[Some paragraph marks added for ease of reading.]Templeton, Mass.,
April 8, 1906.Dear Sister:-
In about fifteen minutes I have got to start to get ready to go to Gardner to see Miss Howe so that I may escape Mr. Greenwood. It may make him a little huffy but I guess he will recover. I saw him at church and he seemed a little cool. Arthur had his vacation this last week. I haven't got to go to school to-morrow I suppose. I have heard so in several ways but I am going to find out for sure this P.M. The Washington party don't get back till to-night and I guess Mr. Wood thought they, including Albion Hale Brainard, would be rather sleepy Monday.
We had a lady minister to-day, Miss Leggit (I guess you spell it that way.) She and Miss Foots and "Mr. Heels" ought to go off to-gether hadn't they. She was very nice and preached very well but someway I didn't like her to any great extent. I wonder why it is that a man can preach without smiling about it while a woman has to act kind of soft-soapy no matter whether she is or not. Miss Leggit wore a gown with long flowing sleeves, and looked real swell.
Cousin Mary & Cousin George Stone and Leland and Margaret were at church. Cousin Mary said that they were all over the whooping cough and waiting for the measles. Bessie and I stayed to the opening service
sat Sunday School. Cousin Mary came in as we did and she said that we had better shut the door into entry to keep out the sound of the talking. She asked me if I knew what Edward Everett Hale said about a Ladies' Sewing Circle. I said no so she told me. "Gibble, gabble, gobble, git." She thought that after church time made her think of that.Earnest Bourn's wife & little girl were there and the little one acted like everything. She talked out and her mother told her to whisper, that when people wanted to say anything in church they whispered. She took her out one and brought her back. Finally she acted so her mother picked her up and her belongings up and left. The little one howled some when she realized that she was really going for I guess she thought that something would be doing.
In Sunday School it was cute to see Clara Aiken's little girl put her arms around Herbert Maynard's neck. He didn't like it very well and tried to push her away but she cuddled up to him. Finally he sat down on the floor. Cousin Mary told me that it wasn't very polite but she did think my suit was very pretty! She said she had always wanted a red one but when she was young her hair was too red so she was going to have one now. (It is just about four. Time for Mildred and Harold and Jack and the Pierce boys to be nearing Academy Hall.)
(It is Monday morning now and there is no school.) Lucius came last night and Uncle faced him. He didn't come in & I shouldn't wonder if he was kind of disgusted. We had a nice call with Miss Howe and didn't get run off the track, going or coming. I went over to ask Mrs. Burnham about school and she told me that Norman died Wednesday. Carrie wrote that he suffered terribly at the end. Poor Carrie is coming back to-day. Miss Howe told me that Mabel Brainard, one of the Freshman girls, died yesterday pneumonia. She had been sick only five days. Also I heard that Irving Waite of Baldwinville was dead. He had gone to North Carolina for his health and died there. Miss Howe expects to be flying around in an auto this summer as Mrs. Volney Howe has one ordered which will hold five people.
Sat. P.M. I went to L.A.H. and learned how to cut my Hardanger. I have my front piece a third done now. I feel big. We are going to start things for a fair next summer pretty soon and so use the knowledge we have gained. The meeting was over at Mrs. G- and it did seem good. Bessie's mother is ever so much better and is up all day. While we were at the meeting Miss Leggit & Dr. G- came by the house and we just arose and "rubbered." Friday Cousin Minnie & Cousin Esther spent the day here. Carl and Russel came up in the P.M. so I had a lively time. I thought they would raise the roof. The[y] behaved very well considering they were wide awake boys. Carl told me once that he was hungry so I proceeded to fill them up. We had a doughnut apiece, and then between us we ate a whole box of oysterrettes. Cousin Esther is a great deal better. She said that Arthur wanted to get a position as cabin boy on one of the ocean liners. She don't know whether he will do it or not.
Thursday a [sic] lazed around and didn't amount to much. Auntie & I hung my pictures in the P.M. so you wouldn't know my room, it looks so fine. I am a Chinaman for I go backwards in telling of my experiences. I arrived home safely as you know & didn't lose my way. I made the acquaintance of a young lady I know not who. She went down in the coach & then went to Athol with me. I got some muddy but Mr. Whittaker brushed me off at the station. When I was waiting for the Templeton car to my surprise I saw Martha Newton Noyee & her baby come out of the house near the waiting station & go down to the Athol car where her husband was running as conductor. Miss Wilkinson dropped a stitch in her back about a week ago but when I was down there this A.M. she said she was getting better slowly.
And now most important (I should have told it first but I led up to a crisis) I have a post card album. Auntie brought it from N.Y. I am tickled have to death & couldn't rest until I put all my cards in. It will hold 204 and I have 113. Cousin Lizzie sent me several among them two from Mexico so I feel very big. They have been sent to her. One is broken but I can mend it.
Mama has been having a sick turn but is better now. She went to Gardner Sat. & came home sick. I guess it is something like what I had at New Salem. She felt pretty mean yesterday but is ever so much better this A.M. She said to tell you that the folks here think that the next time you see Mr. Pratt you had better tell him that you must know whether you can come back to New Salem next year, that you have had a position offered you (you needn't say whether you have accepted or not) and if you are not going to be at New Salem you must be looking around for another place. That is the decree of this family.
Now how are the people at New Salem? They are much more interesting to me than they were before I went up. What does Harry have to look at? Has Mr. Heels" been late to breakfast? We didn't have time to laugh at that. Is Harold back? How is Willard's "untwisting all the ties etc"? How is Jack? Has the authoritative knock sounded from below again? How Dorothy got her stove built to suit her satisfaction? Which has fallen in love with Mr. "Heels" you or Miss Bliss? I was rather lonesome Wednesday when I got home for the house seemed rather quiet after living in so much excitement. Well I expect to see you in less than two weeks. Three cheers!
With love,
Molly.P.S. I am X no longer, Cousin Minnie said that Walter Wilson was not married.