Templeton, Mass.,
May 5, 1907.My dear Sister:-
You said that you had had a busy week and you will probably write home about it. I am going to write about mine and then I think a prize ought to be offered for the one who has had the lousiest. If you have had more going on than I have you have done well. Monday, there was a rehearsal & to the best of my knowledge the children did pretty well. Alice didn't come over for she wanted to get rid of her cold and we haven't seen her since. She has bronchitis & is under the Doctor's care so the four of us have had to do the work alone.
Tuesday Auntie went to Worcester so I had extra work to do. I made a fearful & wonderful may basket. Bessie came down for a few minutes. Then I went to the Union in the evening. There were not many folks there & of course the business meeting was through early so we had a long time to dance. We girls danced to-gether & had a great time. They had a caprice & a polka. Of course Charlie & I had the last two step to-gether & I tell you it was a good long one. I guess everyone had a fine time.
Wed. P.M. was another rehearsal & we were in distress for Inez & Cornelia Eldredge did not appear. Charlie Scollay took one of their places & I took the other. Imagine me dancing around the maypole. Ruth came up about 8:30 in the evening & we hung Nellie a may-basket & got caught of course. Then we wanted to play some trick on Frank & Eva so we got a stick of wood at the Mileses & wrote Frank's name on it & tied a string around it. Frank & Eva had just gone into the bed-room when we got there. We put the stick on the threshold rung the bell & ran. The jar made the stick come bump, bump down the steps. No one appeared so we tried it over. Then we got some sand & then at the windows & as we have learnt since, frightened Eva somewhat. Then we went to our respective homes. When Eva has asked anything about it, we have aid it to Roger, Rollin, Charlie & Edwin Hawkes who were down to hang Ruth a may-basket so we get out of it fine.
Thursday P.M. we had all the Sunday School & if they didn't act like all possessed! The Ladies' Society had a meeting down stairs & we were afraid they would come up & protest. Marion had to take her music lesson in the A.M. & the train was two hours late so she didn't get up here till quarter past four. Then, worst of all, we leant [sic] that Inez had chicken pox. We had to put Helen Hawkes in her place. Don't you think the young one had good courage to go in with only two rehearsals? At six was Ladies' Meeting supper. It was the annual meeting & there were lots of people there. Helen, Clara, Mrs. Ed Bourn, Nellie, Dorothy & I had a table to ourselves at the end of the two long tables. If we saw anything we wanted on either table. Lucius or Theo got it from one & Philip & Harold from the other. After supper we went upstairs & danced & carried on generally. Then there was meeting of the Sunday School. Mr. Parker because Mr. Skerrye wished it so much, allowed himself to be made "super". Dorothy & I both came near being put into important offices. She had one vote & Charlie Rich nine for librarian & I had one & Jay seven for secretary. Then for the book committee Mrs. Greenwood nominated me & I declined. They are going to catalogue the books & the whole family thought I had enough to do without that. Mrs. G- had told me about it before. Then Mr. Skerrye said he didn't believe in folks declining & he put me on. I didn't dare say a word then but I got off again after the meeting[.] He & I fought it out between us Friday & both are satisfied I guess. Ruth came over to tell of the success of our actions of the night before & I had to sit up until after ten to get my Geom.
Fri. morn. Dorothy told me that Helen Hawkes couldn't be in it. That was the last straw. We were desperate. Marion went down on her knees to Mrs. Hawkes (I guess) that night & found that she had any white skirt. (We had borrowed Bordille's white dress for her. Bardille had a new one.) We borrowed a skirt & all was serene. Well if we didn't work that P.M. We covered the pole with paper & put the ribbons on before the children came[.] The rehearsal didn't go off well & the children acted like sin & we got rid of them about 4:30. Then Marion Mason rehearsed her pieces. Then we covered the tub that the pole stood in with evergreen, made crowns, hunted up thrones & trimmed them with evergreen. Marion went about 5.15. We fixed up the stage, came down after Auntie's fern, got the keys to the dish cupboards & got the ice-cream things etc. We started home at 6:15 nearly dead. I wore my old white dress & pink ribbons & by putting on extra stockings [and] my low shoes.
We had a lot of people there. I have counted up seventy grown folks. We didn't begin till about 8:15. Then we started the march. Maude Thompson & Harold Seaver led. Then came the May pole. We held our breaths but they went through perfectly. Then the audience clapped so that the children went back to do it over again much to our horror. It was just agony for us. They did all right through they had never done it twice in succession without making mistakes. Then they voted. Maude was queen & of course she chose Harold & Berdille & Madeline maids of honor. We wished that it had been Madeline for queen. She would have been so much cuter. Bessie read "The May Queen," & the 1st part was over & we were happy. Marion Mason sung, Cousin Bessie read. During her reading Dorothy Maron [sic] M. & I went down the back stairs to get Marion some water. Harold & Charlie sung & did pretty well. Cousin Bessie read, Mr. Skerrye spoke & Marion sung & the thing was over. We had 3 1/2 gal. of ice cream & sold every bit & I guess could have sold a couple of gallons more. We cleared $18.80. Wasn't that just great? Then we asked permission to dance. I was awful brave. I asked Mr. Skerrye if we could dance[.] Rob played & we had a fine time. We were ready to drop when we started home.
Sat. Helen, Marion, Dorothy & I went over & cleared up. We worked hard for nearly two hours but we got everything done up nice.
Well I am glad we've had it but I am glad it's over. Phillip Skerrye is just the dearest little fellow. He can act like the torment but when he feels like it he is just a dear. I played at the L.A.H. & got along comfortable well. The piano is a dandy. We decided on the tables for the fair. Helen mentioned you but Auntie vetoed you. Helen & Dorothy have the fancy table, Rena & Bessie the kitchen table, Elsa & I, the mysteries, Nellie & Mary W. the flowers, Grace & Linnie the candy, Clara salted peanuts. We are talking of having it in the Town Hall & having an entertainment in the evening not by us girls but [...] some one. I am most asleep so I am going to stop. I will only add that besides everything I have had 3 exams.
With love,
X X X X X Molly X X