Existing comment:
Courtship
To his family and to hers the marriage brought extreme gratification, for all who knew them both knew that an ordeal of loneliness had ended... With dynamic vitality and sheer joy of living she showed him how to take hold again of life and happiness.
The romance between Woodrow Wilson and Edith Bolling Galt lifted a cloud that had shrouded the White House. After their nearly chance encounter, the couple began regular correspondence by letter and spending hours with each other. Their romance was intense but constrained by Victorian Era properties. This was one of the rare occasions in American history when the President was "dating."
The public was fascinated. Wilson's political advisors were wary. Accompanied by chaperones (and the Secret Service), the couple would take drives in Rock Creek Park, share dinner with friends, and read poetry to each other in the White House.
The couple's courtship relied heavily on love letters. They wrote each other regularly, sometimes more than once a day. The greetings in Woodrow's letters quickly evolved from "My Dear Mrs. Galt" to "Oh, my darling, my darling."
Woodrow's letters to Edith indicate that her presence in his life contributed to his clear mind and steady confidence as he dealt with the Great War, the sinking of the Lusitania, political strife in Latin America, and changes his Cabinet. |