North Dana Mass.
March, 22, 1908.My Dear Miss Baker:-
You don't know how glad I was to get your letter, I had begun to think you had forgotten all about me but was glad you hadn't.
Yes, I am getting ready to graduate. I have lost about four weeks of school this year, just a short time ago I was out a week, being sick my self, went back to school a week, came home and found mama sick and I was out for two more weeks, as we could find no one to come here, then I went back and stayed a week and we had a week's vacation. I have been studying five hours a day making up my studies.
Miss Peas gave us, to do this vacation, to write out the thought of each paragraph, of the Conciliation of the American Colonies, in our own words, clear through the book, I finished it last night. I spent about sixteen hours on it. I have my studies all made up but Geometry and History.
Now I will see if I can answer your questions. If nothing happens I intend to teach next year and then go a year to the Normal. I dropped Latin this year as I expected to have so much studying to do, and was not very much disappointed, and Latin was rather hard for me, I think, and I did not like it very well anyway. Last year, when I was trying to recite my Latin to you, I was sitting on needles and pins because I had such awful lessens [sic] and thought you must think I was the most stupid girl you ever saw, and wish I would drop Latin, you were so good in it.
Yes, I take sewing and like it very much, only it [is] kind of a bother sometimes to have "Miss Ballard" come marching in when I wanted to get some of my other studies. We have more fun to-gether than a little.
I like Mr. Betts very much and think he is the best teacher they have had since Mr. Adams went away, some think he is a regular tyrant and worse than Mr. Taylor, but I don't. He speaks just as quietly when a little provoked as when he isn't.
Each term I have heard you were coming back, but as you have not made your appearance I am afraid I have hoped in vain. I like Miss Roberts fairly well but you have to do pretty good work to pass under her. She never tells whether you are doing good work or not and you [don't] know until you get your rank card. We are having exams only twice a year now, I think I had almost rather have then three times a year. Several failed this year, I was one of the lucky ones and passed in every thing.
Bertha Billings' mother died a short time
ago sobefore Christmas and Bertha is up to New Salem, going to school, and Ethel is with her mother. I should think think [sic] it would be pretty hard for them they have been to-gether so long.I thought you might like my picture so I send it as it is fairly good. [no longer with the letter]
We are getting up our play the name of it is "The Best Mom." I wish you could be here to see it, if we ever have it, it is so hard to get them to gether.
We are having lovely weather now, over head, but pretty bad going it is so muddy.
Winnie is in Hemet, Cal. I hear from her quite often, she is going to dances and skating rinks, she says that is the place out there, to have a good time. Her letters are very interesting and she seems as full of it as ever, I should like to see her for I miss her because I don't have anyone to act silly with now, for all we used to "fight" so much we had a good many good times to-gether.
Mary Shaw is home keeping house for her father, and all the children are going to school, she says she does what she can do and what she can't she lets go undone.
The new school-house is getting along fine, they are finishing it off, and have had the furnace in for quite a while.
Well I guess I had better close now and get ready for school. So goodbye, hoping to see or hear from you soon, with lots of love from your
friend Bernice.