[A few paragraph marks were added for ease of reading]Templeton, Mass.,
Feb. 3, 1907.Dear Sister:-
Don't you think I am good to write all my letters before I read any? I have written to Mary Priest and have exhausted my ideas somewhat.
Elmer is really better. Mrs. Greenwood said that the Doctor thought that there was no reason now why he shouldn't pull through. He said that Elmer had a little smile this morning when he was there. We have watched and still watch those windows pretty closely. The curtain in the south window has been up all this P.M. It is the first day that it has been. I guess Mrs. T. would be surprised if she knew how anxious everybody has been. Folks kept asking about Elmer so much in Otter River Sat. that Mr. Fred Stone finally telephoned to the Dr. to find out how he was. I am to get some flowers for him from the L.A.H. to-morrow. I can spend a dollar and am to get roses if I can. You see Elmer is honored for we generally get pinks. Mama is going to send some grape-juice down.
At the L.A.H. yesterday I started a baby's bonnet! We are making them for the Floating Hospital. It doesn't take long and it's lots of fun. We are each going to make a picture-book before next time to send down to the Hospital cottages. We are also going to send down a little money to give the children a good time with.
The Ladies' Society are going to give Mr. and Mrs. Skerrye a reception Thurs. night from 7:30 to 9:30. Marion and Cousin Bessie have charge of the refreshment table. Dorothy, Helen, and three boys, whose names I know not, are to pass the "grub". Marion & I are going up to the chapel Wed. P.M. to see if anything can be done to beautify it.
I went up to Carrie's Monday night. We talked a steady stream of course. She is pretty well, only a little weary after six exams. Mrs. B. went down West so Carrie and I decided to make some candy. We found a rule for fondant so we thought that would be good. You were supposed not to use it until it had lain twenty-four hours but that made no difference to us. It was pretty hard but we made it up into balls and dropped them into chocolat.[sic]To be sure they were rather funny shape but never mind. They were good. We had so much chocolat left that we put it into a dish and put in some milk and brown sugar and made fudge. Carrie made a dish for it out off [sic] a sheet of her aunt's best writing paper. Then we put some nuts on top. That was O.K. Carrie & Miss Swan, the teacher who boards there, were going snow-shoeing that night. Miss S. brought over the Brainard's snow shoes so we had to try them on.
There is a lot of scarlet fever in Gardner. Albert Keyworth, he was the youngest, died last Monday and Robert Collier who lived next door died later in the forenoon. Robert had both scarlet fever and diphtheria. Robert's little sister has been very, very sick with it and I don't know whether she is living or not. It seems terrible to have to have them buried right off that day.
Marion White is visiting Helen Bourn. Helen said that she was staying in Baldwinville just now. She came ove[r] to L.A.H. but they telephoned from the Bourn's for her to come over as there was someone there from her home. I saw them last night and the person was a young man but I do not think that it was her brother.
What do you think! Miss Blodgett told me that if they [sic] Mileses agreed I could have Nellie
sfor a pupil while Miss B. was gone. I had almost decided not to even if they came but Auntie seems to favor it. They haven't come near me so I guess I don't need to trouble myself about it. But imagine me, as music-teacher! Impossible!!Mama says to tell you that the address was written on the package in pen and ink. You had better go out hunting for the address.
At last I have completed Mama's muffler, all but the pressing. I was going to do that yesterday but the servant had too much on her hands. It looks awfully pretty.
Mama got the waist to my dress done yesterday and I tried on the whole suit to-day. I tell you it looks fine. I had it on the installment plan. I wore the skirt all last week: yesterday I had to [sic] belt to go with it and to-morrow I shall have the waist[.]
Mama says to tell you that the poem was good, that you had better send us another.
Mr
s. Skerrye's installation is Feb. 27.My ideas are gone entirely. The only thought that I have is that I had a terrible exam in Chem. Fri.
With love,
Molly.When we were going to church to-day Mr. Parker asked me if our stove smoked. I said "Yes." He said that he was glad of it. That misery love[s] company. Don't you think he ought to go to church? Has the wind blown on New Salem Hill to-day?