[Some paragraph marks added for ease of reading]Templeton, Mass.,
March 11, 1906.Dear Lucy:-
If I do what I ought to to-day I shall write five letters and two postals but "maybe I shall but I doubt it." That would be almost too much of a good thing. How you must be enjoying your class letter. We have been fancying you deep in that. I had a postal card from Auntie yesterday morning. It was mailed in Springfield and had the picture of one of the High School buildings on it. I think that is my eighty-seventh.
I got all my studying done yesterday. I didn't have such a great deal to do but as I didn't feel like doing it Fri. night I left it till yesterday. Bessie and I were going over to the other church but Bessie didn't come. However I had the pleasure of getting into my good clothes. I have got more cold so some of the time I can hardly talk. And I have to speak in Rhetoricals Wed! If I am hoarse I shall not do it for I need all the voice I have to speak the 'Chameleon.' It isn't quite two yet and I have been reading for a long time. I really hardly know what to do with myself.
I have made some taffy for my hoarseness. Yesterday seemed an awful long day but I could have stood it if it had been longer. In the P.M. I started out on an "oratorical rampage". I carried a pot of hyacinths and a note over to Mrs. Greenwood. She is down stairs now so I made her a little call. She looks pretty white but it does seem so good to see her again. Dorothy was there and she told me how she went over to the other church last Sunday. She was with someone, I know not who, and they both forgot to take any money. The contribution box was passed in the regular service, in the communion service and in the evening at prayer-meeting and Dorothy said they didn't have any money at any time.
Then I went to the library & tried to get "The Guardian Angel" but they said that it went to Baldwinville in the P.M. Burt Phelps was in there & he said that they needed a guardian angel down there. Then I went down to the greenhouse & paid for the pinks we got for Mrs. Greenwood so long ago, and came back & went into Mrs. Carpenter's. I never can get away from there in any reasonable time. She brought out her postal cards, a book of Whalom views and the pictures of all her children, some of her relatives and friends[.] Walter is cutting four teeth at once and consequently is rather cross. He is such a big fat happy little fellow. Ruth has got over a great deal of her shyness. The first thing she did when I came in was to trot up & say "I'se got a new dolly. I'se got a new dolly." Mrs. C- says that she takes advantage when any callers come in and teases for things her mother don't usually give her but she don't get them. Mrs C- told me how old she was. She said she was twenty-eight so you see she could not have been very old when she was married for Earl is nearly seven.
The Argus comes out Thurs. of this week or at least it ought to. I dreamed last night that it did come out & told of it to-day so of course it will. There has been more trouble up in Rhetoricals. Walter Greenwood was speaking when somebody (I suspect it was Drake) coughed and made a funny sound. The boys begun to laugh & then Walter laughed & forgot what to say next. That tickled the boys more than ever & about the time Walter thought of what he ought to say Miss Clark told all the boys who laughed to go downstairs. Nobody stirred & she repeated her orders & finally Drake started & then all but five of the boys got up & went down. Fri. each one of them received afternoon slips for the next three Mondays & they are not to speak or be in Rhetoricals again this year or that is what I've heard. I don't think that is much punishment if they are allowed to say them to Miss Clark in private for who wouldn't prefer to say them when nobody was around? However I think it is a shame for them to have to miss the "Chameleon".
Auntie & I went to the Union. The programme was miscellaneous. Mildred Whitney all dressed up as old womman [sic] recited a piece & later she sung. Amy Powers sung: Wallace Underwood gave some comical, illustrated stories. I danced till I was rather tired. Andrew took me on for "Hull's Victory". I had no idea how to do it & nobody else but Jay had so after folks had blundered about a little they made us stop.
We came home in the midst of a quadrille which Lucius was dancing with Dorothy. He didn't get mad, I am sorry to say for he has walked home from the store with me since & asked me to go to the ball game Fri. night. I want to go but I don't intend to go with him. It is between G.H.S. & Winthrop & I want to see Mr. Osbourne[.] There have been some fire hose put in the G.H.S. Mr. B- said it was by order of the state. Now I think we had better have some fire-drill. I saw some boys playing marbles the other day oo Spring has surely come. It is just a little Marchy to-day; At the present time I am wondering whether I had better read "Elsie Henrie" [?] or not. I want "The Guardian Angel". I will tell you the rest this week.
With love, X X X X X
X X X X X X X X X X X X X Molly X X X XLucius was in to-night and said that Loren LaClair died yesterday. Only two left there now and Georgie can't talk & is very weak