If you have kept up with Jessie’s diary, you will have noticed that Jessie has a serious beau. Her first date with Percy Perkins was on December 8, 1919. She saw him a couple of times through the years, but starting on November 9, 1922 (the Debutante Ball) they began to go out more regularly.
This is the way Jessie felt about Dr. Percy Perkins at the beginning of 1923: “Percy is a very interesting talker. Tells interesting tales. He may make them up though.” And, “Percy and I had quite a talk when we got home. I like him, though sometimes I wonder if he is conceited. Still I don’t think he meant to be bragging tonight when he said he never had asked a girl to marry him. I like to be with him and I guess I don’t know just what I think of him yet.” (January 7 & 8, 1923). Then on February 5, 1923 Jessie made an amusing entry. “Percy and I had a long talk when we got home. I don’t know just what to think of him. He wanted to know if he should start coming constantly or just every once in awhile. Well I do like him but….” That made me laugh.
Compare that to the way Jessie writes about Percy in her diary on October 7, 1923: “Had a date with Percy tonight. Perfectly happy just staying at home with him. He is a darling and every time I’m with him I realize it more and more. Just such a satisfied feeling when he is near. Don’t want any body or any thing else. Guess it must be the real thing.” And again at the end of 1923 she wrote: “Had a date with Percy tonight. I do believe if he came at day light and stayed ’til midnight I’d feel as tho’ I’d hardly seen him and so hate for him to go. He’s just about the sweetest thing I know and I just love to be with him. Did nothing particular tonight but had a very happy time.” (December 30, 1923) As Jessie wrote on New Years Eve 1923, after dancing with Percy until the early morning hours, “1923 was surely a ‘Percy year.‘”
Love is in the air.
