Cedar Hill Farmhouse

updated COUNTRY FRENCH

What the Table Knew

By 43 Comments

I never wanted this table.  I’m headed in an airy, light, French direction, and I didn’t want a heavy, old American mahogany table.  I told Mr. CH that I didn’t want it, but he said to find a place for it.

Normally he goes along with what I want in the house, but this was different.  He wanted the table because of its past.  The thing is… we thought we knew the story, but the table knew something we didn’t.  You see, the table belonged to Mr. CH’s parents.

When we inherited the table, we also inherited boxes and boxes of personal letters, that revealed a shocking secret we never knew.

It was 1945, WWII was ending. A young 19 year old girl was writing to her high school beau, serving in the navy, stationed in the South Pacific. In her yearbook, he had written that he liked her, but later crossed out the word “like”, and changed it to “love.”  It appears that she loved him back, but he was off fighting the war, and had made no promises about the future. Meanwhile she was lonely, and felt that her life was on hold. She was dating occasionally, and met an older man, a man raised on a farm in Virginia who had big dreams. A very respected member of the community, he was headed to Yale Divinity School to work on his PhD.


She was very beautiful, and he became smitten immediately upon meeting her.

He courted her for several months, sending her what flowers he could afford on his meager salary. When he called her, she wouldn’t speak to him, but just listened on the phone. He thought she was shy at the time, but I suspect she was thinking about someone else, someone far away.

At some point, he mustered up the courage to ask her to marry him. She replied by letter, spending days agonizing over just how she would word her answer. In the end, the letter spoke of how she wasn’t the right one for him, that he deserved better than she could give. She said that she would understand if he never spoke to her again, and suggested that he might want to destroy the letter so there would be no evidence that they had even discussed marriage. He was clearly in love, and would not be deterred.

 

He asked her again.  She confided in her father that she just didn’t know what to do. Her father wrote back to her, saying that he would never tell her what to do, but that she might want to consider the proposal. Her new suitor would make a fine husband.

And somewhere along the way… she agreed. She wrote her friends to let them know the news. They wrote back, asking if “he” knew she was getting married.

 

I’m not sure if “he” knew, but I suspect word had gotten back to him.  The wedding day arrived in 1946, and the couple united in marriage.  The new husband adored his new wife, with an unwavering devotion. She grew to love him over time.  The marriage was a happy one, and over the years there were many flowers and sweet love notes.

After receiving his PhD, he went on to become a professor, then dean of a seminary, and in 1959, he took a sabbatical so he could pursue studies abroad in Geneva, Switzerland. (You can find out more about their time in Switzerland here.)

When they returned stateside, she had yet another secret, but this one was a happy one. The couple was expecting a baby. Yup, if you guessed that Mr. CH was on his way, you are correct.

We never knew about that young sailor before we inherited the table and the letters.  Although the story made me a little sad, I love a happy ending, don’t you?  This rocky beginning turned into one of the happiest marriages I’ve ever seen, and as for the table… it’s still growing on me.

 

Comments

  5. Shelia says

    Oh, Anita! What a precious story! I’m sure it was something reading those letters. This would really make a wonderful movie, wouldn’t it?
    Guess what? I have that same table but it has not precious memories like yours. But I love it anyway.
    Maybe Mr. CH would let you paint it.
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia 🙂

    Reply

  8. Sarah says

    What a sweet story, Anita. As for the table, I grew up with one just like this. I think it went to my sister or one of her girls when Mother sold her home and moved into smaller quarters. Duncan Phyfe has never been my favorite style, but the memories and sentiment of my Mother’s table would make me love it. I’m sure Mr. CH feels the same. 😉 Thank you for sharing this story, and the images of the pretty vignette that sits upon this table. ~ Sarah

    Reply

  10. Jenny says

    I have a table just like that without the history of course, or at least one that we know of. We purchased it at an antique store in Eureka Springs AR. It is a great piece.

    Reply

  15. rtc says

    I also have my mother’s mahogany table, with pads. I remember sitting under it, hidden by its long cloth, pretending it was a tent. Mine does not have drop leaves, though. You may find that it is very versatile. I use mine as a cutting table.

