[Some paragraph marks added for ease of reading]Templeton, April 27, 1906.
My dear Lucy -
How is your throat? And how are you? Has Dr.'s medicine done you any good? You have written twice and have not said a word about your throat or if you felt better, and I want to know. I received your letter yesterday and was much surprised. I can't see why she did not bring in her bill sooner if she was ever going to do it Of course, she would not have been likely to have brought in any such account if your Aunt had lived. Don't you let it trouble you at all, for Mr. Warren will have to attend to that, and as far as I can see, it will make no difference to you, only that some time far in the future, you may have a little less money. Mary carried the account to Mrs. B- yesterday afternoon, and Mr. B- told her that he should want you as soon as possible; she said he spoke of next week Sat. Said he should like you to come tomorrow but thought there was not time to arrange it, and he wanted your Aunt Ada too. You may know about it before this, but I thought I would tell you what he said, so you can make plans, if he don't write you till next week. Why don't you write as many of those letters, to the different banks, as you can remember the names of, then you could finish and send them while you are here. I am afraid you would not have time to do the whole if you only had one day - you could write all but the date and put that in afterwards if you did not want to send them out now.
I took the Athol book in. Carrie and I went to Athol Tuesday - she got herself a new hat and bought it in about 10 minutes. There is one thing more - Carrie said you carried back the blue waist lining - you will want the sleeves of that altered to match the outside, so you better bring it back with you. C & I have been to Wellington Club this afternoon at Mrs. Moses. We should not have gone if it had been farther away, but I had a very pleasant time. Ada was there so I told her about Mrs. Edson and her bill - I knew she would want to know.
Mary has gone to Gardner to a reception given by the Juniors to the Seniors. She was dizzy this morning and did not go to school till 8-30. and I did not think she would go to-night, but she felt so badly and said she felt all right, that I finally told her she might go, but I don't think it was really best. She did not go to the firemen's ball concert because she was going tonight and she thought it pretty hard to lose both. Lucius came down Tues. night and asked her to go to the firemen's ball, but she declined: so you see he is not squelched yet. Mary says he is irresquelchable.
Carrie Wright got along well with the operation and was most well yesterday, but Mary did not hear from her today - she will probably be at school Monday. Mary went up to see her Tues. afternoon. Mrs. Greenwood called here Tues.. afternoon made quite a long call - she asked to see the yellow dress and admired it.
The L.A.H have sent some money for the California people. Mary saw Lester Wheeler, and asked him about his brothers and he said that Maurice, his twin, lived and worked in San Francisco, and in the part that was burned - he has not heard from him - he felt sure that Everard was not in it.
Yesterday I had a bad time making cake for the firemen. I made one and it baked too fast and was scorched - then after dinner I made another and that baked too slowly an[d] ran over, so I sent a quarter of a dollar to them and we have got to eat the cakes. Yesterday afternoon, before the last cake was done Mrs. Pratt came to call - she called for an hour and a half or two hours, and talked all the time. I feel very sorry for her, but she does tire me. She told us that Mason made up all the time he lost when he had diphtheria and while his father was sick, (I think she said he was home three weeks then,) and passed his examinations in every thing, while 40 per cent. of the class failed in some one thing: she said she was proud of him, which of course, was news to us. He has to take 17 examinations in June, and then he has a vacation till nearly Oct 1. He can have a position as bell boy at T-n Inn, but has not decided yet - Mr. Blodgett is giving him a little time to look around to see if he can do any better. It would fill a volume to tell all she said so I wont try. She told me one thing I did not know. She says the law school course is only three years, so Walter will graduate the same year Mason does, if they both go back.
I don't know of much news so I will stop soon. One of my eyes is troubling me quite badly and if not better soon I shall go to see the Dr. Uncle called on him today. I have not heard from Minnie yet. Mr. Parker is in Lynn - went yesterday morning. Mary thought Mr. Blodgett went to W- yesterday. It is nine o'clock, so I will say good night. I expect to see you in a week. Take good care of yourself and don't worry over school or business.
Much love,
Mama.Sat. morning.
Carrie is going to have Mr. Moore to help her about her roses. I hope she will not try to get him away from mime. [sic]
[The reference to the San Francisco earthquake intrigued me. I looked up vital records on the Wheeler brothers, and discovered both Lester's brother Everard and Lester's twin Morris survived the earthquake.]