My husband received something very strange in the post ...

[OnSilverStars]

In the post today, my husband received a letter. It was hand written with his name and address on the outside. No return info. The writing in the envelope is definitely a woman's

Inside is a copy of an "essay" I googled it and it's by Robert Louise Stevenson. It called "on Marriage"

The gist of it is that marriage has lots of ups and downs and requires communication

There is nothing else. No name, just a folded print out of this essay.

Any explanation, other than my fear? I have no reason other than this to suspect anything.

YABU - don't jump to conclusions

YANBU - he's cheated.

I'm shaking. This feels so surreal. I hope I'm overreacting. He's currently at work.

Ps. We open each other's post. We think nothing of it - usually. It's always junk or bills

Sorry but I think it's beyond the pale to open someone's post even when you are married.

Well aren't we lucky you're here to bring this up, as NO ONE ELSE has mentioned it during the 18 pages of replies so far!

[quote user1471565182]Normal people can easily recognise handwriting gender. I can and assume most others can, its not a magic skill.

sites.psu.edu/siowfa16/2016/09/06/why-do-females-and-males-have-different-handwriting-styles/comment-page-1/[/quote]
Same.

@Kettlingur

Sorry but I think it's beyond the pale to open someone's post even when you are married.

Well aren't we lucky you're here to bring this up, as NO ONE ELSE has mentioned it during the 18 pages of replies so far!

Quite.

If only OPs DH was fine with it.

Lol at 'beyond the pale' 😄

Oh for goodness sake @JinglingHellsBells - these are two individuals who have agreed that they are both happy to open one another's post.

And by the way, it's probably best not to use the 'beyond the p*' phrase as a lot of people find it extremely offensive nowadays, by all accounts.

@LST

Lol at 'beyond the pale' 😄

Good to read your most recent post, OP.

The suggestion re mistaken identity - someone else in the same town with a similar name - does seem a possibility. At one time in the past, I shared surname and initial with a well-known local "personality", and on several occasions received phone calls meant for him.

It wasn't an anti-climax, OP - I'm just glad you came back to update us!

I'm sure you are right to trust your DH - he sounds nice generally and his reaction sounds very genuine.

Hope there's a resolution..! (And please do let us know )

Sorry but I think it's beyond the pale to open someone's post even when you are married.

Fascinating but what the fuck has that got to do with the OP when she and her DH DO open each other's mail.

OP I'm happy to hear your DH is as confused as you, if you know what I mean.

OP you obviously know, love and trust your DH, that's good however having had experience of men that cheat I'm afraid they are very good actors. I would still be suspicious, in fact I wouldnt' have told him and would have gone into detective mode but then I don't trust easily.

Is it old woman writing or young woman writing?

I realise some posters will be frothing at the idea that I can judge both sex and age from handwriting and to those people I'd like to say I'm so sorry for any offence caused.

Also is the name and address 100% accurate?

crotch Don't be so ageist. I know 80 and 90 year olds who know more about scanners and copiers and Photoshop than I will ever do.

AND (yet again) it is NOT a photocopy of a library book. It's a photocopy - as has been said several times already - of a selection of cut and pasted quotes numbered and put in a ring binder
Did you not look at the picture the OP helpfully sent ....?

Anyway, most libraries are closed at the moment, or have very, very restricted facilities.

Only read the OP but I once had a very similar, handwritten letter reciting the importance of the sanctity of marriage snd how adultery was evil. It was very weird and I thought it had come to the wrong person. A few days later the JWs turned up and asked if I’d read my letter.

First and last name
Address
Postcode
All exactly right!

I'll be called an ageist but I would say it's an under 50s writing 😬

Is it from a family member or friend? It's the sort of thing my parents would send me if we had a chat about something and they wanted me to read it etc Is he a member of a club where a conversation could have led to someone sending him this to read (as in just an innocent sharing of a book type thing)? It sort of feels innocent to me.

Oh just read how he reacted. There you go!

@CrotchBurn

I put the suspects age at around 70.

And again, WTAF does someone's age have to do with this? You don't have a clue so stop being so ageist.

@Needahug72

Could be a letter from Jehovah Witnesses we got one last week about the meek possessing the earth.

They seem to be sending letters to random addresses as my mum received one a couple of months ago addressed to her my dad (dad had died a month earlier)

I also got a hand written letter off them as well so it's probably this.

Can i just say once again as have already commented. Its not a letter from JW as I am one and we wouldn't send anything like this. It would be a short letter and maybe a tract. I would have an address of the local congregation. We are letter writing at the moment as some like the encouragement the Bible gives. Its nothing sinister. This is definitely not from us xxx

I'm sure some people think its normal but I find opening each others post especially hand written notes just horrifying.

It looks like a stereotypical woman's handwriting. I know that's not woke. Sorry

I know what you mean. It's not always right granted, but there is a type.

@WingingItSince1973

Can i just say once again as have already commented. Its not a letter from JW as I am one and we wouldn't send anything like this. It would be a short letter and maybe a tract. I would have an address of the local congregation. We are letter writing at the moment as some like the encouragement the Bible gives. Its nothing sinister. This is definitely not from us xxx

Why do you write to people who haven’t requested you to do so? What if the recipient would not want the “encouragement” and would perceive it as intrusive and offensive and utterly unwelcome?

Someone has maybe thought he's the only one in his area, copied down the address, but it's actually the wrong man?

I now think this must be the only rational explanation. Two English literature enthusiasts talking about RLS, one mentions this quote and says I have it in a booklet from Uni, I'll send you a photocopy. Regardless of age, they may not realise there would be a link to something so obscure on the internet. They then realise they haven't got the address, look it up and gets the wrong one. Have you looked up DH's name on 192 to see if there is another near you? Or if he has a very common name, there will definitely be another one near you!

I don’t know the poem but if it’s about working at a marriage and that ups and downs are normal it doesn’t sound like something someone would send him if they’d being having an affair with him? 🤷‍♀️

@WingingItSince1973

Can i just say once again as have already commented. Its not a letter from JW as I am one and we wouldn't send anything like this. It would be a short letter and maybe a tract. I would have an address of the local congregation. We are letter writing at the moment as some like the encouragement the Bible gives. Its nothing sinister. This is definitely not from us xxx

It’s definitely sinister to write to people completely uninvited and try to shove religion down their throats. Luckily, due to the Pandemic, it’s slightly less sinister than knocking on people’s doors and trying to shove religion down their throats. But it is sinister