[Some paragraph markings added for ease of reading]Templeton, Mass.,
March 8, 1903.Dear Lucy:-
The Lend-a-Hand club had a meeting yesterday and we decided to have a party two weeks from last night in the ladies' parlor. Each one is to invite someone. We don't [know] how we are going to get in all the boys who ought to be invited for Mrs. Parkhurst said to invite those that didn't go very much but also there are a lot who have always been with us. We have counted up for boys we want to invite Arthur, Lucius & Willie & Edwin Hawks, George, Harold Akin, Warren Seaver & Warren Willoby; Charlie & Carl Rich, & Theo Bourn. We shall probably count up a lot more. We think its going to be a funny party with Grace & Jay, Ethel & John, Gertrude & Joe, Mabel Stiles & her ["]Dilly" (at least we suppose the girls would invite these.) and come down to Lena & Harold Cobleigh.
Report cards come out Monday. Woe unto us! Ethel Henshaw & John had a lovely time last night out by the Akers. She took his hat off & put it on again. He put his arm around her and finally kissed her etc. They stood there for a long time & finally parted to meet again soon probably. Helen, Bessie & I are having a nice time plaguing Linnie. We call her Auntie & Gene Uncle. She can stand her name but she says it sounds so funny to her [sic] us call him Uncle.
We took a tramp Friday night. The three "nieces" went down & waited at Garland's while Linnie recited something to Miss Allen and then when [sic] went up to library, back down to Towne & Whitney
s& then down West just missing the three o'clock car. So we took three cents & went over to the bakery & got some cracker animals. "Earne" [?] amused us by carefully weighing out the crackers without any weight on. (Mr. Hoadley was in there.) Then we went up to Crystal Lake, down pastDunnDelbert Dunn's house & just before we got to Parker Street turned & went down a fearfully steep hill & came out by Heywoods. Don't you think we took a tramp[.]With Love,
Mary.