Love letters in attic of 1906 rehab/flip

[Erin A.]

Hey BP friends!

My electricians found a bunch of love letters from 1966 written to one of the 3 brothers from whom I bought the house I'm rehabbing, a 1906 craftsman. (He was 17 at the time and is in his 60s now.) 

Since he's still alive, I'm having a moral dilemma about what to do with the letters!

1) I'd love to read them, but it feels wrong since the recipient is still around. What would you do, read them or not?

2) Yes, they legally belong to me, but they're not mine in spirit. The recipient is involved in the local community and I could easily give the letters back to him. Would you?

It's my first flip and I'm a hopeless romantic... hopefully you can sift through my sentimentality and give your two cents! Thanks in advance.

[Curt Davis]

Give them back but read them.  I am sure you will find it interesting the way people spoke to each other back then.