Kissy face, kissy face sent to your phone, but
I’m trying to kiss your lips for real (uh-huh, uh-huh)
Red hearts, red hearts, that’s what I’m on, yeah
Come give me somethin’ I can feel, oh-oh-oh

Don’t you want me like I want you, baby?
Don’t you need me like I need you now?
Sleep tomorrow, but tonight go crazy
All you gotta do is just meet me at the

While the opening two verses of Rosé and Bruno Mars’ recently released song, APT., may give the impression it’s a love song, or perhaps even modern day love letter (well, they do mention a kissy face and heart!), it’s actually a song about a Korean drinking game. But who said drinking and love letters (love chats, WhatsApps, or whatever we use nowadays…) can’t go hand-in-hand?

And while, despite it’s opening versus, APT. may be about a drinking game, it got me thinking about letter writing, and, given the day that’s in it, love letters, and reminded me of a blog piece I wrote during my research studentship in the National Library of Ireland (too many years ago to count…). Here’s a slightly updated version of the post that was published on the NLI’s website all those years ago. Enjoy!

During my time researching and cataloguing Leslie Papers (Castle Leslie, Co. Monaghan), I stumbled across a letter written by a young man to his fiancée. The letter, penned in 1884 by Sir John (“Jack”) Leslie (2nd Bart) of Castle Leslie, was for his fiancée, Leonie Blanche Jerome, youngest daughter of Leonard Jerome, a Wall Street speculator and ‘patron of the turf’ in America.

Heather and a feather adorn this love letter from John Leslie to Leonie Jerome, 1884 from the NLI’s Leslie Papers

From the first time he set eyes on Leonie, Jack at once determined to marry her, though it did take a little work, his first proposal being turned down immediately. However, following a subsequent meeting in Dublin in 1883, the couple were reunited, and Leonie fell for the ‘handsome and aristocratic Anglo-Irishman’. Despite their strong love, neither family approved of the match. Although from a wealthy land-owning family, Jack, who studied art in Paris, did not possess any money of his own, and therefore was not deemed a suitable match for the Jeromes’ daughter. For the Leslies, the mésalliance stemmed from the fact that Leonie was an ‘unknown American’, and therefore an unacceptable wife for their son.

Their parents’ opposition did not thwart the couple’s love, however, and they were in constant contact with one another, writing at least one letter each day (imagine, not being able to send/receive messages instantly: the shock!). As a consequence, a significant bundle of Jack and Leonie’s ‘love letters’ has survived amongst the Leslie Papers. While each one is fascinating, one letter in particular demonstrates not only the love that the couple had for one another, but also highlights the fact that in a period where many marriages were arranged for financial or social gain, a small minority of marriages truly were for love.

It is a week today since we parted but it feels to me months already – But how sweet when we do meet!

The letter in question, penned by Jack Leslie to his ‘sweet, sweet Leonie’, begins by reminding her of the ‘pleasure of hearing from you [Leonie]’, and notes that although ‘it is a week today since we parted … it feels to me months already’, reminding her how very ‘sweet’ it will be when they do eventually see each other again. Jack’s references to his father’s disapproval of the match tarnishes the romantic theme somewhat, although the line that ‘he thinks that in love one is blind’ somewhat softens a potentially upsetting and distressing topic for his fiancée. Moreover, he further assures Leonie that he will not give in to his father’s wishes, telling her that ‘I love you more than him, home or anything’.

But darling, I love you more than him home or any thing

In addition to including romantic phrases and thoughts, the first page of the letter includes a sketch of a sunset over a lake in Pettigo, County Donegal, which formed part of the Castle Leslie estate. To the sketch, Jack had pinned a sprig of heather and a small wing feather from a pheasant, perhaps to give the drawing a three dimensional effect, or to give Leonie something as a keepsake should she have to destroy the letter in a bid to conceal it from her family.

Jack’s letter to Leonie, in addition to providing a detailed snapshot of their relationship, is very poignant and demonstrates the challenges which faced couples who decided to contravene the social norms of the time and marry for love.

And going back to the drinking game song, the closing lyrics of APT. actually seem pretty apt here, as Jack and Leonie not only went on their way, but actually went and got each other!

Hey, so now you know the game
Are you ready? ‘Cause I’m comin’ to get you, get you, get you
Hold on, hold on, I’m on my way
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I’m on my way
Hold on, hold on, I’m on my way
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I’m on my way