![[High School Portrait]](http://www.mtholyoke.com/pcsite/letters/images/Baker/TempletonHS.jpeg)
Standing: Charles Seaver, Stuart Winch, Fred Henshaw, Miss Mary Chandler Stone, Miss Grace Blodgett, Martha Newton, Mary Weir
Seated - girls: Elsie Maynard, Ella Winship, Annie Scollay, Lucy Baker, Edith Braithwaite, Chessie Whitney
Seated - boys: Harley Smith, James Hunting, Dwight Seaver, Charles Hersey, James Doherty, Walter Hadley, Arthur Willoughby
This collection of letters was written to Lucy Baker from her sister Mary (Molly), mother, and other relatives and friends. Lucy's father died in 1891. Her father had been a farmer, and from the contents of the letters, it appears that her mother, Ella C. Baker, continued to have an income stream from the land (fruit and timber). Lucy corresponded with several aunts, and her mother mentioned an uncle in her letters to Lucy. The aunts and uncle were often mentioned helping Ella with labor around the household, so it appears that Lucy and Mary were being raised by a single mother with help from extended family.
Many of Lucy's high school friends, pictured above, are mentioned in these letters. One particularly poignant story from her high school friends related to Edith (Edie) Braithwaite Sargent. At the end of 1902, Edie mentions she is pregnant, but she does not mention her husband Andrew much, and he appears strangely absent in Edie's life. For example, Edie mentions choosing a name for her baby with her mother and Lucy, not him. After the birth, a letter from Edie's mother hints at ongoing cruelty from Andrew toward Edie, though the details of that cruelty are not shared. In a 1902 letter, Edie mentions being woken up in the night by a blow to the head, which her husband seemed to excuse and discount. Another letter mentions that he has a temper and she must handle him carefully. All these hints suggest that Andrew was physically violent toward Edie.
I'm also puzzled how Edie talks about Amber as if he is her cat, and Ella and Mary talk about Amber as if he is their cat. Maybe Amber traveled a lot between the two households.
After graduation from Mount Holyoke, Lucy taught in New Salem Academy in New Salem, Mass., and many letters are addressed there. Lucy's mother died around September of 1907, and letters around that date mention her death.
All documents have a portion of the first page scanned, and comments about their contents are included below.