[Some paragraph marks added for ease of reading.]Templeton, Oct. 5, 1902.
Dear Lucy,
It is Sunday night and I suppose I must try to think of some thing to write to you, but it dont seem as if there was much. It has been a real fall day - cold, cloudy and finally raining hard. It makes me tired to have it rain all the time - only about 4 pleasant days in nearly three weeks. It is rather a gloomy beginning for you but I expect we shall have some pleasant weather sometime. Carrie and Mary went to church, and there was no S.S. as it was communion. I wonder if you have been three or four times. I think that if you go to Chapel each morning, and to church Sun. and study the Bible during the week, that is about enough. How do you get along with your English? Can you satisfy your teacher? I think four hours of laboratory work is a pretty long stretch.
Now about that blue dimity - when it gets too bad to wear, if you want to wear it more, you better roll it up tight(ly) and send it home, either by mail or express, whichever is cheapest. I can put it in a box and send back by express, and I don't believe it will cost any more and perhaps will be as satisfactory as to have it done there - you could not undertake that. I have washed some pieces of the green waist and they wash all right, but I think it fades a little - I soaked a piece in salt water but could not see any difference. What kind of soap do you use? That may be the trouble. If you send the blue home soon put the waist in with it - it would not cost much more to send it.
Have you written to Mr. Osborne yet? If you are going to you better do it very soon. He questioned Mary the other day to find out if you passed, and was surprised to hear you was in freshman English &c - said Miss Whitney had written: so if you are going to write him at all, I would do it at once and tell him just what you are doing and expect to do - it will make him feel better.
Do you want me to try to make your gymnasium dress? What do you want? color &c. how long. I rather think it could be fitted to Carrie, and look well enough for that kind of a dress. I did not get to H-n last week. I went to Gardner Tuesday and paid Uncle Isaac's tax there and got a check so he could send by mail to H-n if the weather was so I could not go - so he sent the check and I did not try to go. Aunt Ann and Zoe called here yesterday afternoon to see how Uncle Isaac is getting along: and Edith B. S- called and stayed as much as two hours with me - they were all here at once which made it rather bad for I could not give my whole time to Aunt Ann and Zoe as I wished. Uncle Isaac is much better - he walked out into the garden Friday and Charles pounced on him as soon as he got there and stayed and talked at him till he must have got pretty tired - he is quite weak and still has to be very careful what he eats: he was not as well yesterday and the Dr. happened in and so he was down here before we had left the breakfast table to see if he was really worse: he was all right to-day and Dr. told him he thought he would get along all right if he (Dr.) let him alone.
I don't know what I am to do with my apples. Mr. Johnson bought some of the early ones and I must see if he will pick the rest on shares, but I presume he will not want to because the trees are so high. I shall expect a visit from your Aunt Augusta very soon - perhaps this week - your room is in the same condition as when you went away, but I must get it ready for I presume she will spend the night. Mary has a cold and is lame to-night - she is having more colds than she ought. I am afraid she is getting a little run down. It seems to me you ought to be in bed by ten - that is certainly late enough when you have to get up so early. I am afraid you don't quite enjoy your room-mate. That will be quite too bad.
Frank Leland, Esther's brother
thatwho has been away so long has come home: I would not have come now when he did not come when his mother and father wanted to see him so much. I have not seen him and don't know where he is, but it was in the Gardner Journal that he has come. I wouldn't wonder if Esther and Emma told him what they think about some things. I don't know what people can do about coal. I don't worry for I have wood enough cut, and wood stoves, and shall set them up and burn wood. I cannot afford to pay so much for coal - and even if theystrike is ended coal must be high for a long time. I have more than a ton and that will help us through the cold snaps. Carrie has enough for her stove so we are pretty well fixed. T-n street railway came near having to stop Monday but have got enough coal in now to last a little while, but am afraid it will have to stop after a while. Have they coal out there or will they have to send you home when cold weather comes?Did Mary write about Beulah Manning? An awful thing happened to her and Mr. & Mrs. Meals. Friday afternoon Beulah was left alone with the little girl, who was three or four years old, I think. B- was doing problems and the little girl wanted to go in the barn to swing and B- told her to go and she would follow as soon as she could put that problem down - the child went but went into the parlor and got a match before she went to the barn. before B- got ready she heard the child scream and ran to the barn thinking she had fallen from the swing, but she could not see her - the child had set her clothes on fire and run out doors. B- stopped to look for her in the barn a little and could not see her out doors till some one called to her where she was - she ran to her and rolled her in the grass to put out the flames, but the child was burned so that she died about eight that night. Beulah's hands were badly burned, I don't know how badly: but it must be terrible for her. I should not think she would get over it for years. I have heard that the child would get matches every chance she had.
We had Mrs. Ward here Thursday to cut our waists. I hoped she would get time to do a little more but she did not. Mrs. Roundy, Mrs. Parker, Mrs. Bourn, Aunt Ada and one or two more have joined the woman's club at Athol. Edith talked as fast as ever - it was nice of her to come to see me but I wished they would not all have come the same day. Grace Stanley was over in the yeard Friday playing croquet with Mary. Mattie and Fred have moved to G. If he don't stay longer with "your cousin" than most of his men seem to they may be back soon.
Amber seems well, particularly about meal times: but he acts as if he was lonesome. I think he misses you and Mary. Miss Wilkinson says he goes down there more, but does not fight her cat - "he behaves real pretty about it." I want to make some grape jelly this week. I must stop and say the rest next time. Tell us all about the reception, what you do, and what you wear and what others wear. Do you like your food? Better work into your washing gradually. I shall look for a letter THursday.
Much love from Mama.