[Some paragraph marks added for ease of reading]Be sure to send your washing.
Templeton, Jan. 31, 1904.
Dear Lucy,
It is the night for your letter and to begin with I cannot think of much to write, but perhaps ideas will come, so I will commence. I received your clothes last night and will get them ready for you as soon as possible. I judge by the things that you will be glad to get them soon - there were not as many as I expected. Why didn't you send another night-dress.
I suppose you are over two of your exams, and I hope you had a good time with them, and I don't feel much worried but that you will pass all right. I think your teacher is right in talking to you all about cramming for them and sitting up all nights and getting up mornings to study for them. You may have heard me say some such thing. I think it all right to spend a little time looking over the lessons and looking up doubtful points, but not right to overdo it: you must remember the book Rhoda Chester. I hope you will go about and have a good time these days when there are no lessons. Be out somewhere all you can. I hope you will be sure to go to Amherst. I think you ought: and go to as many other places as you can - it will give you something besides lessons to think of.
Couldn't you get a pan that you did not go sliding with the rest? I hope Helen Buck will get well all right and not be disfigured - she must be very thankful it is no worse, but it is bad enough. The college authorities ought to be prosecuted for furnishing ropes for the girls to use that are not safe - there is no need of that, and if that is the kind they have I would not practise on them unless they made me.
Well, to come back home, Fred has spent the week with us but is going home tomorrow. He had made an engagement with a young lady to go to a dance tomorrow night, so he has to go, or I think he would stay longer - he has taken his camera and gone out for pictures three days, one of which, I am sorry to say, was today, he got out of plates so he lost one or two bright days, but went to Gardner yesterday and got some more. One day he tramped down the H-n road and crossed up through the pasture and woods, the snow is deep, to Dolbear hill. I think he does too much in a day, he gets very tired. Wed. he went up to Robinson's but went by the cidermill, so it made a long walk: he was gone nearly all day and they brought him home at night. He has been off today, and after dinner he and Carrie & Mary went to call on Moses. Yesterday he and Carrie went to call on Fred Leland & Charlie & Sarah.
Bernice is failing I think and badly off, but is still up about the house. Cousin Charlie is working in T. T. Greenwood's furniture store. It does not seem to me that Fred Matthews is very well and strong, and I think the loss of his position troubles him. Carrie is going to Boston soon, probably next week - she does not go quite as soon as she would if he had not come here: she went over to Mrs. George Bourn's with the whist club, last Fri. afternoon. 'Grandma' Parkhurst has been very sick but is much better: I suppose it was one of those bad turns with her heart. Dr. Greenwood goes out to see his patients so he must be some better, but Carrie saw him on the car and said his ear was full of cotton, so I take it he is not well yet.
Fred has not received your invitation yet, but Carrie told him about it and I think he would like to go, but he cannot tell just now how it will be - he feels that he may have a chance to work and of course if he should he would not be able to go out there. How soon must you know in order to get some one else? I think he will go if he does not get a position or have to be off looking for one. I want you to be sure to have some one so you can go and have a good time. Ifwarm room for him if you can: if you need more money, send home for it. Let me know how long you dare wait for his decision, and Carrie can let him know. He would be a very nice one for you if he will or can go.
I did not go to Worcester last week - I was to go Wed. but it snowed hard the night before and I did not know just how bad it was that morning, and as I had been feeling very tired, and Fred was here, I gave up going for that time. Ada is going some time this week and I may go with her - she went twice last week, Wed. & Friday, but the last day she went on business for your Aunt. Wednesday she had not seen her for a week, and said she could see that she had failed, but I think there was no great change - I think she is very comfortable and may live for some time, but of course the end may come suddenly. Ada said she asked the Dr. if her fall was in any way the cause of her sickness and he told her it was not, but told her not to say so to Mrs. Loring. I don't see what comfort it can be to her to think it was: but it will be a great comfort to your Grandmother and Aunt Mattie to know it was not.
I went to E. T-n Friday afternoon to inquire for her and was just turning up that road when I met one of the little Wheeler girls, and the first thing she told me was that Ada was not at home, and the next thing that she had a little sister, and invited me to go to see her; but when I learned that she was born that morning, I declined. She told me Ada had gone to Holden and was quite sure she heard Ada tell her mother that Mrs. L- was failing fast, so I came home anxious and went again Sat. afternoon and found the little girl had got a little mixed about it. Fred is not feeling at all well - think he has got too tired and wet his feet too much - I have given him a dose of golden-seal and now he has taken two pink pills and gone to bed - he is decidedly careless.
I must stop. Much love,
Mama.