A Letter Written on Sep 14, 1905

[Some paragraph marks were added for ease of reading]

Templeton, Sept. 14, 1905.

Dear Lucy,

I am going to write a few lines to you tonight, for fear I shall not get time tomorrow. You know tomorrow is the greatest day for T-n - the cattle show. I have been to H-n today and am tired so shall not write very much. Ben. carried Uncle Isaac and me to H-n in the morning and we came home in the afternoon on the train: it was fine riding over in the morning. We found that the mice had been in the drawers and done quite a little mischief, but not nearly as bad as I was afraid it might be. Nothing very valuable had been gnawed, but a good many things soiled. I cleared up some, but did not have a very long time.

I went down to Mary Miles's for about an hour. Alice was at a picnic and Harold is on a farm in Leicester. (I am not at all sure that is the way to spell the name of the town I want.[)] Mary said Albert Waite is on a trip to Arizona. Carrie is going to start tomorrow morning at 7-15, and will probably be gone for a month or six weeks. I think it is a pity for her to go when it is so nice here.

Now about that piano, I don't know what to say, for I don't know what the other woman would ask or whether she would be there all the winter - but I think if the piano in the house is is [sic] decent, and if you can warm the room in the cold weather, (I am afraid you can not) that you would practise a good many times in the house when you would not go out of the house to do it. That is all that I can tell you for I don't know enough about the outside one to be able to compare them. I hope you will get one and practise as much as you can.

I really can't tell just how I fixed my pears. I like quince with them, and mean to take pears for that that do not cook soft too quickly as I like to cook them a good while, till they have a reddish rich look. I have used lemon - I believed you liked that well: but I have no rule for it. I sliced lemon enough in with the pear to change the taste some would like more than others. I have sometimes put a little ginger in - ginger root is best, but a little ginger in a bag will answer - then I cook them whole. I most always peel them when I can them, but often cook them without peeling - and sometimes I make pear pickle. We have a lot of Bartlett pears. I don't know what I can do with them all. I wish I could get into Dr. Marshall's peach orchard.

I am glad you are getting so you feel easier and that things go better. I must stop now for it is ten and I must be up pretty early. Will write at a little more tomorrow if I have time. I enjoyed your letter much. Do you want some money?

Much love,
Mama.