[Some paragraph marks added for ease of reading.]Templeton, Mass.
May 31, 1903.Dear Lucy,
I think that I could write all night. I have so much to write to you, but perhaps I shall not hold out Mr. Hale was hurt Friday night. Two cars smashed into each other in E. Templeton in front of Mr. Brooks' house. Mr. Hale's foot was crushed and he was taken to the hospital and yesterday after noon his foot was taken off. Mr. Brooks said to-day that he ate well and slept well last night. Mr. Redmond said that if anyone could see the car (it was the old rattlety-bang) they would wonder how it happened that he was not killed for the car was all smashed.
We had a great time at the jug breaking. Cousin Bessie brought a little girl from Otter River up and she is a lively one. We went up in the hall before supper and there Arthur acted for us and hopped around while Linnie and I played drop-sticks. At supper we all ate and ate and came very near eating everything up. Cousin Margaret's class had the most money in the jugs. Yours next being either four or five cents less and ours next. Laura Dinon broke the jug in your class. Inez Bourn broke a jug or rather Cousin Bessie broke it for her and she smashed it[.[ Helen & Bessie Bourn and Dorothy spoke a piece. Clara Bourn was going to speak too but she was sick. Bedille Maynard spoke a piece & she got up there and said, "I don't want to say it. I know it, but I don't want to say it," and Mrs. Pratt tried to get her started but she said "I know it all but I don't want to say it" but at last she did and when she finished she ran out her tongue.
The Prize Speaking has been postponed until this week. The Freshman class want to have a picnic some time this week. We had quite a time at Memorial exercises at school Friday. They kept us there for over two hours. The manager of the occasion said that he knew that we wanted short speeches and then he got up and made one twice as long as anyone's else. Captain Potter was there & the manager said that they would like to hear something from their Spanish War Veteran and Captain Potter got up and said that he thought that the manager must be a little mistaken about his saying anything but he had a sword to present, and he wanted Major Bates to come to the center (some of us knew what was coming, as Arthur had asked us to contribute to it.) Bates hadn't heard a word about it and he just sat and looked at Gen and wanted to know what he meant and at last they got him to go up front and Capt. Potter presented him with the sword and said that he hoped that he would wear it Saturday and do his duty as a soldier and keep up in his lessons next year so that he could wear it next year. Bates thanked him for it and that had to turn around and make us a little speech. I think that they did pretty well not to let him know anything about it but I think that it was rather hard on Bates no[t] to know anything about it until Capt. Potter called him up there.
Arthur spoke a piece at the exercises and he was so frightened that we thought that he was not going through it but he did. I went to the exercises up here and thought that I should colapse [sic] before they got through[.] I was up there about two hours, so I think that I have done as much as I ought to. I didn't go up to the cemetery the 30th but went to day. Mama got some false Solomon seal and June pinks and clintonias and Auntie and I got Solomon seal, bunch berry and lots of evergreen. I made two wreaths.
Did you ever know Lucia Eddy? She was in my class. She died last week and had only been absent from school two days. What shall we get for Mama and Auntie? I think any of those things would be good.
With love,
Mary