[Some paragraph breaks added for ease of reading]Templeton, Nov. 9, 1902.
Dear Lucy,
I am going to begin my letter early to-night for Mary thinks Moses & Frank may come this evening and I am afraid it will be late if I wait till the usual time. Mary went down to see the babies yesterday afternoon and Minnie thought they might come this afternoon and all [...]: they have not come yet and I shall not be much grieved if they don't. I don't feel in the mood for company. Russel can almost stand alone, so think he will walk some time. I was afraid something was wrong with him.
Mr & Mrs. Berry drove up to the door last week: they had their baby with them: he is a good looking boy and travels where he chooses - he began to walk when he was nine months old: quite a difference from Russel. Mr. Berry is talking of trading the farm for a house in Brighton, he expects the man to look over the farm in a day or two and he has been to see the house and is pleased with it. I shall feel very sorry if he does, but I can't expect him to keep the farm on my account: still think he may be as well off to keep it. Mrs. B. is willing to sell me seven plymouth rock pullets at $1.25 apiece, but I don't think I can quite afford it.
I have put up seven cans of pear & quince last week, made some quince and apple jelly and made some frost peach sauce. Aunt Ann and Mr. Berry both brought me some peaches. I hope I am through with that work for this year. Uncle Isaac went to H-n Tuesday morning and came back Thursday night. Thursday afternoon, at 3-15 we heard the car stop in front of the house and looked out to see who got off - we saw an elderly gentleman and lady with bag and extension case get off and aim for our house, but we could not imagine who they could be. When I got to the door I found Mr. Toby and (of course) Mrs. Toby - they had come to see Uncle Isaac and he was in H-n and I did not know when he would come home. Mr. Toby was not going to be cheated out of seeing him, so he went to the store and telephoned, and Uncle had just time to catch the next train to Gardner and reach home at 6-15. The Tobys went away at 8-15 the next morning and Uncle Isaac went to Athol with them and waited with them till their train came. I was taken by surprise but was better prepared than sometimes and had a very pleasant visit from them.
Uncle reported Aunt C- better than he expected to find her. Eliza was in H-n while he was there. Mr Miles, Mary and Eliza go to Worcester very soon and E- intends to spend the winter there. Your Aunt Augusta called on us Thursday afternoon - she was stopping in Gardner for a few days with your Aunt Mary - she has not decided yet where she shall spend the winter. Have you answered her letter yet? I would not write to the other Aunts again till I had - she was very kind to write first, and I think it will please her very much to hear from you. I think she is quite proud of her niece who is in her Sophomore year at Mt. Holyoke College.
I had quite a call from Aunt Ada Friday afternoon - she came to see Mr. Blodgett and came down here to wait till time to go to Wellington Club which was to be at Miss Maria Cutting's. Warren was in Boston for a day or two, so I invited her to come back and spend the night but I did not see her again. The Amherst cousins, Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Fisher were in E- T-n the first of last week. Mary missed her car Tuesday night and came up to Ada's to call and found them there. Mrs Fisher and daughter are talking of calling on you some Wed. and inviting you out for Sunday: if you are not allowed to go back Sun. night you can tell them so they can know what to expect. Have you called on Alice yet? You must if possible, and renew the invitation to Thanksgiving. I must say I hope she will not accept this time as we can not see nearly so much of you - you must tell her that you come home Tuesday night - you have an appointment with Dr. Jewett Wed. morning about nine.
Why don't you send a few h'd-k'fs and turn over collars
andby mail and let us get them ready for you, then you can bring some and leave. Don't wash anything you are not going to use this winter - bring home your waists dirty. I think you must have had a gay time at Hallowe'en. I would have liked to see the fun. I think you are reckless to be around in low-neck flannels this cold weather: it is too great a risk. I am glad your autobiography and exam. were so satisfactory, and I am glad you get so many walks. Mr. & Mrs. Toby said there was a young lady from Walton there: they thought she was in the Sophomore class and I think they said her name was Olmstead. Didn't that girl have more hysterics after the party? I should think witches, spooks &c would have upset her.Mary gets along pretty well, I think, but she misses her car much oftener than you did - they had another Algebra exam. and she got 100: that will do very well. Mr. Abbott has dismissed all those from music - says it would be a waste of time for them, but he has told Linnie she may go back as she has been two years. I suppose it is because they cannot sing by note (partly) but he allowed Bessie and Mabel to stay and Mary says they don't know one note from another. We don't like it at all and Mary feels badly and is going to ask him if she may go back. I think if we pay her tuition and are willing to let her waste her time, that she ought to be allowed to do so: she would try to go with the Preps. but her latin comes that period: music was one of the reasons for sending her to Gardner. He said nothing when he tested her voice only told her she would sing high soprano.
Mary and Linnie are very chummy - more than I quite like for Linnie tells her all her love affairs and I am afraid it will not be very good for Mary. Bessie did not pass in Algebra in either exam. but took one out of school hours and got 79%.
The Unitarian fair is Tuesday night - I hardly think I shall go, but may. Mr. Bourn brought me a tub of butter last week so we shall slip along for a while. Moses has not drawn my wood yet. I don't think he is treating me quite right. Uncle Isaac got a smal [sic] keg last week so we can have a little cider. Aunt Ann, Elsie and Alvine made us a short call Tuesday night. I must try to go there after the cold weather comes when Aunt Ann cannot get out. Florence French's grandmother died last week, though she had been sick for a good while, she died suddenly. The Scollays have got home at last but I have heard very little from Charlie. I think he has reformed. Mrs. Parker told Carrie to-day that Mr. Gray is going to buy the house where Chas. Maynard lives and give it to any one who will move it away. If that is so, I wonder what will become of Charles. While I shall be glad to have him go away, I feel sorry for the poor man - it is a miserable life he leads.
I don't think of any more news. O, Linnie walked part of the way to the foot-ball game a week ago, with Burton Kendall, and he told her he had received your picture - so she told Mary.
Take care of yourself and wear warm enough clothes. Only about two weeks now. Carrie sends love and I too send much love,
Mama.
Carrie says she thinks Annie has a new black suit and a black & white hat. I have not seen her for a long time. C. says tell you Bessie, Margaret, Mary Francis all inquired for you.