A Letter Written on Nov 1, 1903

[Some paragraph marks added for ease of reading]

Hubbardston, Nov. 1, 1903.

Dear Lucy,

Here it is Sun. night and I am at H-n, but I suppose you will want a letter just the same - perhaps Carrie and Mary will take pity on you and write. I did not go home Sat. afternoon as usual for I am getting anxious to get this job done and if I go home I cannot do much Sat. afternoon and I don't get back till Tues. afternoon and of course do not accomplish much that day. I have been mostly alone this week except Aunt Ann, who is not a great help about putting things away.

Mary Miles has been up for a little while three afternoons, but Mr. Miles is sick and she has not been for the last two days. Mr. M- has had a severe cold and cough for the last week, and I rather think has not been as careful as he ought - he had the Dr. yesterday and again today and he says he has dry bronchitis; he thinks he will not have pneumonia. I shall not be likely to have much more help from Mary - Alice has been away for a visit for about two weeks and came home Sat., but I don't think she is strong enough for the work we have now - and I think I would rather she would not come. Elsie will not come any more, at least I don't expect she will, so it looks as if I should have to finish.

Uncle Isaac has not been here at all this week - there has not been much that he could do, and I think it is very hard for him to be here, so Carrie & I rather urged him not to come. I expect he will come tomorrow and that we shall proceed to finish up as fast as we can. We have been through every drawer, closet, and box so far as I know, and it has been taken a lot of time. We still have some sorting to do, and the pantry and cellar to go through, and then a general clearing up and putting to rights - really the hardest work is to come - it has been very interesting to look over all the things and one got very tired and nervous, but the rest of it will work. We shall not do any cleaning only sweeping and dusting but there will be considerable of that - I shall rearrange some drawers, trying to put each kind together, but there is not much of that to do.

I have been down to call on Mary Miles tonight and see how Mr. Miles is getting along. Alice showed me some new "antiquities" that she had lately - she has some very pretty old fashioned dishes &c. Her father makes a great deal of fun of them. I think I like Harold less each time I see him, but I think he is much like his father only more so: you of course don't know Mr. Miles so you don't understand how that is. I like Alice very well, though I have sometimes thought she might be a little two-sided. I see she is a little inclined to make fun of others, so I feel that most likely she does of me to others: but maybe I am wrong. Mrs. Hodge is very good to us - brings us in good things to eat and is really very kind. I think she has dodged in here twenty times today. I should think it would have tired her, for it did me a little - she takes you so by surprise.

I have not done much but rest to-day. I intended to put a few things away but was pretty tired and thought I should quin [?] time by resting - Lester has been over and carried home a carriage full of things: he has been taking a mail-carriers place for the last three weeks - it takes him about six hours to go over the route. Mary wrote me a postal one day but as she took most of it to tell me about Amber's health I did not learn much news; probably I shall hear from Uncle Isaac how things are going on - no doubt all right.

The Unitarian fair is this week but I shall hardly get home to attend, which will not grieve me very much. I have not received your letter yet, but expect they will send it by Uncle. I don't know how I shall get this to the office, and you will not be likely to get it as soon as usual. How are you getting along? Are you still gaining? I am sorry we have not got your dress yet but shall try to have you have it as soon as I can. I see that our cousin Geo. Stone has been appointed tax-collector. I have not paid mine yet for there was no one to pay them to - I am afraid they will get ready to receive them before I get home.

I may as well stop for there is really nothing to write about here - we have got the pretty things all looked up, but I have found $25 in different places this week, and we had found six or seven dollars before. It does seem too bad that Aunt C- should not have had more use of all the pretty and nice things she had. We have not found a scrap of any thing to show what she wished done with her things. I hoped we might. Well, it is 7-30 and I think Mrs. Hodge is getting ready for bed and I had better stop writing. I hope I shall be at home to receive your next letter.

Much love,
Mama.