    Reply

  17. On Crooked Creek says

    Anita,
    The hopeless romantic in me has gone through THREE tissues reading this post!!! I LOVE romantic letters of the past and HAPPY ENDINGS!!! Ask the table, “What other secrets does it know”??? Perhaps YOU and the table will become KINDRED SPIRITS after all…another HAPPY ENDING???
    Fondly,
    Pat

    Reply

  18. Blondie's Journal says

    What an incredible story…I was hanging on to every word! I love a happy ending and it seems that they want on to have a wonderful life in spite of a shaky beginning. I really enjoyed your pictures, too. What a great post, you are a true storyteller!

    XO,
    Jane

    Reply

  19. Jann Olson says

    Anita this is such a tender post. It touched my heart so. The table is a precious gift. I would love if you would hop over and link this to Share Your Cup Thursday!! I adore the cup holder. Thinking it’s the French drying rack. I would love to order one. Would you let me know if that’s what it is?
    Hugs,
    Jann

    Reply

  26. The French Hen's Nest says

    What a lovely story, I’m happy that they had a wonderful life together. I only hope the sailor enjoyed the same. That was such an uncertain time, but sounds like she made a good decision. I love the way that table talks. Enjoyed this so much, and the table is lovely.
    Jeannie of The French Hen’s Nest

    Reply

  33. Dewena Callis says

    What an enthralling story! You had me guessing to the end. I was pulling for the professor and am so happy it turned out as it did. I’ve just found your blog but will enjoy finding more here. And the table? Yes, it deserves being cherished. Over the years you’ll give it many lovely looks.

    Reply

  34. Designs By Pinky says

    What a sweet story! I am so happy that she fell in love with him. And that Mr. CH came along!!! My Mom was engaged to another man during the war. Unfortunately he was killed in action. I still have his picture and we were always close to his Mother. Fortunately she met my Father. Or I wouldn’t be here:) I wonder what else the table knows!!! Thanks for sharing this styory. Now I love the table:))

    Reply

  36. awal.ny says

    Lovely story. My children love hearing how my husband met and what led to our marriage and 15 years later still very much in love and happy.

    Reply

  37. Leslie Harris says

    Anita, I really enjoyed this post. There’s not a lot in my house that I couldn’t say good bye to, but the stuff that I do care about is random. Little quirky things that have personal meaning. I don’t have a family heirloom like yours, but I can see how its story makes it so meaningful.
    Leslie (aka Gwen Moss)

    Reply

  40. Jan says

    I loved the post, and was so pleasantly surprised to see a picture of the table.. You see, my husband and I inherited one exactly like yours from his parents when they passed away. Our table has a drawer on the short end of the table, and came with two very worn, but loved chairs. We don’t have such an amazing history of our table, but its a lovely reminder of his parents none the less.

    Reply

  41. Barb Hudson says

    So I followed the link to the Blog, instantly fell fully in love with the mahogany, drop leaf table. Drop leaf tables are so versatile, it could even be a hall table with both leaves down. I have an old crackled by time wooden yellow one that sits in its splendor in my den and is my “desk”. It actually belongs to one of my sisters but it is, as we say, “in the family circle”. I read the lovely sad/happy story about Mr. CH’s parents with my emotions completely out of whack. If the china sitting in the picture was also inherited, you are very lucky as it too is very sweet. When my Mom passed, she left behind beautiful china too, a full service for twelve, including the serving pieces of Old Country Rose which I remember her collecting piece by piece. I took it so it wouldn’t be broken up into bits and pieces as my sisters suggested we do. I didn’t love it but it, like your lovely table grew on me. Now it turns out my youngest daughter wants it and so there was a reason I kept it. I love that you found the letters, they are as precious as the table. Cheers as always from the west coast of Canada. My day always starts out better when I visit the Cedar Hill Ranch. …barby

    Reply

  43. Marken says

    I grew up with a table like that, though ours also had two leaves. It was so useful when we had a large dinner party and on “normal days” could be folded down and scooted against the wall. None of us kept it, but we should have. I think you will learn to appreciate it.

    Reply

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