walk which you promised down to our old mesquite tree. TheCorpus Christi Caller had the following notations about McGregor. On January 24, 1886, it reported that “Dr W. W. McGregor returned from his trip to the country looking much improved. It is stated on good authority that he slaughtered an alligator in one of the Puerta lakes that measured 15 feet. The monster was brought to the Puerta ranch & exhibited.” On March 7, 1886, the newspaper stated that “Dr. McGregor is visiting the Puerta ranch. He has greatly improved since leaving the city.” Good night, my own Darling Alice. God bless you and preserve you for him who loves you with all heart & life. Your Robert My Little Pet  [Addressed to] Miss Alice G. King Collins Nueces Co. TX [Written on Law Office stationery from the Marcellus Kleberg firm.] Law Office of M. E. Kleberg Galveston January 6, 1886 My Dear Little Heart, While it gives me pleasure to write to you at any time, it gives me still greater pleasure to answer a letter from you but as the letter is out of the question, I shall take advantage of the 112 The Love Letters present missive to indulge in the pleasure of telling you what I feel [torn and illegible] what I have been [torn and illegible] to you so is missing and I have you, my own precious heart, with all my life and I miss you so this evening. How [I] wish you were here with me tonight & that you could attend the opera with me and hear Emma Abbott in Linda in which she sings [O luce de quest anima?]. The opera Linda de Chamounix contains an aria in the first act, “O luce de quest anima” (O star that guid’st my fervent love).83 Robert was no doubt referring to this aria when he implied that hearing it in the performance that night would make him think of her. Tonight I have for my company my brother Rudolph, the one who lives in Cuero. He arrived here last night on his way to Brownsville where he is going to stay with Judge Turner to attend Federal Court. It was quite an agreeable surprise to us all to meet here together—the first time that we have all three been together for three years. Robert was referring to Judge Ezekiel B.Turner, who came to Texas in 1853, moved to Austin in 1854, and practiced law there until the Civil War.84 Tomorrow night Mrs. Judge Stayton is going with me to hear Norma. She and the Judge arranged last night another pleasure for I had not met her for nearly eighteen months. She I used to call her my other mother. The next night I shall take my sisterin -law to the opera. The last & fourth night will be Faust. So you see I will have an opportunity of enjoying the opera to my heart’s content. The Galveston Daily News reported on Friday, January 1, 1886, that the Emma Abbott Opera Company would be appearing at Tremont 113 1884–1887 Opera House. The notice indicated that the operas to be performed would be Linda de Chamounix, Bohemian Girl, Norma, The Mikado, and Faust. According to his letter, Robert was planning to see at least four of those: Linda, Norma, and Faust, plus the unnamed opera he planned to attend with his sister-in-law.85 No not that either for there’s another side reason[?] [illegible] for the second night on compan[?] for me [without argument?] you. I am at work during the day [busy?] preparing an argument for my motion on a hearing of my last case. Well here it is again a delegation of brother attorneys. So I must close for now. The callers are gone but it is time for the opera So good night & when I hear sweet [illegible] my thoughts will turn to you and a little air castle rising up in the mist...