1930: Merry Christmas, to Husband from Wife, and Vice Versa

I love finding old Christmas cards at estate sales.  At an estate sale in the San Gabriel Valley in Southern California, earlier this year, I found a small box of old Christmas cards with gorgeous designs.  Most of them were dated by the recipient, and these were all dated 1930 (or thereabouts).

Two of the cards caught my eye because of the inscriptions inside.  This one reads "Merry Christmas to My Husband."

The personal inscription inside seemed oddly formal.

Here's a very Merry Christmas

To a man I'm glad to know,

Who has journeyed on beside me 

From the happy long ago;

And I hope his cup of gladness

Bubbles gaily to the brim

With the good cheer I am having

In my home sweet home with him.

Affectionately & fondly

Your Wife

To the dearest Husband on Earth --

No names, just "Your Wife."

Someone had also saved his card to her, from 1930.  It features a gorgeous Art Deco Christmas design:  Christmas Greetings to the "Pal-O'-My-Heart."

His signature is oddly formal as well:

True to me, kind to me,

   never deceiving;

Cheering me, helping me,

   ever believing;

Sad for me, glad for me,

   never apart;

Dear to me, near to me,

Pal of my Heart.

Clean-hearted, strong-hearted,

   all the way thru,

Uplifting and tender,

    Wonderful you!

Fair to me, square to me, 

   life's dearest part, --

Best to me, blest to me,

Pal of my heart.

Whoever the sender was, signed the card in verse:

Help to me, life to me,

Ne'er more to sever (?);

Friend to me, wife to me,

Mated forever.

Lovingly,

Husband.

I wonder if this couple was just very old-fashioned and referred to one another as "Mr." and "Mrs." -- or if the lack of the use of personal names was a special sign of affection?

Either way, they chose nice Christmas cards, and someone chose to save them, so we can look at them 84 years later.

However you sign your own cards, Merry Christmas to you!