[Some paragraph marks added for ease of reading]Templeton, Nov. 10, 1905.
Dear Lucy,
Things here have come to a "bonny cripus". Lucius Greenwood is in the sitting room making a long call - he called Tuesday night - he walks home from post office with Mary nearly every night and I think Mary is to go to foot-ball game with him tomorrow. It looks as if some one would have to squelch him - that is altogether too much. Don't you think so? Mary is aching to get her lessons tonight so to have them all done before noon tomorrow - I am afraid he will be worse than Charlie - I most wish girls did not grow up quite so fast.
Well, I wonder how you are getting along, if you are running the school alone. I hope Mr. C's eye is well now, both on your account and his own. Of course the experience will be good for you, but you don't want too much experience all at once, and I am afraid you will get tired out. I am glad you were having a good time with your stove. I felt a little afraid it was going to trouble you.
I don't think of very much news. Carrie and I have been to the Wellington Club this afternoon - it was at E_ T_n at Mrs. Turners, and there were nearly thirty women there. We suppose we learned a great deal about Austria, which was the subject, but between you and me, if I had taken a geography and the Cullock for about half an hour, I think I would have known more about it than I do now. After we had found out all about Austria, there was music, selections from Handel and Hayden (is that spelled right?) and songs written by Austrians, the national hymn of Austria &c. Mrs. Turner, she was a Waters, a descendent of a Fales, did most of the playing and sang twice with Mrs. John Brooks and a Miss or Mrs. Williams - Mrs. Turner played one selection on the piano and her son, about 14 or 15. I should think, played the violin - Mrs. Gage, the minister's wife, played - once, and Edith played, but as usual she had not practised it enough - she came up here to practise for a little while one afternoon - it was a piece you play but I don't know the name of it - it seems to me it was Gluck's.
I sat with your Aunt Ada, and just spoke with Mattie - Mrs. Fisher is there - came last night and is going away tomorrow afternoon at 2-5. I heard her (Mattie) tell Ada Elsie Walker Rogers was there with Mrs. Kay. Didn't Mrs. Kay tell you that Edith was engaged? I said something to Elsie about it and she said she did not know that she was. I told her how I heard it and that coming that way I supposed there was no mistake and that I had told Mary Miles about it. Elsie has moved and is living up-stairs in the house on Maple St. where they used to live. Ada told me that she had heard that Edith had left her husband - said that she heard that he went off and spent most of his week's wages and came home 'full', and that Edith left: I told her she was living at the Stoddard place now and I did not think they had separated - but I did not say any thing that I thought some thing had been wrong there: people will talk enough without my helping. I think though, that Edith will leave him sometime, and if that is coming I hope she will go before she has any more children. She seemed in good spirits today - Carrie and I are to have the next meeting here and Edith offered to help me if I needed. Most likely it will be cold, and the furnace go out and we shall freeze them all.
Just now, 8-30, two cars went down and I am wondering if the last car comes from Athol at that time - if it does you will have to plan to either go to Orange or, if the trains connect, come to Baldwinville. I will find out and let you know. I suppose Mary wrote you about Annie's visit. We had quite a pleasant visit, and she has written us to let us know she got home all right - This postal came a day or two ago - you ought to at least write a postal to your friends. Have you written your class letter yet? Don't wait too long.
Poor Amber is quite poorly, though he seemed a little better to-day - I most felt afraid, last night, that he would not live till morning: but he has eaten a little today and purred and I hope he is going to gain - but he is so old that I feel afraid he will not get well. If I only knew what to do for him.
Annie Scollay was at home for a little while Wed. afternoon - I think Mrs. Meacham, Mrs. Scollay, Charlie and Miss. Horton all went to meet her at Gardner. Uncle Isaac went to H-n Tuesday to vote. I think he got pretty tired and has hardly seemed as well since; I think he will be all right after he gets rested. Mary says tell you she is alive after rhetoricals - I think she got along all right. There was a dance at Grange Hall last night, with noise enough to wake hard sleepers. The Lincolns are going to close their house this winter and I don't know what is to become of Persis. She has talked of staying with Mrs. Wallace but it is not certain. The hotel is growing slowly - they will have to hurry if they get it up this fall.
The clock is striking nine and I must finish this. Only two weeks more and we can have a look at you. Take good care of yourself and don't work to [sic] hard. Carrie sends love.
Much love from
Mama.