A Letter Written on Oct 25, 1903

[Some paragraph breaks added for ease of reading]

Templeton, Oct. 25, 1903.

Dear Lucy,

I have not had my Sunday nap today, so I shall probably be very dull tonight. I was just going to get dinner so as to have it ready at 2, and Uncle Isaac went off to have a nap, and I thought it too bad to disturb him so soon, so postponed the dinner till nearly three. I had just finished the dishes after dinner and was going off for a nap when Fred and Bernice Leland came and stayed till nearly dark - they came up on the car and walked down to Moses's, and found they had gone away, so they came back up here. I think Bernice was pretty tired for she did not have any chance to rest there. I don't know whether she is any worse or not. I did not ask how she was for she looked so badly that I did not want to ask - she coughed some and Fred coughed badly. I would not be much surprised if she lived longer than he, but that may be imagination.

Well, I went over to H-n Tuesday - started from here at 11-30 - went by cars and reached Aunt C's before two and found that Aunt Ann had not got there. Uncle Isaac did not go with me, so I was there alone, but Mary Miles came up after a little and we went to work and worked till dark, and then I went home with Mary thinking Aunt Ann would not come that night. I went up the next morning about nine feeling sure Aunt Ann would not get there before that time and was much surprised to find her and Elsie there. Aunt Ann went over the evening before and Elsie that morning - she walked form the station so got there earlier. We have worked all the week on two closets and the storeroom on untill [sic] Sat. That does not seem much does it? I don't know but we take more care than we need - we do up the woollens very carefully and label everything and make lists of the things in each drawer, chest and box &c. We have found some very pretty things this last week - some lovely embroidery, collars, thread lace, both black and white and quite a lot of it, a nice black silk shawl that was probably Grandma's, though no doubt Aunt C. gave it to her - a beautiful black lace shawl, a black thin shawl with handwrought flowers in silk on one corner - that was a beauty. I see so many things that I should like for you and Mary, but of course only a small part will come to me. Aunt Ann appears to think the things will have to be sold at auction, but I think she knows what I think about it by this time. I told her one day that I should be ashamed to have them sold. I shall do any or every way possible to prevent that, and I want them to know it in the beginning.

I liked Elsie better this time than last. I presume the difference was in me, not her. Alice Miles is visiting in Worcester, so have not seen her this time. I have not been to Mary's to stay except Tues. night. Harold called on us one evening at about a quarter before ten and stayed till 10-30, which seemed a little strange. Elsie thought he had been drinking but I don't really think so, I hope not. Uncle Isaac did not go over till Friday morning and we came home Sat. afternoon. We had Mr. Hodge's horse and Ida Bennett (Mrs. Day) drove. I saw Edith as I came by (we came over the hills) and she waved her hand at me. I have heard nothing from her since you went away.

Andrew is driving team for Mr. Braithwaite. I don't know whether he keeps steady. We are to go to H-n again Tues. and I am afraid we shall not get through this week. I think I shall stay till we do finish this time unless it is going to take too long. You know I told you that I thought Gilman Waite was very much troubled about Edith when he called to see Aunt C. when I was there. She was married last Wed. at her father's home in Worcester. Of course I know hardly any thing about it but I should think they had not treated Gilman & wife at all well - she would most likely have been married from at their home if everything had been pleasant. Mary thinks the young man is a clerk in a store in Medford and his name is Paul, which has a frenchy sound doesn't it? When she came home from school, she expected to go back and left the furnishings of her room there, so the marriage must have been arranged in a short time.

I don't see when I am going to get my fall cleaning and sewing done if I have to be at H-n much longer, but I suppose it will have to go without doing. You ought not do such big washings with all your other work - I think you better hire part of it done - you could hire to the amount of $1 or a little more say $1.50 each month and it would make lots of difference to you: and I think Aunt Augusta gave you that money for you to do some such things with. I hope you will go out with the others and play tennis as much as you can and have a good time. I hope you will practise [sic] athletics to some extent - I think it will be good for you. Do you try to even your shoulders?

Did Marietta tell you what a nice man George is? Persis washed for me Tuesday and talked a little as if George stepped down to Mmarry Marietta, but said she made them a present and went to the wedding. I certainly would not write again to Edith unless I learned that there was good reason for her not writing to you. Carrie and Mary told me that the young people at the Scollays had a little serenade Friday night - some young people from Gardner they thought. I have heard nothing new about the Kambour & Hawkes war - each has been taken to court and I hope that will end it - it is a disgrace to the town. Mary has been to church, Sunday school, to Dolbear hill with Linnie, visited with Fred and wife, and done considerable studying to-day and was so tired that I advised her to postpone her letter to you till the middle of the week - and I thought you would as [...] have them at different times. She went to ride yesterday with Linnie to the cidermill and to the saw-mill, and in the afternoon made L.A.H. calls on Harold Cobleigh and Helen Bourn, so you see she had a busy day. She says Helen & Bessie have had D- in Geometry and that Mr. Osborne has written to their mothers about it. They must be trying to get on without hard work. Persis is coming to wash for me again Tues. I thought it would be better for me & Carrie.

I don't know of any news about town so will begin to end this. I believe Mrs. Greenwood is sick and has not been able to get any one to help her, and Dorothy and the boys do the work. I don't know when we can go to S-d: of course you would rather we did not go Wed. and as I cannot it makes it all right. It is nearly Thanksgiving any way. I take it you are enjoying your music and I am glad of that. Carrie and I have a lot of hyacinth & crocus buls and two Easter lily bulbs and some others, so you may expect to hear of lovely flowers this winter. The frost killed all the nasturtiums & dahlias last night - it was the hardest we have had. We had the machine to saw the two cords of dry wood that I bought so I am all right on the wood question.

Well, take good care of yourself, go in or out and have a good time and continue to grow fat.

Much love,
Mama.

Can I sit at the faculty table when I visit you?