Milford, N.H.,
Sept. 14, 1905.My dear Lucy:-
You have been teaching nearly three weeks now. I think of you often and wonder how you are getting along. I saw in the paper a list of the teachers in Pittsfield, N.H. and Louise Brown was one of them. She teaches in the Grammar school. Mary Norcross is teacher of English in Kimball Union Academy at Meriden, N.H. Her school commenced yesterday. Gertrude is to teach English, Math., and Physics in the Amherst High School. She comes home Friday nights. They changed positions, as you know that Mary talked of going to Amherst. They thought it would be better for Gertrude to be near home. I saw in the paper that Betty Gammons was to teach in Athol, Helen Searle in Bennington, Vt., and that Elizabeth Colby enters Y.W.C.A. work. Schools here began the fifth. Mr. Woodward of Rockport, Mass. is principal of the High. He is forty-two years old and was principal in Rockport eight years. Our new superintendant's [sic] name is Woodward and he comes from Rockport too. They are not relatives however. Miss Flanders of Nashua, a graduate of Wellesley takes Marian's place. Marian's school begins Monday. Bertha likes the teachers. They keep good order. It's quite a change from last year. Harold and Helen go down town to the eighth grade and are delighted with the change. Bernice doesn't like her teacher very well, as she puts on so many airs and is cross.
Monday evening Uncle Fred invited the Christian Endeavor Society to a cornroast at his house. They had it in a grove back of the house and on the shore of the pond. The guests furnished the corn and Uncle Fred treated them to watermelons. We went over for a little while. It was a cloudy evening but warmer than it had been for some time previously. The rain held off until the party were starting for home.
Tuesday was a very rainy day. I went to the Hospital in Nashua that day and had the bunch on my neck removed. I was down to Nashua last week and the Dr. said he didn't think it would go down. The bunch remained the same as at first, although the swelling around had gone down. Both he and the doctor in Milford advised me to have it taken out right away, as it might swell up again at any time and poison my system. Mamma went with me. We went down in the morning and came home at night. I had the operation at half past ten, or rather they began to give me the ether at that time and the bells were ringing for school before I was wholly myself again. When I was coming to, I felt so amused, I'd keep laughing and talking continuously and saying the most silly things. They put me to bed in the operating room as soon as I reached the hospital and after the operation, carried me into another room, where I stayed until time to come home. I felt so faint and sick afterwards that Mamma thought it would be difficult to get me home. I had to keep lying down while I was dressing. We took a carriage to the station. I got home all right as the outdoor air revived me. Mrs. Colby, who lives about two miles beyond us, had an operation for a tumor that day. Hers came immediately after mine. I'm glad that its over, as Dr. Kittredge found that the gland was diseased and the bunch would never have gone down. Yesterday I didn't feel very well. Tuesday I didn't have anything to eat until night with the exception of a cup of coffee in the morning. To-day I feel almost as well as usual. To-morrow I go to Nashua again to have my neck dressed. There is a cloth pasted on over the place. When I go out doors I put a bandage around my neck. It's supposed to be entirely healed up in a week or ten days.
Last week when Mamma and I were in Nashua, we went to the Fair. There was a great deal of fancy work, fruit etc. The fruit didn't look very good and wasn't very ripe, the season is so backward. There were a great many horses, cows, pigs etc. A Fair has been held in Nashua every year, but I never attended one before. While we were waiting for the train in the afternoon, we asked the janitor of the First Congregational Church the way to a greenhouse. As it was too far away to walk, the janitor took us over the Church to pass away the time. It is a new Church and has a chime of bells. We were shown the heating apparatus, the vault, the organ, different rooms, and the way the bells are played. We thought the janitor was very kind to think of doing it.
Miss Root, who used to work at Miller Cottage wrote me that Mead is to have a new matron.
Mamma and Bernice wish to be remembered to you. Bernice says she will write to you when she doesn't have to study. The other children are at school or they would wish to be remembered. We hope you will have a pleasant year. I shall look for you this fall.
With love,
Addie B. Fitch.