[Paragraph marks added for ease of reading]Templeton, Mass,
Jan. 18, 1903Dear Lucy:-
There is almost nothing to write about but I will try to write about it. A week ago Friday night was the foot-ball reception. The hall was trimmed with purple and gold and in the back of the hall was a foot-ball with '02 on it. Last Friday night the Senior and Junior classes had a reception given to them by three of the teachers. Helen went with Lucius. Mrs. Parkhurst said that there was not another boy in town that she would let Helen go to such a place with. Helen said that she did not know but five people in the hall to speak to.
The "tormenter" says that it is ten degrees above at five o'clock. What will it be at seven to-morrow morning? I wish you could have been here last Sunday. Cousin Fred is simply lovely. He comes extremely near being handsome. Auntie always said that he was quiet but his tongue was going as fast as it could all day Sunday.
We are going to have a match in vocabularies in Latin Tuesday. Miss Bryant and Hadley are captains. Most of the girls are on her side and most of the boys on his. Next week we have got to write a character sketch on somebody in the class. Don't you think that Stiles or Johnson would be good subjects? She has given us some themes in advance. "The Most Th[r]illing Moment of My Life, a Fairy Story" told to a sleepy five-year-old. a Book Review, "My First Algebra Lessen." [sic] I wish you would see if you could remember anything about the last one for I can't.
With love,
Mary.